Introduction
Nothing Phone 1 is a solid midrange device, and with the current price slash, the deal is even sweeter. On paper, the device packs a punch and it is priced aggressively for the lower variant.
But, in my previous comparison with the Nokia G60 5G, it is apparent that a good software experience is equally important. The Nokia G60 5G scores in build quality, a good display and battery life and the promise of timely updates.
When it comes to imaging and multimedia, the Nokia G60 5G does admirably well. The Nothing Phone 1 offers more with better stabilization, up to 4K recording and even HDR videography. Unfortunately, some of this feature requires further optimization in order to give a much better experience.
So, how does it do against the Nokia X30 5G, the current top offering from HMD Global?
Nothing Phone 1 vs Nokia X30 5G
While both devices offer good in hand experience, the Nokia X30 5G takes the cake here, with its slimmer and narrower profile, giving it a more robust feel. The Gorilla Glass Victus protected front is an upgrade over the Nothing Phone 1.
Both these devices also feature an in display finger print scanner which are efficient and accurate but I feel that the Nothing is slightly quicker. The display on both these devices are also fantastic and it is interesting to see how an OLED Puredisplay on Nokia X30 5G competes with the OLED HDR10+ certified display on Nothing. And the 120Hz refresh rate on the Nothing seems to offer a more buttery experience than the 90hz display from Nokia.
The differences in the processing power from both these devices are negligible for most cases thanks to the near stock Android experience. Apps launches fast and, I have yet to experience any crash or stutter experience on both these devices.
The loudspeaker on the Nokia X30 5G is another area that needs improvement. Even when compared to the Nokia G60 5G, the speaker on the X30 5G sounds hollow with lack of depth. The dual speaker output on the Nothing wins again with a loud and clear output.
When it comes to imaging, there is a lot riding on the Nokia X30 5G, touted as the best Pureview device till date. I will have to agree to this statement and it will be interesting to see how the best Pureview device competes with a phone like Nothing where imaging is not their strong suit. Having said that, a shaper image doesn’t naturally translate to a better one. And from the previous comparison to the Nokia G60 5G, the sharpening and higher contrast is apparent on the Nothing device which may look nice an better but does not represent the actual scenario.
With that said, this is my live video comparing both this device.
Final thoughts
The Nokia X30 5G is probably representing the 7 series of the devices from HMD Global’s portfolio. The combination of premium sensor in a midrange packaging is an interesting one. While the Nothing Phone 1 is an upper midrange device, it is priced aggressively , there by creating access to more buyers out there. This is a crucial factor that HMD Global needs to focus on to capture the midrange market.
With Android 13 update around the corner, I do hope HMD Global fine tunes the experience on Nokia X30 5G. The speaker output should be tweaked to offer more depth, the outdoor readability should be improved and when it comes to imaging, I hope to see improved color algorithm, a more aggressive HDR for day and night shots, a more stabilized 1080p 60fps videography, and a better fusion for the ultrawide which lacks the details currently.
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