We take a look at Nokia's new products from IFA 2022, and explore how HMD and Nokia might want to change their strategy to wow buyers.

HMD Global has maintained a steady influx of devices under the Nokia brand name in recent years. And at the ongoing IFA 2022 trade show, it announced four new additions, the Nokia X30 5G, Nokia G60 5G, Nokia C31, and the Nokia T21 tablet. But with these devices and ones that came before them, there has been one common trend for Nokia hardware: they struggle to find the right balance that will wow a customer.

Let's take a look at the new products offered, and how we think they fall short. Then, let's discuss how HMD might want to rethink its device strategy to make more appealing products.

The most expensive of the four, the Nokia X30 5G — starting at €519 —will ship with a 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display covered by Gorilla Glass Victus, Qualcomm's midrange Snapdragon 695 SoC, bundled with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage respectively, and a reasonably sized 4200mAh cell with 33W wired charging support.

Handling imaging needs is a dual camera setup on the back, comprising a 50MP primary and 13MP ultrawide, whereas adorning the front is a 16MP shooter. These components are housed within an aluminum chassis with a plastic back. Regarding software, the Nokia X30 5G will run Android 12 out of the box with the promise of three major OS upgrades. The brand also states it will provide security updates monthly over these three years.

Nokia X30 5G will be available in two SKUs. Its 6GB+128GB variant will cost €519, while the 8GB/256GB unit runs €549, although availability will be subject to geographic regions.

The Nokia G60 5G is somewhat similar to the X30 5G with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC but trades the modern design and premium materials for an all-plastic build, downgraded cameras, and a larger screen with a teardrop notch.

It has a 6.58-inch FHD+ 120Hz display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, powered by a 4,500mAh battery with 20W wired fast charging. The camera array comprises a 50MP primary, 5MP ultra-wide, and 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you'll find an 8MP shooter.

Like X30 5G, the Nokia G60 5G will ship with Android 12 and offer three version-level OS upgrades with three years of monthly security patches.

Nokia G60 5G will retail in two configurations, a 4GB/64GB variant and 4GB/128GB, for €309 and €329, respectively.

Next, we come to the Nokia T21. It is a budget-friendly Android tablet — a follow-up to the Nokia T20 from last year — with a 10.36-inch 2K (1200x2000) display, a Unisoc T612 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and two storage options, 64GB or 128GB, with the ability to expand via microSD (users may use cards sizing up to 512GB). And like its predecessor, it ships with an 8,200mAh battery while improving charging speeds with support for 18W fast charging.

The device even has stereo speakers, Netflix HD certification, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and NFC support, the latter of which is rare on tablets — and quite an odd, I must say. It also has a certain degree of endurance due to its IP52 rating. Like the other devices, the Nokia T21 also runs Android 12 but has a promised two years of Android upgrades. Although, the OEM will maintain the three years of monthly security updates.

Nokia T21 will retail in two configurations — 4GB/64GB or 4GB/128GB — with starting price of €239. There will also be LTE-enabled versions.

And lastly, we come to the Nokia C31, which takes the affordability factor a notch higher, starting price of €129, and makes exclusions that align with the pricing. You'll find a 6.7-inch HD+ display on the front, with a Unisoc 9863A1 handling any processing in the background with its bundled RAM — 3GB or 4GB. Storage requirements are tackled with 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB on internal storage with support for expansion via microSD (users may use cards sizing up to 256GB).

The camera system includes a triple sensor array on the back — a 13MP primary partnered with a 2MP macro plus 2MP depth sensor — and a single 5MP shooter on the front. A large 5,050mAh cell with support for 10W fast charging is powering all the hardware enclosed within the plastic chassis. Nokia C31 will also run Android 12 out of the box, although there is no indication of how many major version upgrades it'll receive. The supporting material only states how the device will receive quarterly security updates over two years.

Nokia C31 will have three SKUs, 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB, and 4GB/128GB with a starting price of €129.

Out of the four devices on offer, the most eye-catching is the €519 Nokia X30 5G, which combines some great hardware, but for its price, we think it falls just short of being par for the course.

In Europe, its direct competition is likely the Nothing Phone 1, Google Pixel 6a, and the POCO F4. Let's take the first two devices into context. Not only are €50 and €60 cheaper, respectively, but they also offer unique advantages. The Phone 1 has wireless charging, a faster display, better build materials, and a powerful processor. And the Google Pixel 6a comes with the quickest possible software update timeline, flagship-like image quality, and an even better processor than the one on Phone 1. Against these devices, the Nokia X30 5G will likely fall short in terms of performance and, most importantly, value to the customer. Software, which it could state as an advantage against other brands, also stands null.

Now, I believe most buyers are likely to care about the images a device captures, the smooth user experience it provides, or how much the device costs them. What we think Nokia could've done here is they could have possibly upgraded the processor to the newer Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 with a price near the €450 (~$450) mark. These two modifications can change the dynamic surrounding this phone as its 50MP primary camera with OIS and the 90Hz 6.43-inch OLED with Gorilla Glass Victus protection are specs that can do the rest of the work.

A similar sentiment flows towards the Nokia G60 5G and the Nokia T21 tablet. A slightly lower price tag on the phone and a better processor on the tablet could do wonders for the value proposition they offer. As for the Nokia C31, come on, HMD, a micro USB port in 2022? The device sounds okay at its retail price of €129, but with a world moving towards a standardized port, the decision to go with old hardware is puzzling and not at all exciting. We think HMD can do much better with its Nokia-branded devices.

What are your thoughts on these latest introductions? Let us know with a comment below.