In July 2020, it was announced that a relatively unknown (in this part of the world) company based in Shenzen, China called RichGo has acquired the rights to sell Nokia branded accessories. The move was something unusual as HMD Global is also manufacturing similar accessories. Now, this is different compared to the deal that Nokia had with Flipkart, to manufacture TVs and laptops as these aren’t made by any other company. At that time, I was skeptical about this decision.
Nokia brand is synonymous with quality and reliability. So allowing another company to have the rights to manufacture their accessories seems like a risky move. But seeing the success Flipkart has with their Nokia branded devices, I decided to take a leap of faith.
RichGO at the time had a few Nokia branded earbuds, generally the Essential series and Pro series. The E series were cheap and cheerful. So, that was a pass from me. I decided to get Nokia P3600. On paper, the specs looks good, and the design is something fresh when compared to HMD Global made BH 605 which I was using previously. Do not get me wrong, the BH 605 is a great earbud, solid build, excellent battery life and has been my trusted partner for my daily commute to work.
The Nokia P3600 earbuds greets you with a premium packaging from the start!
The Journey:
Again, the Nokia P3600 earbuds wasn’t available officially here in my country, nor was the BH 605. But thankfully, third party online retailers were bringing in this device. So, I placed the order and got the device shipped from Hong Kong.
The metal box housing the earbud was a great touch, aesthetically and was reassuring of the build quality. The P3600 sits in the middle, in a tiny metallic shell.The box contains a Nokia branded pouch to carry the device, USB C cable and a different sizes of the silicone ear tips. Now, something that took me a surprise is that the metallic shell is magnetic. It basically sticks to any metal surface. So, was it intentional? I don’t know but probably we will find a use for this in the near future.
The pouch surely comes handy to keep the metallic case protected. Every detail on this device is made to look and feel premium.
The Experience:
Here is my initial unboxing video of the Nokia P3600, comparing to BH 605.
Holding it in the hand, the P3600 feels light and feels slightly less durable than what I would expect it to be, coming from the BH 605. The USB C charging port seats at the rear of the case, while a single white LED indicator resides in the front. The hinge mechanism was visible, and I had doubts if it would last long. Inside it, resides a pair of Nokia branded earbuds in black, a stark contrast compared to the shiny metallic silver surface of its case. The earbuds themselves are smaller than the buds from BH 605. The shiny body has a matte finishing where it houses the touch sensors. The conical ear buds’ tips itself is different than what I had experienced with the BH 605. Now, at first, I felt that this were just a random design, but I was wrong. More on that in a bit.
In comparison to Nokia BH 605, built to last like a tank. The Nokia P3600 looks sleek compared to HMD Global’s BH 605.
Now, on paper, the Nokia P3600 comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.2, Qualcomm aptX Adaptive and Knowles balanced armature technology. The Knowles technology promises better fidelity, realism, and detail over traditional dynamic drivers. Qualcomm aptX adaptive is Qualcomm’s proprietary audio compression technology which provides a seamless wireless technology, dynamic low latency mode to reduce audio/lip-synchronization issues which are great for gamers, a glitch-free audio with adaptive bit rate and HD audio quality.
Now, it seems like a handful of technology has been cramped into this tiny earbud. So, what is amazing is that all these claims are not just claims. They work just as advertised, which is a rarity these days.
The design is made to fit perfectly for the general Asian consumers. The conical earbuds provide a passive noise cancellation by design .
Now, how does this compare to the Nokia BH 605? The Nokia BH 605 is a solid performer and I have been carrying it around with me for my weekly commute to my working place during the pandemic. It’s rated to last about 4-5 hours on a single charge and with a 3000 mah charging case, your next charge is weeks away. But the earbuds themselves were not suitable to be worn for a long duration. I could barely pass the 2 hours mark simply because the silicone tip was rigid, and the pressure build up over time causes discomfort and soreness to my ear. The other issue that I did not notice until I heard audio from the P3600 was how flat the audio was from the BH 605. Coming from wireless earbuds made by Rowkin, the BH 605 felt superior in every way. But once hearing the audio from the P3600, its nothing short of amazing. The conical ear tip fits perfectly into the canal without creating any pressure. The conical design themselves allows deeper and more secure placement of the earbuds and by this virtue we have a passive noise cancellation. An ingenious method indeed. This coupled with the audio technology that the P3600 packs, be prepared to be amazed. The clarity, the depth, the richness, the bass quality is a few notches above the BH 605.
The differences in the earbuds tip, Nokia P3600 and the BH 605. The touch panel has a matte finishing to give a different tactile feedback.
The matte finish over the touch panel means you don’t have to fiddle around to activate the different modes available or to launch Google assistant. The earbuds are comfortable for long hours of use which easily last north of 4 hours in medium loudness. The IPX4 weatherproof should let you enjoy the earbuds on the go, whether its for leisure, exercise or for work. The addition of ambient mode at this price point is more than welcomed. With a touch of a finger, the earbuds act as a tiny microphone, amplifying the ambient sounds without the need to remove the earbuds. So, no longer need to pause the music or remove the earbuds to just listen to whats going on around you.
Summary:
The Nokia P3600 earbuds elevates the audio experience in a sleek and compact design. For once, the device simply performs as advertised and a little more. At this price point, it is an easy recommendation to anyone out there who wants to have premium audio experience in a brilliant packaging. For me, this is a leap of faith that I would not regret. I am curious to what the rumored Nokia BH-805 has to offer as reported earlier by NokiaPowerUser. For now, the Nokia P3600 Pro True Wireless Earphones is simply the best Nokia branded wireless earbuds that you should get.
Pros:
- Reasonably priced
- Rich audio quality with low latency
- Ambient mode
- Brilliant design that offers passive noise cancelling
- Responsive touch sensor
Cons:
- Availability
- Shiny surface prone to scratches
