Nokia’s (HMD helped) re-emergence into the smartphone market has kicked off some serious competition in the budget range. The youngest of the trio is the Nokia 3 handset, which the company is intending to sell via offline channels.
The entry-grade niche is the most sought after in the country, and the smartphone companies have been consistent with their offerings in the same, with the Lenovo-owned Moto becoming the latest one to throw its hat in the ring with its E4 handset.
Also Read: Phone Comparison – Nokia 3 vs Xiaomi Redmi 4
Here, we to try differentiate between the two, and possibly make it easier for you to decide which one is worth lightening your pockets for.
Starting off with the specs sheets first, here are our findings.
Nokia 3 vs Moto E4 Spec Comparison
Model | Nokia 3 | Moto E4 |
Display | 5-inch, HD(1280 x 720p), Corning Gorilla Glass | 5-Inch, HD IPD LCD display (720p), 2.5D cover glass |
Processor | 1.4Ghz quad-core Mediatek MT6737 SoC | 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 427 processor |
RAM | 2GB | 2GB RAM |
Internal Storage | 16GB (expandable) | 16GB, expandable |
Software | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 7.1 Nougat |
Primary Camera | 8MP, f/2.0 aperture, Dual LED flash, 1080p Videos | 8MP, f/2.2 aperture, 71 lens, 1.12 um microns LED flash |
Secondary Camera | 8MP, LED Flash | 5MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1.4 um microns, LED flash |
Battery | 3000mAh battery | 2,800mAh (rapid charging) |
Others | 4G VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, microUSB, 3.5mm Audio Jack, Hybrid SIM slot, USB OTG, Fingerprint sensor | 4G VoLTE, WIFi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, 3.5mm Audio Jack, USB OTG, microUSB |
Price | Rs. 8,999 | Approx. Rs. 8,384 |
Design and Display
Nokia has continued with its tradition of dishing out smartphones that are all for durability, and the company ventures into the same avenue with the Nokia 3, too. The phone follows a unique design, and manages to make the most of its polycarbonate body despite obvious budget restrictions.
The rubberized matte-finished plastic back, the metal-clad frames and 2.5D glass-layer on the top – all bode well for us, although the missing fingerprint sensor is a bit of a dampener.
The Moto E4, too, has a solid and robust setup, and like its competitor, follows mostly a plastic make. The design layout is pretty similar to the recent slew of Moto phones that have come this way (oversized camera module on the back, oval-shaped fingerprint sensor beneath the display et al).
Overall, while the Moto E4’s design may not be as unique as the Nokia 3’s, the presence of a fingerprint sensor on the former might tip the scales in its favor (while those who don’t mind the absent fingerprint scanner may prefer the Nokia 3).
Display-wise, the two phones are mirror images of each other with both coming in sporting a 5-inch IPS LCD display with the same 720x1080p resolution. The uncanny similarity draws down to the same ppi density (294 ppi), screen-to-body ratio (near about 65%), Corning Gorilla Glass layering on both. So, we are basically dealing with the exact same thing here (calls for a tie).
Software and Performance
The resemblance of the two carries on into the innards as well, with both of them being powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor (assisted by the same Mali-T720 GPU, too). The RAM in both the case is the budget-machine friendly 2GB, while the inbuilt storage capacity is also 16GB each, though the stretching limit of the E4 is a tad higher at 256GB, as compared to its Nokia counterpart’s 128GB.
As far as the software is concerned, the two come booting the latest Android Nougat 7.0 OS, sans major bloatware, rendering a near stock Android experience to their users. The little pre-loaded stuff that accompanies the phone, nonetheless, is pretty handy (and is something we don’t mind at all).
Also Read: Nokia 6, 5, and 3 First Impression – Are New Nokia Phones Any Good?
We have some serious doubts over how well the pair would hold up under duress, but they can be efficient and easy to maneuver, should they be placed into the hands of a light to moderate user.
Camera and Battery
There’s little difference in the optics department of the two phones (especially on the back), with each sporting an 8MP rear camera with features like AutoFocus and LED Flash. The Nokia 3 has a slightly wider aperture (f/2.0 to E4’s f/2.2) there, while the rest of the features like geo-tagging and pixel size are also similar.
Flipping to the camera on the other side, the E4’s 8MP camera (same as the one its back) takes the edge over the Nokia 3’s 5MP one ( f/2.2, 1.4µm pixel size). However, the presence of an LED flash also lends it some gravity.
For the battery, Nokia 3’s removable (rather uncommon) Li-Ion 2,360mAh power unit is slightly bigger than the E4’s 2,800mAh one. The absence of fast charging facility worsens the former’s case further, since the latter comes capable of fast-charging.
Also Read: Phone Comparison – Nokia 6 Vs Moto G5 Plus
Who Should Buy The Nokia 3?
People who are old-school, Nokia fans that want a robust entry-level device at their hands, and at the same time, want to enjoy stock Android experience with decent multi-tasking abilities.
Who Should Buy The Moto E4?
Those who want a fingerprint sensor-sporting device even in the budget category, and prefer a ‘Vanilla’ software with some pretty nifty improvisations.