Nokia G100 5G: In the rapidly evolving smartphone landscape, few brands carry the weight of history and consumer trust that Nokia does.
Once the undisputed leader in mobile communications, the Finnish brand has undergone significant transformations over the past decade.
Under the stewardship of HMD Global, Nokia has been steadily rebuilding its presence in the market with devices that aim to blend the brand’s storied reliability with contemporary features.
The Nokia G100 5G represents this philosophy in action—a mid-range offering that leverages Nokia’s heritage while embracing the connectivity needs of today’s consumers.
Nokia G100 5G: Design Philosophy: Honoring Tradition with Modern Sensibilities
The Nokia G100 5G immediately distinguishes itself through a design language that pays homage to the brand’s legacy while incorporating contemporary elements.
The device features a robust polycarbonate unibody construction that evokes memories of Nokia’s legendary durability without appearing dated.
This thoughtful material choice not only enhances structural integrity but also provides practical benefits like improved drop resistance and reduced weight compared to glass alternatives.
Available in three colorways—Nordic Blue, Midnight Black, and Glacier White—the G100 5G incorporates subtle texture patterns on its rear panel that both enhance grip and resist fingerprints.
The camera island adopts a circular design reminiscent of classic Nokia Lumia devices, housing the lens array in a distinctive arrangement that stands apart from the rectangular or square modules common among competitors.
With dimensions of 164.8 x 76.7 x 8.9mm and weighing 190 grams, the G100 5G strikes a reasonable balance between screen size and one-handed usability.
The side-mounted fingerprint sensor doubles as the power button, providing intuitive access while maintaining a clean aesthetic.
Physical controls are precisely machined with excellent tactile feedback—a small but meaningful detail that enhances the premium feel of the device.
Environmental protection comes in the form of IP52 certification, offering resistance against dust and light water splashes.
While not providing full waterproofing, this rating delivers practical protection against everyday hazards like rain or accidental spills—a sensible approach for a device in this price bracket.
Display: Balancing Quality and Efficiency
The G100 5G centers around a 6.58-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2408 x 1080 pixels (401 PPI).
While not employing OLED technology found in some competitors, Nokia has selected a high-quality LCD panel that delivers accurate colors, good viewing angles, and sufficient brightness for outdoor visibility at up to 500 nits.
The display supports a 90Hz refresh rate, striking a thoughtful balance between the smoother animations this provides and battery efficiency considerations.
An intelligent adaptive mode automatically adjusts between 60Hz and 90Hz depending on the content being displayed and remaining battery life, optimizing the user experience without excessive power consumption.
Protection comes in the form of Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which, while not the latest iteration, provides reasonable resistance against everyday scratches and minor impacts.
The display features a small waterdrop notch housing the front camera—a design choice that maximizes screen real estate while maintaining a symmetrical appearance.
Color reproduction is calibrated toward accuracy rather than oversaturation, with support for over 16 million colors.
While not targeting content creators who require perfect color fidelity, the display provides a pleasant visual experience for everyday use, including social media consumption, web browsing, and casual gaming.
Performance: Reliable Efficiency for Everyday Tasks
Under the hood, the G100 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset—a capable mid-range platform manufactured on a 6nm process.
This octa-core processor features two Kryo 660 Gold (Cortex-A78) performance cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six Kryo 660 Silver (Cortex-A55) efficiency cores running at 1.8GHz, delivering balanced performance for typical usage scenarios.
The chipset is paired with 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, expandable via microSD card up to 1TB.
While not employing the very latest memory standards, these specifications provide smooth multitasking capabilities and sufficient space for applications, photos, and media content.
Gaming performance is adequate for casual titles, with the Adreno 619 GPU handling popular games like Asphalt 9 and Mobile Legends at medium settings with stable frame rates.
More demanding titles may require graphical compromises, reflecting the device’s positioning as a general-purpose smartphone rather than a gaming-focused offering.
The inclusion of 5G connectivity represents a forward-looking approach, ensuring compatibility with next-generation networks as they continue to expand globally.
Additional connectivity options include Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC for contactless payments, and the increasingly rare 3.5mm headphone jack—a thoughtful inclusion that acknowledges many users still prefer wired audio solutions.
Imaging Capabilities: Practical Photography for Everyday Moments
The camera system on the G100 5G emphasizes practical utility over specifications that might impress on paper but deliver minimal real-world benefits.
The primary camera employs a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, using pixel binning technology to produce detailed 12.5-megapixel images with improved light sensitivity and dynamic range.
This main shooter is accompanied by a 5-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 118-degree field of view and a 2-megapixel depth sensor that assists with portrait mode effects.
The front-facing camera features an 8-megapixel sensor optimized for selfies and video calls.
Nokia’s camera software emphasizes simplicity and reliability, with an intuitive interface that allows quick access to common shooting modes without overwhelming users with excessive options.
The color science tends toward natural reproduction rather than heavy processing, though various creative modes and filters are available for users who prefer a more stylized aesthetic.
Video capabilities include 1080p recording at 30fps from both front and rear cameras, with electronic image stabilization helping to smooth out minor hand movements.
While not pushing the boundaries of smartphone videography, the system delivers dependable results for capturing everyday moments and social media content.
Battery Life and Charging: Endurance as a Priority
The G100 5G houses a substantial 5,000mAh battery that provides excellent endurance for typical usage patterns.
Nokia claims up to two days of regular use on a single charge—a figure that holds true with moderate usage focusing on communication, social media, and occasional media consumption.
When recharging is necessary, the included 20W charger represents a balanced approach to charging speed, restoring approximately 50% capacity in about 30 minutes.
While not as rapid as some competitors offering 30W+ charging, this approach prioritizes battery longevity by reducing heat generation during the charging process—aligning with Nokia’s emphasis on long-term reliability.
Software Experience: Clean, Secure, and Up-to-Date
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Nokia G100 5G is its software approach. The device ships with a near-stock implementation of Android 13, with Nokia promising two years of OS updates and three years of monthly security patches—a commendable commitment in the mid-range segment where software support often receives less attention.
The clean Android experience is free from bloatware and unnecessary duplicate applications, resulting in a streamlined user interface that remains responsive even after extended use.
Nokia’s minimal customizations focus on enhancing usability rather than changing Android’s core experience, with thoughtful additions like app drawer categorization and one-handed mode improving daily usability.
This approach to software not only provides a more intuitive experience but also contributes to better long-term performance as the device ages—an important consideration for consumers who view smartphones as multi-year investments rather than annual upgrades.
Nokia G100 5G:
The Nokia G100 5G represents a thoughtful approach to the mid-range smartphone market, with carefully considered specifications that prioritize reliability, battery life, and software experience over marketing-driven features that add little to daily usability.
By focusing on the core elements that matter most to mainstream users—durability, display quality, battery endurance, and clean software—Nokia has created a device that delivers a consistently satisfying experience without unnecessary flourishes.
While not targeting enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge specifications or gaming-oriented features, the G100 5G excels at being a dependable daily companion that handles communication, social media, navigation, and media consumption with aplomb.
In a market segment often defined by compromised user experiences or specification-focused approaches that neglect fundamentals, the Nokia G100 5G stands as a mature, refined product that understands its audience and delivers precisely what they need.
This focus on user experience over specifications embodies the essence of what once made Nokia the world’s most trusted mobile phone brand.
In the G100 5G, we see not just another mid-range smartphone, but a thoughtful continuation of a legacy built on reliability, practicality, and user-centered design.