Nokia 3.4 Review: A Budget Phone with Room for Improvement

Nokia has launched the 3.4 as an update to its budget smartphone lineup, building on the previous Nokia 3.2. While it brings a few design improvements and the promise of clean software, the device faces stiff competition from brands like Xiaomi, Realme, and POCO, which offer more compelling performance and features at similar price points.

Design and Build The Nokia 3.4 sports a polycarbonate body with a 3D nano-textured finish that provides a comfortable grip and resists fingerprints well. The phone comes in three color options: Fjord, Dusk, and Charcoal, with the review unit showcasing the Dusk variant, which looks particularly appealing. Button placement is familiar to Nokia users, with power and volume controls on the right side, a Google Assistant button on the left, and a USB Type-C port, headphone jack, and speaker grille at the bottom. Despite a slightly odd sticky feeling during use, the build quality feels solid with no creaks or defects noticed.

Display The display is a 6.39-inch IPS LCD panel with an HD+ resolution and a punch-hole cutout for the front camera, marking a departure from the notch design seen on its predecessor. While the colors appear vibrant and text remains readable, the HD+ resolution now feels dated given that many competitors offer FHD+ screens in this price range. A minor issue observed was slight backlight bleeding at the bottom of the screen in dim lighting conditions.

Performance At the heart of the Nokia 3.4 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 chipset, paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card. In real-world use, the phone exhibits noticeable lag, especially when multitasking or running heavier apps and games. Benchmark scores place it well below the performance of competing devices, and during the review period, an October security update bricked the device twice, requiring factory resets each time.

Lightweight apps run without issue, but gaming performance is mixed. Titles like Clash Royale and Injustice 2 run smoothly, while Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile require lowering graphics settings to maintain playable frame rates. The phone runs stock Android 10 as part of the Android One program, promising two years of OS updates and three years of security updates, though the instability caused by the security patch raises concerns about long-term reliability.

Camera The Nokia 3.4 features a triple rear camera setup, including a 13MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor, along with an 8MP front camera. Photo comparisons with the POCO M2 show that while the Nokia produces acceptable images in normal lighting, it often appears grittier and less dynamic. Wide-angle shots tend to be darker, and nighttime photos lack detail despite a dedicated night mode. Video recording is limited to 1080p at 30fps with no stabilization.

Battery and Audio A 4000mAh battery powers the device, delivering roughly 6-7 hours of screen-on time under heavy use, which includes social media browsing, gaming, and video streaming. However, charging is a significant drawback, taking nearly four hours to reach full capacity because the box includes only a 5W adapter despite the phone supporting 10W charging.

The single bottom-firing speaker produces thin, underwhelming audio that lacks depth and volume. An earphone is included but shares the same shortcomings, offering shallow sound without much detail.

Fingerprint Sensor and Security The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is functional but slow, typically taking about a second to unlock the device. Face unlock is also available but equally sluggish. The phone supports dual SIMs and includes standard connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, and GPS.

Verdict While the Nokia 3.4 boasts an attractive design, a clean Android experience, and a reliable battery, its performance, camera capabilities, and charging limitations hold it back from being a standout choice in the budget market. With several competitors offering better specs and more polished software at similar price points, the Nokia 3.4 struggles to justify its value proposition.