Will Nokia 5.3 become a game changer for Android One

Nokia has been a long standing partner in the Android One program. Their latest announcement, Nokia 5.3 is a proof of this commitment. A preview of the device is already featuring on Nokia Website. Google has not yet hit the sweet spot with its Android One branding. Nokia, the once dominant king of mobiles is still struggling to gain a pole position in the smartphone market. Will this handset ring in the bell for Android One.

Noika 5.3 and Android One

Noika 5.3 was announced in March 2020 with a scheduled launch on 23 June 2020. Android One promises a pure Android experience without the distraction of skins and additional OS optimizations and two years of software updates. Android One is different from Android Go which is for affordable handsets. Nokia 1.3 is an Android Go device. Android One does not have any bloatware and any apps preinstalled.

https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_int/nokia-5-3

Hardware specs of Nokia 5.3

Nokia 5.3 will feature a massive 6.55 inch screen. Powered by the octa core (8 cores) Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor the gaming punch is provided Adrena 610 gaming chip. 64 GB of storage expandable by micro SD memory card, it will have options of 3, 4 and 6 GB of RAM. The highlight of Nokia 5.3 is the 4000mAH non removable battery. The battery will last for two days and it features AI assisted technology which saves energy for the apps which you use the most.

Nokia 5.3 promises an AI powered photography experience. Rear Quad camera setup has an wide and ultra wide angle lens, depth lens and macro lens. Wide range of tools will take care of editing needs and maximize use of all the four lens, best one for each occasion. 13MP rear camera can shoot videos in 4k at 1080p. Front camera is a modest but adequate 8 MP wide angle. The top has a water drop design and chin at the bottom with the Nokia branding. A dedicated button is present for switching on Google Assistant. Nokia 5.3 will come in three colors, Cyan, Sand and Charcoal, Nordic inspired colors.

Is this the perfect premium budget phone?

There is a growing market for premium budget phones. After all why should a low budget phone look mediocre. Quad camera with octa core processor is a game changer. The 720p display might seem underwhelming but we know that Nokia uses good quality hardware. Plus a low resolution screen is a battery saver. Xiaomi Mi A3 was the Android One star of 2019. Will Nokia 5.3 get that place for 2020?

Mi A3 now sits comfortably at 4 out of 5 stars from 40,000 ratings on Amazon. But at its peak sales time, it was less than 3 stars. Most of the users were complaining about the performance because they were anticipating premium performance from a phone which looked premium from outside. This is the danger which Nokia 5.3 faces. Users will load the phone with apps and install graphics hungry games. When performance peaks and things start getting heated up (literally!) they will reach out to the reviews panel to vent their frustrating experience.

The key to success is the price point. Indian market is significant and any mistake in the pricing strategy will put a dent in the sales. But for this we already know what strategy Nokia will put in place…don’t we.