Android TV doesn’t have nearly the same selection of apps as Android for smartphones, so it’s always nice to see developers support the growing TV platform. If you watch a lot of YouTube on your smart TV and want more viewing options, check out SmartTubeNext, an unofficial, open-source YouTube client for Android TV. The app features a more modern UI to match the look of Android TV and offers some great playback features.
SmartTubeNext is available for Android 4.3 and above but is primarily aimed at Android TV devices. The app, of course, functions as a typical YouTube client, with the ability to like, dislike, subscribe to channels, and see an animated preview of videos.
Here are some of the features the current version of SmartTubeNext offers:
Browse news, games and music
Browse subscriptions, history and playlists
Play videos
Like, dislike or subscribe to channels
Search for videos
View subscribed channel content
Change various settings for the video player
Animated previews for videos
Android TV channels and search support
In a discussion thread on Reddit, SmartTubeNext users seem pleased with the progress that’s been made so far. One of the features users are most excited by, it seems, is playback speed control. However, some features are still missing, like support for multiple accounts. The app is in beta, though, and it sounds like new features are constantly being introduced to address grievances.
If you’re tired of YouTube’s own app, SmartTubeNext looks like a nice alternative with some cool features. You can keep track of the app’s progress and GitHub, and grab the APK while you’re at it. You can push the APK to your device over ADB or use an app like Downloader.
Even the best smartphones on the market have a common enemy–the low battery warning. Even the best-rated smartphone can run low on juice after extended use, and you may not always be around a wall outlet when it happens. Save the stress and hassle by picking up a charger and we’ve rounded up the best portable chargers for you below.
There are so many portable chargers on the market, though. We’ve found nine quality portable chargers, each with different functionalities to fit your needs. We’ve also identified who should buy each charger, so there’s bound to be a portable charger for you in the list below!
A number of powerbanks offer wireless charging, but the Aukey Basix Pro allows you to wirelessly fast charge your device while having it propped up in landscape mode. This is perfect for charging and watching YouTube in cramped travel areas, and saves you from buying a kickstand case.
With solar charging power, this GoerTek battery pack is perfect to stash in the car or with camping gear for emergencies. If you're worried about your phone and powerbank running dry while exploring the Great Outdoors, a solar battery pack will put your mind at ease.
Bulky, heavy powerbanks can be an absolute chore to carry around. T-Core's battery pack is built to be small and light-weight, making it easy to slip into a purse or laptop bag without adding bulk. It packs in 10,000mAh of battery capacity, so you're pretty covered for a fair few charges.
While this battery pack isn't as strong as other power banks on this list, the low price and compact nature of Anker's PowerCore make it an easy choice for a backup.
Morphie's battery pack really stands out due to its ability to have an AC charged plugged into it, in addition to 22,000 mAh capacity. You can charge your laptop as well as your mobile device!
If you want reliable quick charging, then you can't go wrong with RAVPower. This basic 20,000 mAh battery pack will get the job done, and get it done quickly.
iMuto's portable charger is one of few on the market with 30,000 mAh of power, meaning that it can charge more before needing a charge itself. However, this is not an air-travel-friendly charger, so this battery pack is for domestic use only!
Samsung's battery pack is more expensive than the competition, but with the premium name comes a premium and sleek product. You can also bundle it with a phone or other accessories for payment plans to make the price easier to swallow.
Another battery pack that has an AC port, RAVPower's AC charger can power your laptop or your mobile devices, and has 20,ooo mAh capacity. It's a bit of an odd shape compared to the Morphie pack, but you can't argue with the RAVPower name!
With so many battery packs on the market, you can be sure these will stand up to the test. My personal recommendation is the Aukey Basix Pro, and it’s my go-to for day-to-day use, especially with my aging phone’s slowly failing battery.
Which battery pack or powerbank do you use? Let us know in the comments!
The POCO X3 is one of the best value for money mid-range smartphones you can buy right now. Building upon the success of the POCO X2, the latest POCO X smartphone from Xiaomi’s spin-off brand offers much better battery life, a modest processor upgrade, and a refreshed design. Just like the previous model, the showstopper feature continues to be the 120Hz display, providing a fluid scrolling experience across system UI and first-party apps. Similar to the POCO X2, POCO controls the refresh rate using what it calls its Dynamic Refresh Rate feature, which intelligently adjusts the display refresh rate to maximize the battery life.
This has been a point of contention for many POCO X3 users as even when the 120Hz mode is explicitly selected, the phone would fall back to 60Hz in certain scenarios to save the battery. For example, the Dynamic Refresh Rate feature would dial down the refresh rate to 60Hz while watching a video and to 50Hz for static images. Conversely, the refresh rate would jump up to 120Hz if you’re scrolling or playing a supported game. When this Dynamic Refresh Rate switch happens, it results in noticeable stutter and jank, disrupting an otherwise buttery smooth experience from time to time, much to users’ frustration.
If you are a proud owner of a POCO X3 and want to have your display render everything at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate all the time, even if that means sacrificing battery life, we have put together a small guide to walk you through the steps. Before you proceed, it should be noted that your POCO X3 must have an unlocked bootloader and rooted with Magisk v21.0. With that out of the way, here are the steps to unlock the persistent 120Hz mode.
From the list, choose option 5: “Add/edit custom props”
Choose n “New custom prop”
Now type in the following line of code:
ro.vendor.dfps.enable
The default value is true. Type false.
