Nokia 4.2
Specifications

Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/2.0, 1/4", 1.12µm
Pricecompare
Average of 19 scores (from 31 reviews)
Reviews for the Nokia 4.2
The Nokia 4.2 follows the current design trend with small bezels and a small notch. Added are an affordable price and the current Android Pie. In our review, we evaluate what else buyers of the smartphone with a dedicated Assistant key can expect.
Source: Android Guys

Overall, the Nokia 4.2 is a solid entry to the budget market for HMD Global. The price of $189 pits it squarely against the likes of the Moto E6, Samsung A20, and Huawei Honor 8x. Even with this low-end market becoming crowded, Nokia has a real contender with the Android One powered device. With solid construction, a dedicated Google Assistant button, and that beautiful LED notification light, we see a phone with a quirky attitude that stands out.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/04/2019
Source: Good Gear Guide

The thing that sticks with me about the Nokia 4.2 is the sense of presentation and pomp. It’s rare to find a phone this cheap that looks this good, let alone one that ticks so many boxes. On paper, it’s a $299 phone that feels like it could maybe be a $599 phone. Unfortunately, that taciturn impression only really last until you spend any real time relying on the device. The Nokia 4.2 is an OK budget phone that looks like the real deal but mostly ends up saddled by the same old trade-offs.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/01/2019
Rating: Total score: 45%
Source: Mobile Syrup

Overall, these aren’t the first phones I’d recommend to most people, but if you’re looking for a device that gets the job done at a really low price, these two devices are a great option. I found myself able to do everything with both smartphones that I can with a flagship device like the Pixel 3 or the OnePlus 7 Pro, just a bit slower. That means I was streaming music, browsing social media or the web, watching YouTube and answering emails with ease. The 4.2 handles all of these tasks like a champion, while the 2.2 takes more time to do them. Still, both phones are entirely passable. If you’re a heavy phone user, maybe the 4.2 is more your speed. Once again, if you’re looking for a low-cost handset that can do everything a flagship can, these are likely your best bet. Although, don’t expect to be taking amazing pictures.
Comparison, online available, Long, Date: 09/22/2019
Source: Ausdroid

One the one hand, the overall design of the Nokia 4.2 makes it feel and look like a mid to high range device. However, design and looks are one thing. It’s the overall experience that also counts. From a function, user experience, camera and performance, I would say it’s more a budget end and that disappoints me as I feel the Nokia 4.2 could have been so much more. Honesty, based on the price alone and performance, you can easily find better devices that will offer both great design, slightly better or enhanced performance and better camera software if you’re willing to spend the extra $50 to $200. Think of say the Huawei Nova 3e or the OPPO AX5s or AX7. All these devices offer something similar albeit without Android One OS or NFC.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/31/2019
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Android Central

Android One makes this one of the more reliable buys you can make under $200 — especially here in the US, where Android One phones are still fairly rare — and Nokia's been consistent with its updates and support over the last two years. If you want an unlocked phone you can rely on without blowing $400 on a Pixel 3a, you could do a lot worse than the Nokia 4.2.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/27/2019
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Tech Advisor

The 4.2 has shown that Nokia can still produce good hardware, and combined with the slick user interface on Android One it provides an enjoyable user experience. This fully featured modern handset produces consistently solid performance, with above average cameras and impressive battery life. However, it is let down by a low resolution screen, poor implementation of biometrics and some stubborn design choices.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/26/2019
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Business Standard

Compare the specifications of sub-12k phones and Nokia 4.2 won’t even make it to the Top 5 in its price segment. It doesn’t have the best screen or the camera, neither does it have the fastest processor or the biggest battery. But somewhere in its mediocrity lies its unique strength.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 05/25/2019
Source: NDTV Gadgets

The Nokia 4.2 aims to build on the momentum created by some of its well-received siblings such as the Nokia 6.1 Plus (Review) and the Nokia 7 Plus ₹ 25,410 (Review), but fails on multiple grounds. The phone definitely looks and feels good, and many people will appreciate the stock Android experience. The inclusion of the notification LED around the power button is also clever, but that's the end of this phone's advantages.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/24/2019
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 60% performance: 60% display: 70% mobility: 70% workmanship: 80%
Source: Gadgets Now

