NOKIA G50 REVIEW: WHAT’S A GOOD TRAVEL SMART PHONE?

Detailed blog and review of Nokia G50 smart phone, including price of NokiaG50 in the Philippines, and where to buy it.

When I started traveling over a decade ago, I was such an old school. I carry a phone, but I don’t really use it. I don’t even use its data. I only use my digital camera to take travel photos because mobile phones before aren’t built for taking travel photos. But over the years, smart phones have improved significantly, that I can’t even keep up with it.  I realized the importance of having a good smart phone when on the road, now, I can’t travel without it.

A good smart phone keeps me connected online. I can contact my family and friends, especially when I am solo traveling overseas. I can easily update my Instagram stories or Facebook. I can check my e-mails. And of course, a good travel smart phone takes good travel photos and videos. Yes, I use my digital camera and drone for most of my travels, but having a good smart phone in handy while on the road is always a good idea.

Since smart phones have become indispensable part of travel, how do I find a good, if not the best, travel smart phone? Because travelers like me have specific needs, personally, I usually read reviews of the latest smart phones and compare the specs – battery, software, screen, camera. Price for me is also a major factor when deciding about phones, will it fit my budget? Then once decided, I test it for several weeks in the real world. Thankfully, all my travel smart phones are still working up to now. I guess I’m good at picking quality and reliable smart phones. They’ve lasted for several years, one is even 7-year-old already, though I don’t really use it anymore because it’s getting pretty slow.  So, I’d recommend changing travel phones in about 2 or 3 years.

I’m not a tech specialist, I’m a frequent traveler, and I have used a lot of cameras, phones, drones, and other gadgets over the years to take photos and videos. So, I kind of know when photos or videos come out better, or if batteries and storage last longer, or if a gadget will last for years. So, I will discuss  more the important travel-related features of the Nokia G50 and whether it’s worthy to buy or not.

NOKIA G50 REVIEW

What’s my latest smart phone? I got a NokiaG50 from late last year. It’s from the age-old reputable Finnish brand Nokia, pretty known for its indestructible build and multiday battery. Back in the 90’s, Nokia led the mobile phone revolution, it was the world’s largest mobile phone brand, until it was overtaken by other companies. So, I’m happy to see the brand Nokia has risen again, though a separate company is now licensed for its brand – HMD Global, which actually designs, manufactures, markets, and sell the devices, it remains pretty reliable.

NOKIA G50 (Ocean Blue)

I have been using the NokiaG50 for almost 2 months now.  Though I haven’t used it for my travels yet, because my trip was cancelled last January due to the rise in Covid cases and the typhoon that hit Western Visayas.  I still got to test it by using it at home during quarantine, and taking photos while exploring hidden spots of our hometown.  So far, I haven’t gotten any big issues about it.

OS AND MEMORY

The NokiaG50 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chipset, though not so fast it’s a decent performer. It runs all the apps installed on my phone and I get the notifications, never really had issues with it. But I super like its Do Not Disturb feature, because I’m honestly annoyed with notifications and calls, that I usually set my old phone to Airplane Mode. LOL With this phone, I just turn on the Do Not Disturb feature, and I can browse seamlessly only my phone without the annoying pop-up notifications. The downside to it though is, I missed a couple of  messages on Facebook and calls as well as e-mails. So if you’re turning on this mode, make sure to still check your messages and e-mails on your free time.

Did I mention that NokiaG50 is a 5G smart phone? Yes, it’s a feature proof smart phone.  The Nokia G50’s OS is  equipped with Android 11, upgradable to Android 12. It has a 3-year monthly security updates and 2-years of OS upgrades. So, I’m confident that like my other phones, it will last for years and I still can use it without having to worry about it getting too slow.

MEMORY /STORAGE

This smart phone has 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage. There’s a slot for Nano Sim + MicroSD hybrid slot (Dual SIM only).  But my personal favorite is its storage, which can be expanded to 512 GB via micro-SD, so I can definitely store more travel photos and videos!  It’s quite a hassle every time I run out of storage whenever I travel for a few weeks because I take a lot of phone photos and videos, so this phone would be perfect for my trips!

