Nokia 7.2 review: Set to be overshadowed by Redmi Note 8 Pro

Brand: HMD Global
Product: Nokia 7.2
Key specs: Android Pie (out-of-the-box), 6.3-inch full HD+ PureView display, 48MP+5MP+8MP rear camera, 20MP selfie camera, dedicated Google Assistant launcher, Bluetooth 5.0, Snapdragon 660 SoC, 3,500mAh battery
Price: ₹18,5999 (base)
Rating: 3.5

Nokia 7.2 made its debut at IFA 2019 in September this year. A big upgrade over Nokia 7.2, HMD Global's new smartphone is available in India for a starting price of ₹18,599. At this price point, Nokia 7.2 faces a strong competition from Xiaomi's latest Redmi Note 8 Pro and other specs-heavy phones such as Realme XT and Motorola One Vision. Let's take a closer look at the new Nokia 7.2.

Nokia 7.2 fares very well in the design department. The phone isn't completely different from other glass panel phones in the mid-range segment, but a few subtle things make it distinct. As explained in our detailed first impressions, Nokia 7.2 offers a matte finish-like back panel giving it a trendier and premium look and feel. The back panel also houses a circular camera module, similar to the older Moto G and Lumia phones. The phone looks great and is comfortable to hold as well.

At 6.3-inch full HD+ display, Nokia 7.2 is on par with other large-screen phones in the market. The display quality is quite impressive thanks to the PureView technology under the hood. The HDR 10+ support also adds to the experience. From watching high resolution content to basic browsing, Nokia 7.2's display is among the best.

Another big strength of Nokia 7.2 is the camera. Also one of the first 48-megapixel camera phones from HMD Global, Nokia 7.2 takes some excellent daylight shots. The combination of 48-megapixel primary camera, 5-megapixel depth sensor, and 8-megapixel wide-angle lens makes it suitable for a variety of shots across lighting conditions. Wide-angle shots in particular stand out. The lowlight images are also quite impressive as they retain a lot of details. The night photos, however, leave more to be desired.

For performance, Nokia 7.2 relies on Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor - a popular chipset bust mostly seen in under ₹15,000 phones. The Snapdragon 660 coupled with up to 6GB of RAM is good enough to handle day-to-day tasks. But consumers demand more from the phones in the vicinity of ₹20,000. Compared to Snapdragon 710-powered Realme X and other better chip phones, Nokia 7.2 won't impress much to power users. We played a few graphic intensive games on the phone. A new stock software experience with Nokia's good record of regular updates, however, is assuring to Android purists. The UI is buttery smooth. We didn't face any critical lag during our usage of the phone. As far as battery life goes, it's good enough to last one day on single charge. If you love to play a lot of games or use power-intensive apps, we recommend you to carry a charger.

Overall, Nokia 7.2 is good enough for users who want a good camera phone which also looks and feels premium. The display quality on Nokia 7.2 is also a big highlight. But if you cannot compromise on performance and want uninterrupted Call of Duty: Mobile or PUBG Mobile experience, you can consider Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8 Pro which is also quite cheaper. Realme X and Realme XT are also worth considering under ₹20,000. Both Realme XT and Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro offer 64-megapixel quad-rear cameras as well.