Nokia is hopping aboard the Verizon 5G train. The company launched the Nokia 8.3 5G earlier this year, and now it’s releasing a Verizon model of the phone that’s built specifically to take advantage of Verizon’s mmWave 5G network.
The phone, called the Nokia 8 V 5G UW, isn’t the most powerful out there, but it’s also not bad. Like the Nokia 8.3 that it’s based on, it offers a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, coupled with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There’s a triple-lens camera on the back, with a 64-megapixel main sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there’s a 24MP selfie cam, and it’s all powered by a 4,500mAh battery.
There’s one problem. At $700, the phone is a really tough sell. It’s not a bad phone per se, and we won’t know just how good it is until we review it, but on paper, there are far more compelling options for a far lower price.
Perhaps the most interesting competitor is the new Google Pixel 4a 5G, which also offers a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor and 6GB of RAM, but doubles the storage to 128GB. Even better, it offers a full dual-sensor camera system, with a wide lens and an ultrawide lens, plus it has Google’s incredible image-processing tech. It also boasts Google’s neat software features and three years of guaranteed updates.
The original Nokia 8.3 did offer an excellent camera, but even if it’s on par with , it faces another issue — the Pixel 4a 5G is only $500, or a hefty $200 less than the Nokia 8 V 5G UW. That version of the Pixel 4a 5G doesn’t support Verizon’s mmWave, but we question whether anyone should be striving for mmWave right now anyway.
If you really want a phone that supports Verizon’s mmWave, then you can get a Verizon version of the Pixel 4a 5G for $600, which is still impressive at $100 less than the new Nokia. You can also buy for the same $700 — and it’s just an overall better phone for most people.
The Nokia 8 V 5G UW is still a big step for Nokia. It’s the company’s first carrier-exclusive device in the U.S., and that can lead to some big sales for non-tech-savvy customers who walk into a Verizon store to find their next upgrade. We’ll have to wait and see if the company makes more deals with carriers, and if it does, hopefully it will do so with some more compelling phones.
The Nokia 8 V 5G UW will be available in Meteor Gray starting on November 12 for $700. You’ll be able to get it for yourself from the Verizon website, or from Best Buy.
