
The budget Nokia 7.2 is a temptingly affordable Android One phone that offers a raft of improvements over its predecessor, the Nokia 7.1. We felt the Nokia 7.1 set a new standard for the price bracket when it was first released, but the best cheap phones have been improving rapidly over the last 12 months. If you’re interested in what difference a year makes, and you’d like to dig into the differences between the Nokia 7.1 and 7.2 and find out exactly what $350 buys you today, then you’re in the right place.
Specs
Nokia 7.2 | Nokia 7.1 | |
Size | 159.9 × 75.1 × 8.3 mm (6.29 × 2.96 × 0.32 inches) | 149.7 × 71.1 × 8mm (5.89 × 2.79 × 0.31 inches) |
Weight | 180 grams (6.35 ounces) | 160 grams (5.64 ounces) |
Screen Size | 6.3-inch PureDisplay IPS LCD | 5.8-inch PureDisplay IPS LCD |
Screen resolution | 2,340 × 1,080 pixels (409 pixels-per-inch) | 2,280 × 1,080 pixels (435 pixels-per-inch) |
Operating system | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9.0 Pie |
Storage space | 128GB | 64GB |
MicroSD card slot | Yes | Yes |
Tap-to-pay services (NFC) | Google Pay | Google Pay |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 |
RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
Camera | Triple lens 48-megapixel, 8MP wide angle, and 5MP rear, 20MP front | Dual 12-megapixel and 5MP rear, 8MP front |
Video | 2,160p at 30 fps, 1,080p at 60 fps | 2,160p at 30 fps, 1,080p at 30 fps |
Bluetooth version | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
Ports | USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack | USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack |
Fingerprint sensor | Yes (back) | Yes (back) |
Water resistance | Splash resistant | No |
Battery | 3,500mAh
Fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0) |
3,060mAh
Fast charging 18W |
App marketplace | Google Play Store | Google Play Store |
Network support | T-Mobile, AT&T | T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon |
Colors | Charcoal, Cyan Green, Ice | Midnight Blue, Gloss Steel |
Price | $350 | $350 |
Buy from | Amazon, Best Buy | Amazon |
Review score | Hands-on | 4 out of 5 stars |
Performance, battery life, and charging
The Snapdragon 660 processor in the Nokia 7.2 is Qualcomm’s current top mid-tier chip; it’s significantly faster and offers improved graphics over the Snapdragon 636. Both phones have an ample 4GB of RAM. Storage-wise the 128GB available in the Nokia 7.2 is double what the Nokia 7.1 has, but both can accommodate MicroSD cards.
There’s another clear advantage in the battery department for the Nokia 7.2, which has a 3,500mAh capacity compared to the 3,060mAh in the
Winner: Nokia 7.2
Design and durability
The most immediately apparent change here is the jump in size; the Nokia 7.2 is much bigger than the
There’s no IP rating with either phone, though the Nokia 7.2 is described as splash resistant. The Nokia 7.2 also has a polymer composite body that’s strong and light, and just like its predecessor, the Corning glass back and front is tough Gorilla Glass 3.
Winner: Nokia 7.2
Display
The Nokia 7.2 has a 6.3-inch screen that’s bright, colorful, and boasts a decent contrast ratio despite being LCD rather than OLED. It also boasts HDR10 support, which is great to see in a budget phone, but all of this is true of the
Winner: Nokia 7.2
Camera
Easily the fastest improving aspect of smartphones over the last couple of years, cameras are getting better and better. Impressive multi-lens setups are filtering down to the budget end of the market and the Nokia 7.2 is a prime example. Nokia has packed in three lenses here, combining a 48-megapixel main shooter, an ultra-wide 8-megapixel lens, and a 5-megapixel lens for accurate depth sensing. The long-standing partnership with Zeiss Optics continues and that main 48-megapixel camera will employ Quad Pixel technology to combine the data from four pixels into one, to turn out much higher quality 12-megapixel shots, just like the Motorola One Vision. The Nokia 7.2 also boasts a 20-megapixel front-facing camera capable of the same Quad Pixel processing.
The
Winner: Nokia 7.2
Software and updates
One of the things we love most about the
Winner: Nokia 7.2
Special features
Budget phones rarely have much in the way of special features and this pair is no exception. They have unusually good screens for the price and Nokia is really pushing camera capabilities with the new 7.2, but there’s nothing unusual that jumps out in this category to sway you one way or the other.
Winner: Tie
Price and availability
The Nokia 7.2 costs $350 and it will work on T-Mobile or AT&T, and there may be support for other carriers in the works. The
Overall winner: Nokia 7.2
You would expect the new version of a phone to be better, so it’s not a surprise that the Nokia 7.2 wins. It offers improvements over the
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