Nokia G400 5G review: Good, but lackluster software updates

Almost two years I reviewed the $200 Nokia 5.3 a while ago, which was promised two years of Android OS updates and three years of security updates. How is HMD Global, the company that licenses the Nokia brand, doing? It’s just only deployed on this device Android 12, which is a one-year version of Google’s operating system.

It’s a big delay, but at least what the budget phone will get another six months of security updates before it officially ends support. Unfortunately, things got even worse. I now have a new $270 Nokia G400 5G that will only get two years of security updates and no obligation to update the Android OS. Most likely, he will receive Android 13, but who’s to say since HMD promises nothing? It seems like a dramatic change in attitude from a company that prided itself on fast updates and long-term software support back in 2016.

Today, most Android phone manufacturers offer a software liability policy, so you have a clear idea of ​​how long a device will be supported. For example, the $250 Samsung Galaxy A13 5G will receive two OS updates and four years of security updates. It’s amazing, and it means you can hold on to the device without worrying that it will turn into a buggy, insecure mess in two years. This allows you to keep your device as long as everything else is in working order, reducing the need to spend money on another phone. It’s just hard to recommend a smartphone in 2022 when you have no idea if it will get the latest version of its operating system.

good equipment

The sad thing is that the Nokia G400 is quite a respectable phone. It looks bland and dull, only in a gloomy gray color, and does not at all look like a Nokia phone. But the 6.58-inch LCD is crisp, colorful, and even has a 120Hz screen refresh rate, so it feels smooth and responsive when interacting with it.

The performance is decent. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ chipset inside reliably runs all the apps you need, though you’ll have to wait for something to load from time to time. (It’s limited to 4GB of RAM.) But for two weeks, I could use it just fine to answer emails and messages, browse Reddit and Twitter, make phone calls, and even play regular games like Odyssey Alto. The software is stock Android 12 which is nice so you get very little bloatware (any of which can be removed) and the interface looks slick.

The 5,000mAh battery lasted me a day and a half of average use, and you get all the features you need in any phone in 2022, like sub-6 5G connectivity on all major US carriers (yes, including Verizon). , which many unlocked Nokia devices have traditionally been incompatible with), a headphone jack, a fingerprint sensor, and a microSD card slot to expand the measly 64GB of onboard storage. I’ve used an NFC sensor to push and pay for subway turnstiles here in New York, and you even get a charger in the box.