Remember when phones felt built to last? When a little scratch didn’t send you into a panic spiral? Nokia is tapping into that nostalgia, but with a modern twist. The Nokia G60 5G arrives promising rugged reliability, a surprisingly sleek look, and a price tag that genuinely raises eyebrows in today’s hyper-competitive mid-range market. Can this blend of toughness, style, and value deliver? Let’s dive in.
Built Tough: More Than Just a Throwback
The G60 5G immediately stands out with its commitment to durability. The chassis incorporates a reassuring 60% recycled plastic, aligning with growing eco-conscious trends, without sacrificing rigidity. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 – not the absolute latest, but a proven shield against everyday bumps and scrapes. It carries an IP52 rating, meaning it has some resistance to dust and water splashes. While not fully waterproof, it offers peace of mind against rain or accidental spills. This focus on resilience feels refreshing in a segment often obsessed with slimness over substance. You get a phone that looks good but doesn’t demand constant babying.
A Visual Punch Without Breaking the Bank
Nokia hasn’t skimped on the screen. The G60 5G features a spacious 6.58-inch Full HD+ LCD. Colors are vibrant, brightness is generally adequate for indoor use and okay outdoors, and the 120Hz refresh rate is the real star here. Scrolling through feeds, browsing, and navigating the UI feel incredibly smooth, a feature usually found at higher price points. While an AMOLED panel would offer deeper blacks, the high refresh rate LCD on the G60 provides an excellent viewing and interaction experience for the cost. It’s a clear win for usability.
Performance: Smooth Operator for Daily Tasks
Under the hood lies the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, paired with 4GB or 6GB of RAM. This is a known quantity in the budget-to-mid-range segment. What does that mean in practice? Day-to-day performance is solid. Apps open reasonably quickly, social media scrolling is fluid (thanks partly to that 120Hz screen), and multitasking between common applications is handled without major hiccups. It handles casual gaming well enough, but demanding 3D titles will require dialing down settings. The 5G connectivity is future-proofed, ensuring you’re ready for faster networks as they roll out across India.
The Camera Compromise
This is often where value-focused phones show their limitations. The G60 5G sports a triple rear setup: a 50MP main sensor, a 5MP ultrawide, and a 2MP depth sensor. Daylight shots from the main camera are decent, capturing reasonable detail and color accuracy. The ultrawide is usable in good light but suffers from softness and distortion at the edges. Low-light performance is mediocre, as expected. The 8MP front camera handles video calls adequately. It’s a functional system, but don’t expect it to challenge camera-centric rivals like the Realme Narzo series or the Poco M-series in this regard. It gets the job done, but rarely wows.
Software: Clean and Committed
One of Nokia’s strongest selling points remains its software approach. The G60 5G runs a near-stock version of Android 12 out of the box (checking for Android 13/14 updates is crucial at purchase). More importantly, Nokia commits to an impressive three years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security patches. This longevity is a major advantage, promising a cleaner, more secure, and up-to-date experience for far longer than many competitors. In a market flooded with bloatware, the clean Android experience is a breath of fresh air.
Battery Life: All-Day Stamina
Equipped with a 4500mAh battery, the G60 5G comfortably sails through a full day of moderate to heavy use for most users. The efficiency of the Snapdragon 695 chip and the software optimization play key roles here. It supports 20W fast charging, though the charger isn’t bundled in the box for all regions (Indian buyers should confirm inclusion). While 20W isn’t class-leading speed (competitors often offer 33W or 67W), it’s sufficient for a reasonably quick top-up.
Nokia G60 5G: Price and Availability in India
This is where the “Surprisingly Affordable” part truly shines. Launched in late 2022, the Nokia G60 5G has seen price adjustments, making it a compelling deal. You can typically find the 4GB/64GB variant around ₹15,999 and the 6GB/128GB model hovering near ₹19,999 ($190 – $240 USD approx.). It’s widely available through major online retailers like Amazon India and Flipkart, as well as offline stores.
The Competition Heats Up
The G60 5G lands squarely in a fiercely contested arena. It faces stiff competition from the likes of the Poco M6 Pro 5G (often offering faster charging and sometimes better cameras at similar prices), the Realme Narzo 60 5G (known for its design and AMOLED display), and the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G (with its massive battery and Super AMOLED screen). Each competitor has its strengths – often leaning towards raw specs, display tech, or charging speed.
The Expert Verdict: Who Should Seriously Consider the Nokia G60 5G?
So, does the Nokia G60 5G live up to its promise? Largely, yes. It delivers exactly what it advertises: solid durability with a genuinely attractive recycled design, a fantastic high-refresh-rate display for the price, clean and long-supported software, and reliable all-day battery life. The performance is adequate for everyday tasks, and 5G is a welcome inclusion.
However, compromises exist. The camera system is functional but unremarkable, especially in low light. The 20W charging feels a step behind rivals, and the lack of a bundled charger in some markets is annoying. Performance, while smooth for basics, won’t thrill power users or heavy gamers.
Hi, I’m Ricky, the founder of OKSociety.in. I’m a tech enthusiast with a deep passion for smartphones, mobile technology, and everything that makes our digital lives smarter. I started OKSociety to share honest reviews, the latest phone updates, and practical buying guides to help people make better choices in this fast-paced tech world.