One of the latest smartphone offerings from HMD Global has reached us and it is none other than the new Nokia 3.4. It was actuall...
One of the latest smartphone offerings from HMD Global has reached us and it
is none other than the new Nokia 3.4. It was actually first launched sometime
in September of last year but did not arrive in the Philippine market until
December 2020 with a price tag of Php7,990. Now that it is here, we of course
unboxed it and if you are wondering what comes in the box or what this device
now offers compared to its predecessor, here is my unboxing and initial
impressions of the Nokia 3.4.
What's in the box
Like any standard Nokia smartphone from HMD Global, the Nokia 3.4 comes with
the usual suspects which include the charging cable and brick. Being an entry
level smartphone, the device comes with a 10W charger, but what's nice is that
the phone now has a USB Type-C port for charging and transferring files. In
case you wonder, yes the Nokia 3.4 still comes with a regular pair of
earphones. And then in the Philippines, buyers are treated to a free silicon
case which comes in the packaging together with the phone itself. In other
markets, they don't get to receive one in the box.
Meet the Nokia 3.4
Now let's tour around the Nokia 3.4 smartphone and see what this one offers in terms of physical design and features.
The back of the device looks very nice and feels premium to the hand, that
thanks to the 3D nano-textured design, which HMD Global calls it, that it
sports. If you wonder what the color variant this one is called, it is Fjord
(pronounced as "fyord"). You can also get the device in Charcoal color
version. More on this side of the device, here we can find the circular
camera module that houses the triple rear camera with a 13MP primary lens,
more on this below. The camera module protrudes a little, in case you would
like to know. Right below it is the round-shaped fingerprint reader which
works quite fast based on my experience so far right after setting the
device up. Then at the center of the back panel is the Nokia branding.
Ports and buttons, yes it now has USB Type-C
Starting at the very bottom of the Nokia 3.4, there we can find the USB-Type
C port and together with it are the microphone and speaker grille with two
pill-shaped holes. On the right side are the volume rocker and power button,
while on the other side of the device are the triple SIM-MicroSD card slot
and an extra dedicated Google Assistant button.
And then at the top are the remaining ports which are the 3.5mm audiojack
and a secondary mic for noise canceling. In terms of ports, physical
features all the way down to the packaging, we can safely say that the Nokia
3.4 is still a "complete" smartphone offering right out of the box, not a
thing or two missing or sold separately.
The technical specifications
Now let's talk about the Nokia 3.4's technical specifications. Upfront, the
phone sports a huge 6.39-inch HD+ display resolution with a punch hole
cutout on the upper left corner. This punch hole houses the 13MP selfie
camera. In terms of resolution, this HD+ equates to 1560 x 720 pixel
arrangement. And just like any other devices that has this kind of
resolution, the images and color are reproduced more than just okay. Colors
are accurate and images are sharp and clear, as well as text images.
As for its internals, the Nokia 3.4 is powered by a Snapdragon 460 processor
from Qualcomm which the company claims to be up to 70% more powerful than
its predecessors. Together with this processor is a quite large 4GB of RAM
and paired with a 64GB internal storage.
Right out of the box, the Nokia 3.4 has around 48GB storage left to users at
initial boot out of its 64GB. In case that is not enough, you can also slide
in a microSD card to its dedicated slot up to 512GB in size.
Now for the cameras, I already mentioned that this device packs a 13MP
triple rear snappers. That primary shooter is accompanied by a 2MP macro and
5MP ultrawide lenses. Then on the front is a 8MP selfie shooter. Features
and function wise, its cameras are equipped with Portrait, Video, and Night
modes. Also there are Panorama and Timelapse for the rear and front
snappers. For video recording, both front and rear can record 720p (30fps
and 60fps) and 1080p (30fps) video resolution.
In the software department, the Nokia 3.4 comes pre-installed with pure
Android 10 right out of the box. It is also Android 11-ready, so when HMD
Global officially rolls out this latest version of the Android mobile
software, your Nokia 3.4 will definitely get one. In fact, this smartphone
is an Android One device, just like almost all smartphone offerings by HMD
Global. This means, users are guaranteed to receive up tp 2 years of major
software upgrades such as the Android 11 and Android 12 in this case. Not
only that, this also promises users to receive monthly security patch and
firmware updates for up to three years. Such a nice offer, if you ask
me.
One of the things I immediately liked about this device is the inclusion of
the Dark Mode feature right out of the box. This is one of the features I
love using on a smartphone, so having it on this type of device is a
plus.
Connectivity wise, this device takes advantage up to 4G LTE network. No 5G,
as expected, but both SIM slots can accommodate 4G LTE
connectivity.
The battery pack is one of its highlight offerings, it is packed with a huge
4000mAh battery. HMD Global says this battery can last up to 2 days which
lets users spend less time near the power outlet and more time on the go
doing what they love doing on their phone be it playing games or consuming
digital content.
Initial verdict
The Nokia 3.4 is a nicely designed and built smartphone by HMD Global. Its
punch hole display, that textured back panel as well as the inclusion of the
USB Type-C port are just some of the great things about this device that
every Nokia fan will be excited about. The software is also a good one here,
fast and buttery smooth and the navigation experience is just brought to
another level. Battery size is something not to be ignored as well, I mean a
2-day battery life on a single charge is just something we don't usually get
in this device category from the competition.
If there is one thing that I didn't like that much on this device, it would
be the pricing. Php7,990 a pop is actually good for what this device offers,
but truth be told, there are other devices out there that offer much more
for the same price tag. It's just that they are not Nokia-branded ones. What
added more to this is the fact that HMD Global just also made available in
the local market the new and more high-end Nokia 5.4 which is priced at Php9,990 exclusively on Shopee
where if you use a voucher code NOKIA54 will be discounted down to just
Php7,890.
Nokia 3.4 specs:
- 6.39-inch HD+ Punch-Hole Display
- 1560 x 720 resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB internal storage
- Supports microSD card up to 512GB (dedicated slot)
- 13MP + 2MP + 5MP Triple rear camera with ultrawide and depth sensors and LED Flash
- 8MP front camera
- Android 10 (Android 11 ready)
- 4G LTE
- Dual SIM
- Google Assistant Button
- Fingerprint scanner
- Face Unlock
- FM Radio
- USB Type-C
- Fjord, Charcoal
- 3.5mm audiojack
- 10W Charger
- 4000mAh battery
- Php7,990
As for this device's availability, the Nokia 3.4 is still available in Fjord and Charcoal color variants for Php7,990. You can buy one from Nokia's Shopee (currently priced at Php6,990) and Lazada stores as well as at authorized retailers nationwide.
