Background

The Nokia G42, released on June 28, 2023, is a 5G-equipped smartphone that follows up on the G22 released earlier in the year. This iteration of the G-series provides longer battery life, an up-to-date processor, and easily repairable parts. For a launch price of £199 ($255 at the time of writing), the G42 is a highly competitive mid-range smartphone at budget-level price. It borrows tech from higher-end smartphones, such as AI algorithms to improve the main camera quality and up to 5GB virtual RAM. HMD promises three years of security updates and two years of operating system updates beyond the included Android 13.

Identification

The Nokia G42 can be identified by a few subtle physical features. The display is a 6.56-inch panel with a V-Notch. The body comes in two colors: So Purple and So Grey. The three rear cameras are contained in a smooth, rounded mesa. The text "50MP AI Camera" is prominently displayed under the flash unit. When compared to the previous model G22, the differences are primarily in the rear camera build. The G42 has protruding lenses and a ridge-free border around the camera mesa, as compared to a slight lip dividing the G22's rear cameras and flash unit.

Specifications

SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 Plus 5G

  • 8 cores / 8 threads, 8 nm
  • 2x Arm Cortex A76 cores @ 2.2 GHz
  • 6x Arm Cortex A55 cores @ 1.8 GHz
  • Qualcomm Adreno 619 GPU

Memory: 4 GB, configurable to 6 GB

Storage: 64 GB, configurable to 128 GB

  • MicroSD support up to 1 TB

Display:

  • 6.56-inch 1612 x 720 pixels (~269 ppi, 90 Hz, 560 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 3)

Cameras:

  • Main camera: 50 MP, autofocus, f/1.8, 2 MP (Depth) and 2MP (Macro)
  • Front-facing camera: 8 MP, fixed focus

Ports and Connectivity:

  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax-ready
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS/Galileo
  • USB Type-C (USB 2.0)
  • 3.5 mm audio jack

Battery:

  • 5000 mAh battery
  • 20 W fast charging

Dimensions:

  • Size: 165 x 75.8 x 8.55 mm (6.5 x 2.98 x 0.34 in)
  • Weight: 193.8 g (6.84 oz)

Additional Features

  • IP52 water/dust resistance rating
  • Side fingerprint sensor
  • Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer (G-sensor)
  • Biometric face unlock
  • NFC

Additional Information