Nokia 4.2 has got a plain yet eye-catching and compact design. The build quality is impressive barring the placement of the Google Assistant and the power buttons. Though some security features like face unlock take an extra one-two seconds to unlock the device and navigating through the apps is a tad slow, we hope that the issues will get fixed with a software update. The UI is bloatware-free and the icons look crisp and punchy. The cameras, when used in bright sunlight and when indoors under artificial light, gave natural and mostly sharp photos. Low-light camera performance is what Nokia 4.2 is weak in.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/16/2019
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Think Digit

For those of you on a budget and with moderate expectations, the Nokia 4.2 is your fast track to a clean Android experience with the promise of regular software updates for up to two years from now.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/10/2019
Rating: Total score: 66%
Source: Tech2

For a more hardcore user, I'd suggest you look at Redmi Y3, Realme 3 if you're unwilling to flinch with your budget. But if you are willing to spend 2-3 k more, you do get much more capable budget devices to choose from like the Redmi Note 7 Pro (review) and the Realme 3 Pro (review). The Xiaomi Mi A2 (review) is also a phone you could consider if you're adamant that you want a phone which offers a stock Android One experience. The Mi A2 also offers a far more capable camera performance in comparison.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/08/2019
Rating: Total score: 66% performance: 65% display: 65% mobility: 65% workmanship: 75%
Source: The Indian Express

The Nokia 4.2 is a budget device which is compact and looks premium. For its price range, the phone stands out because of its design, clean UI (stock Android) and smooth performance. People who want a small compact handset and prefer stock Android can consider Nokia 4.2.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/08/2019
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: India Today

The Nokia 4.2 is one of the better looking phones that you'll find at around Rs 10,000. The glass design combined with some really attractive colours, especially the Pink Sand option will no doubt find a lot of takers. The fact that you're also getting a device with a waterdrop display and stock Android Pie are some of the bonuses here.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/07/2019
Rating: Total score: 75%
Source: Think Digit

For those of you on a budget and with moderate expectations, the Nokia 4.2 is your fast track to a clean Android experience with the promise of regular software updates for up to two years from now.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/07/2019
Rating: Total score: 66%
Source: The Mobile Indian

To conclude, the Nokia 4.2 is surely a premium-looking smartphone and it feels solid when you hold it in your hand. The pure Android is a delight for those who want to experience without spending too much on Pixel phones. The processor seems to be an underdog, while the camera seems to be promising. As for the competition, it will face stiff competition with the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Y3, Realme 3, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Zenfone Max M2.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/07/2019
Source: Techradar

The Nokia 4.2 appears to offer great value for money with a solid feature set and stylish design at an attractive price point.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/24/2019
Source: GSM Arena

We really like what HMD is doing with the Nokia brand in both the middle and higher range and we applaud the company for its grit and dedication that it takes to be successful in this business. Keep it up, HMD - just be cautious, because rapid growth is a double edged sword.
Comparison, online available, Very Long, Date: 02/24/2019
Foreign Reviews
Source: Tech Stage

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/13/2019
Source: Chip.de

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/14/2019
Rating: Total score: 81% performance: 87% features: 77% display: 83% mobility: 92%
Source: Tom's Hardware

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/26/2019
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Frandroid

Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/18/2019
Rating: Total score: 60% performance: 60% display: 60% mobility: 70% workmanship: 60%
Source: Antyweb

Positive: Beautiful design; great built quality. Negative: Low performance; short battery life.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/30/2019
Source: Hi-Tech Mail

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/02/2019
Rating: Total score: 60% performance: 40% display: 50% mobility: 70% workmanship: 70%
Source: Mega Obzor

Positive: Beautiful design; NFC; long battery life; compact size. Negative: Poor cameras; low performance.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/28/2019
Source: DGL.ru