BATTERY LIFE

The phone’s battery life is solid. The device is powered by a 500 mAh battery with 18W fast charging speed via USB type-C. I love that its battery usually lasts for about 2 days when fully charged, just perfect for my trips!

DESIGN AND BUILT

The Nokia G50 is a stylish big phone with a thick body, weighing about 22 grams, like the latest trend in the smart phones today. Though not pocket-friendly, I would still carry this for my travels as it won’t get lost in a sea of things inside my bag. Its back is made of  polymer composite. I got the Nordic-inspired Ocean blue Nokia G50 with a nice 2-tone that is really eye-catching. Me thinks it’s really a tough phone, like I said, it accidentally fell a few times already but it’s still intact with no major scratch on the body nor screen. On its right side is the power mode, mounted with a finger print scanner. The phone also has a face scanner, but I like using number codes for security reasons. On the other side is a Google key button, which I don’t really use. My only complaint is, the way they designed how to close the apps or to go back to whatever you are previously viewing or watching. You do that by swiping from right to left, instead of pressing the button or swiping at the button of your phone like in other smart phones. So, sometimes when I swipe from right to left to go back, I end up liking a photo or video.

SCREEN

And, talking about photos and videos, this phone features a massive 6.82-inch HD +V-shaped notched screen with 60Hz refresh rate, the standard rate.  Kind of low compared to other budget smart phones that are running at 90Hz, but 60Hz will save you battery life. So, if you’re a traveler, it’s still good for watching movies and playing games while on the bus, plane, boat, or on the lounge waiting for your next ride or flight.

CAMERA

It has a 48MP,f/1.8 (wide) main camera, 5 MP (ultrawide) + 2 MP FF (depth) triple rear cameras, and an 8MP selfie camera. Videos are at 1080 p (full HD) at 30 fps. Camera has portrait mode, night mode, HD, beautification, panorama, and watermark.

Here are some of the photos taken using the Nokia G50. I like using it for macro shots, like plant and food shots, just don’t zoom it too much. The wide-angle lens is just okay, some details do get lost in the shadow on overcast days, like  during the time when I took the photos below. I also like the selfie mode, the selfie photos I took doesn’t look too fake, my face still looks like the real me, with some pimples and all. Though there’s a beautification mode, I want the natural look. The key to taking good selfies with this phone without using the beautification mode is finding the perfect angle and lighting.

wide angle shot on overcast day

food shot and night shot

Macro shots and close up shots

selfie shot and wide angle shot

CONNECTIVITY

As for its other features, I never had issues with it either, the Bluetooth  and Wi-Fi connection are working well. So, you can get in touch with your friends and families even when you are traveling overseas.

AUDIO

Speaking of getting in touch, I got a call yesterday and I can hear the person on the other end pretty clearly. The speaker is loud and is also working fine. Plus, there’s a jacket for the headphones on its top left. So, I’m sure I’ll enjoy listening to Spotify while I’m on the road.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Yes, it’s not perfect and certainly not the fastest, but for its price, memory, durability, long battery life,  connectivity,  basic yet decent camera, and 5G, me thinks it’s a good buy.

HOW MUCH IS THE PRICE OF NOKIA G650 IN THE PHILIPPINES?

The Nokia G50 retails at ₱13,990 in the Philippines.

WHERE TO BUY NOKIA G50 IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Nokia G50 is available in major mobile phone shops in the Philippines. But if you’re someone like me who lives in a remote town in the province where phone shops only sell certain phone brands, mostly outdated, you can shop online via Shopee and Lazada. I rely on Shopee for most of my purchases, and they deliver fast since the courier knows my address already.  So far, they haven’t failed me, just make sure you shop at the official stores, recommended store or shops with good and reliable reviews. Here’s the link to the official store of Nokia Philippines.

• Shopee: BUY HERE
• Lazada: BUY HERE

NOKIA G50 SPECS :

To summarize, here’s the specs of the Nokia G50

DISCLOSURE: I got the Nokia G50 for review from HMD Global.