Nokia 5310 (2020) Feature Phone Review: Strictly For Nokia Fans

Feature phones in the age of smartphones might sound awkward to most of us but you will be surprised to hear that feature phones user base is still higher than the smartphones user base in India. As per reports, India has over 500 million smartphone users at present, whereas 550 million Indians still use feature […]

PROS

Long-Lasting Battery Dual-SIM Card Support Bluetooth Support Loud And Clear Dual-Speakers FM Radio (Wired & Wireless) Physical Music Controls

CONS

Disappointing VGA Camera Low Pixel Density Screen No 4G Support Better Alternatives At Similar Price Despite a steep 24% decline in the feature phone demand in the last two quarters, there's a huge user base that's still dependent on low-cost non-smart handsets for daily use. Leading brands like Samsung, Lava, Micromax, Nokia, etc. cater to feature phone users in India. Samsung is leading the feature phone market in India with 22% market share. The second and third spot is reserved by itel and Lava respectively with 16% market share each. Nokia, one of the major feature phone makers in India has registered positive annual growth. The company recently announced the 2020 version of the Nokia 5310 feature phone. The dual-SIM (Mini) Nokia 5310 features a 2.4-inch QVGA (240x320 pixels) display, offers support for microSD card (up to 32GB) and has a claimed battery life of 20-days on one full charge. Who is it for and how it performs? Let's find out.

Battery Life, SIM-Card Support And Connectivity

I mostly used the Nokia 5310 (2020) as a music player and to browse the internet on the tiny QVGA screen because why not. I also made a couple of calls daily to evaluate the call quality and as expected, the voice clarity is excellent. There were no connection drops on the Airtel network in Delhi NCR while using the new Nokia 5310. As far as battery life is concerned, this feature phone can easily last for 5 to 6 days on one full charge depending upon your usage. And I am pretty sure that the removable 1,200mAh battery will last for up to 20 days on standby mode. The typical BL-series (BL-4UL 3.7V) battery has limited cycles.

Verdict

The Nokia 5310 (2020) is a modern feature phone with some big compromises. The design could have been more premium and the camera could have been a lot better at an asking price of Rs. 3,399. The company could have also provided a better screen for consumers as the original Nokia 5310 had a better overall display back in 2006. On the good side, the battery lasts really long and the phone also works wonderfully as an affordable music player. The excellent call quality is another highlight feature of the new Nokia 5310. It's a great phone for elder people who are still in love with the Nokia brand. But for consumers who are solely relying on the feature phone ecosystem, the Indian feature market has far better options than the Nokia 5310 (2020).