Positive: Nice cameras; elegant design; solid workmanship; good price. Negative: Weak processor; poor display.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/05/2019
Source: Viettelstore

Positive: Compact size; decent hardware; nice dual cameras; good price.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 05/16/2019
Source: FPT shop

Positive: Low price; beautiful design; nice cameras.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/09/2019
Source: Viettelstore

Positive: Elegant design; nice display; decent cameras; powerful processor; attractive price.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 05/08/2019
Source: Tek.no

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/13/2019
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Mobil.se

Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/18/2019
Rating: Total score: 66%
Source: Arena IT

Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/22/2019
Rating: Total score: 62% price: 40% performance: 50% display: 60% mobility: 50% workmanship: 90%
Comment
Model:
The Nokia 4.2 is an ultra-budget smartphone made for the masses. It sits in one of the most competitive segments and aims to beat the rest with its quality, performance and design. For a start, the phone has an excellent build quality and design. Its polycarbonate unibody design feels premium. On the front, it gives a full-screen design, or at least it tries. On the sides, the bezels are quite thin, and the tear-drop notch extends to the top of the edge. However, the bottom chin is rather thick, and it has the ‘NOKIA’ branding on it. At just 161 grams, the phone is quite light, but it is also quite thick for its size at 8.4 mm. The power button doubles as the notification LED, since there is not much room on the top to place a separate LED. The screen is a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The viewing angles are quite bad on this display, but for the price, its quality is still very much acceptable. As for the hardware, there is a low-end Snapdragon 439 Octa-core processor coupled with an Adreno 505 GPU. It can be bought with 32 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM or with 16 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM. The latter is probably quite low for those intending to use this phone for more than just its call and messaging functions. The built-in memory can, however, be expanded by adding a microSD card with up to 400 GB.
On the rear, the phone comes with a dual camera setup, a 13 MP, f/2.2 sensor and a 2MP depth sensor for better portrait photos. The camera is really only suitable for mediocre photos. It can be used for some regular social media posting. In the same housing is the flash light, and underneath it is the fingerprint sensor. The Nokia 4.2 comes with a 3.5mm earphone jack, Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for connectivity. Unfortunately, the AC standard is not available, so expect WiFi speeds to be limited. At the bottom of the phone is a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and OTG. The phone has a very modest 3000mAh battery and is available in two colors, black and pink sand. For its price, the Nokia 4.2 might seem like a good choice. However, it has a small screen and weak hardware. There are quite a few phones that are better than it in this price range.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Qualcomm Adreno 505: Mid range graphics card integrated in the Snapdragon 430 and 435 SoCs. Based on the 500 generation and supports modern standards like Vulkan 1.0, OpenGL ES 3.1 + AE, OpenCL 2.0 and DirectX 12.
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
SD 439: Lower mainstream octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 SoC clocked at up to 2 GHz and the Adreno 505 GPU, and a X9 LTE (Cat. 4/5 - 300 Mbps download) modem. » Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
5.71":
It is a very small display format for smartphones. You should by no means be mis-sighted and you will generally see very little on the screen and only have a small resolution available. In return, the device should be very small and handy.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Nokia: Nokia is a Finnish company founded in 1865 and headquartered in Finland. The company is known for its telecommunications equipment and cell phones. Nokia was one of the leading manufacturers of cell phones in the 1990s and has expanded its business into networking and technology solutions in recent years.
In 2011, Nokia partnered with Microsoft on Windows-based cell phones and sold the entire cell phone division to Microsoft in 2014, which limited the Nokia brand name to basic cell phones. In 2016, Finnish electronics manufacturer HMD Global entered into a licensing agreement with Nokia, bought the remaining Nokia name rights from Microsoft Mobile, and since 2017 has exclusively offered Nokia cell phones worldwide, which are based on Android, among other things, and are produced by Foxconn.
64.62%: Such a poor rating is rare. There are only a few notebooks that were rated even worse. The rating websites do not give a purchase recommendation here.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.