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Nokia 2.3 In-Depth Hands-On

Nokia has launched another entry-level device, the Nokia 2.3. The successor of the Nokia 2.1 features a better display, more modern chipset, and better cameras for the same introductory price. Check out the phone, its cameras, and performance in this in-depth hands-on!

Table of Contents

Design and Construction

Despite its budget-oriented nature, the Nokia 2.3 feels good in the hand. It has a unibody design topped off with a textured, ridge-like finish. The back also curves just a little bit inward towards the edge, so it doesn’t feel too sharp when gripped. Customers can get the device in either Cyan Green or Charcoal, with our unit being the latter. It has a very simplistic design with no lines, slight curves, and a flat colorway.

Up front, you’re greeted by the 6.2-inch HD+ IPS display. The top and side bezels are thin, measuring only 5mm and 4mm, respectively, while the chin is double in thickness, measuring 9mm. There’s also the Nokia branding on the chin.

A notch houses the 5MP front camera with the speaker for calls on top of the camera module.

Situated on the left is the sim tray and dedicated Google Assistant button. Speaking of the SIM tray, the device is capable of handling two nano SIMs and a MicroSD card up to 512GB.

On the left, you get a power button and volume rockers in the ideal location.

The top is bare, save for the 3.5mm audio jack.

Located at the bottom are the mic, MicroUSB port, and speakers.

At the back sits the dual rear camera, which consists of a 13MP and a 2MP shooter, flash, and Nokia branding. The camera module that sits on the middle is also flush against the back cover.

The Nokia 2.3 stays true to what Nokia is known for – build quality. The device feels sturdy and looks like it can take a few drops. Despite the plastic cover, it doesn’t feel cheap too. The ridges on the back allow users to use a loose grip without fear of the device falling out. While it may not be as eye-catching as the other phones we’ve reviewed, it does have a business-like, utilitarian appeal to it, which I liked.

Display and Multimedia

The 6.2-inch IPS display on the Nokia 2.3 has an HD+ 1520 x 720p resolution with a glossy finish. Contrast is more visible, and colors appear more vibrant, although it is more susceptible to reflections and glare. Fortunately, the phone did manage to output enough brightness to allow users to see what’s displayed under direct sunlight.

As for the speakers, they’re your typical cheap smartphone speaker. The bass is recessed, the sound lacks detail, and there’s a slight tinniness to the highs. That being said, it’s serviceable for casual music listening, podcasts, and watching movies. While it could get loud enough to fill a small room, a lot of detail is lost the farther away you are from the source.

Camera

The 13MP rear camera seems to be capable for the price, as it’s able to capture a lot of detail, and colors are more realistic than vibrant. Like the C1, the phone doesn’t automatically adjust exposure, hence, direct light sources appear brighter. Night shots introduced noise and blur to images. Take a look at the sample shots below:

At the front, a single 5MP selfie camera sits in the middle of the notch. Surprisingly, despite having the same resolution as the camera on the Nokia C1, the selfies produced by the Nokia 2.3 are clearer, have more detail, and have true-to-life colors. Check out the sample shots below:

Performance and Benchmarks

The Nokia 2.3 runs on MediaTek’s Helio A22 chipset, paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Despite only having four cores, the Helio A22 is able to perform the most basic tasks like social media, web browsing, and content viewing with minimal stutters. Check out the benchmark results below:

Antutu (v8.2.2) – 73,570
3D Mark Sling Shot Extreme – 262 (OpenGL ES 3.1)
PC Mark – 4,760 (Work 2.0)
AndroBench
- Sequential – 271.43 MB/s (Read), 105.64 MB/s (Write)
- Random – 39.06 MB/s (Read), 21.97 MB/s (Write)

While it could handle basic and text-based games, 3D games would be a challenge for the device.

For PHP 5,990USD 102INR 8,653EUR 97CNY 743, the Nokia 2.3 could be a great device for people who want a phone that’s a couple steps up from feature phones. If you want something for social media, YouTube, Netflix binging, emails, browsing the web, and Waze while you’re driving around, then the Nokia 2.3 could handle all that. However, for PHP 1,000USD 17INR 1,445EUR 16CNY 124 more, you could get the Realme 5i instead, which has significant upgrades in performance, camera versatility, and biometrics.

Nokia 2.3 specs:
6.2-inch HD+ waterdrop notch display
MediaTek Helio A22 2.0GHz quad-core processor
IMG PowerVR GPU
2GB RAM
32GB storage
MicroSD card slot up to 512GB
5MP F2.4 front camera
13MP F2.2 main camera + 2MP depth sensor dual-rear cameras
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS / AGPS + GLONASS + Beidou
Micro USB (USB 2.0)
Face unlock
Android One (Android 10 ready)
4,000mAh battery
157.69 x 75.41 x 8.68mm
183g
Cyan Green, Charcoal