Now choose 2 “post-fs-data”
Choose n, but don’t reboot yet.
Type in the following line:
rod.vendor.smart_dfps.enable
Again, the default value is true, which indicates the Dynamic Refresh Rate is enabled. Type false to disable it.
Finally, choose 2 “post-fs-data”
Reboot. Your device should now be consistently running at 120Hz.
The developer has only tested this workaround on stock MIUI, so it might not work if you’re running a custom ROM — you’re welcome to try, though.
It goes without saying that enabling a persistent 120Hz refresh rate will severely tax the battery life — the user’s personal testing indicates anywhere between a 10 to 18% reduction in screen on time. But if that doesn’t sound too bad to you, by all means, give this workaround a try to unlock the forced 120Hz mode. For more details, check out the original thread by the user at the link given below.
The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 was launched in June 2019, coming up as a big upgrade over the Mi Band 3 thanks to its color display and other additions. In my review of the Mi Band 4, I noted how the Mi Band lineup has evolved over the years to the point that the Mi Band 4 had left behind very little room for improvement for the next generation. Now, the Mi Band 5 is here (or the Mi Smart Band 5, as they call it here in India), picking up the baton from the predecessor in this marathon of a healthy lifestyle. How does the Mi Band 5 perform? Read along as we figure out what Xiaomi has brought to the table with the latest evolution of its popular fitness tracker lineup.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5: Specifications
Specs
Mi Band 5
Size and weight
47.2 x 18.5 x 12.4mm
Weight
Standard: 11.9g
NFC: 12.1g
Materials
Polycarbonate
Wrist band
Silicone
Compatibility
Android, iPhone
SoC
unspecified
RAM/Storage
512KB RAM, 16MB storage
Network
NA
Display
1.1-inch AMOLED ( 126 x 294 px)
450 nits brightness
Connectivity
Bluetooth v5 BLE
GPS
Absent
Sensors
PPG Heart rate sensor; IR detection only on NFC variant
3-axis accelerometer
3-axis gyroscope
Barometer
Proximity sensor
NFC payments
Yes
Battery
125 mAh
Water resistance
5ATM or 50m up to 30 minutes in freshwater
About this review: Xiaomi India loaned us the Mi Smart Band 5 for review. This review is after 3 weeks of use. Xiaomi did not have any inputs in this review.
Design and Display on the Mi Band 5
The Mi Band 5's display gets pretty bright, and is very easy to read from.
While the Mi Band 4 brought along a color touchscreen as a headlining upgrade, the Mi Band 5 does not attempt to fix what is not broken. Xiaomi has only added marginal improvements here, namely with a slightly larger display (1.1″ vs 0.95″) which gets brighter at up to 450 nits. The Mi Band 4 performed decently under bright sunlight, and the Mi Band 5 does even better on that end. You will have no issues reading the display under bright sunlight.
On the display, what appears to be a bigger change is the ability to set a custom wallpaper on your watch face on the Mi Smart Band 5. The previous Mi Band supported multiple official watchfaces as well as unofficial watchfaces that could be sideloaded to bring in more customization. With the Mi Band 5, you can make a custom watch face from within the Mi Fit app, letting you choose from a few different clock and info layouts, then change the wallpaper (it can even be your own selfie if you want it to be), and change the font color. And of course, the unofficial watchfaces can still be installed, though you may need to be careful of the changes that Android 10 and 11 bring about with Scoped Storage (not Xiaomi’s fault in any way).
You can even switch watch faces from the Band itself, and some of the preloaded Bandfaces also have customizations to what information they can display. There are even animated official watch faces! Overall, there is a lot more customization possible on top of whatever the Mi Band 4 offered, and that is always a good thing.
The Mi Band 5 fixes the flawed charger design from the Mi Band 4
But the biggest change of all on the Mi Band 5 is the fact that the wearable now uses a magnetic charging pin. Gone is the awkward and awful cup-like design from the Band 4 that did a very poor job at holding the band module in place. With the Mi Band 5, you no longer need to remove the band module from the silicone strap — just bring the magnetic charger close to the charging pin and it will snap itself into place. This elegantly solves my biggest complaint with the predecessor, and I no longer need to contend with tightly stringing around rubber bands just to get the band module to charge. The other end of the magnetic charger is still USB Type-A, so for the future, I wish Xiaomi makes the switch over to Type-C. But for now, it works and it works well.
One of these is a far better solution than the other
A con with these changes — namely the larger display and the switch over to a magnetic charging design — is that bands for the Mi Band 4 and its predecessor are no longer compatible with the Mi Band 5. You can force the Band 5 module into a Band 4 strap, but you’ll likely end up with a broken or deformed strap instead of a clean solution. I reckon there will be third-party straps available for the Mi Band 5 on its own.
The Mi Smart Band 5 continues to omit NFC and microphone on units sold outside of China. NFC is barely used in India, so the absence of it is a non-issue.
Overall, my positive impressions from the Mi Band 4 have carried over onto the Mi Band 5. It retains the discreet and understated look, and brings along a few key changes that overall enhance the experience on the wearable. Remember, this fitness tracker sits within the cheapest segment of fitness trackers — so what you get for the price remains commendable.
User Interface and Experience on the Mi Band 5
I have extensively talked about the user interface and the experience on the Mi Band and the companion Mi Fit app in my Mi Band 4 review, so I urge readers to read those sections as the Mi Band 5 carries over all of those experiences, and then some.
The Mi Band 5 adds in several new features, such as the ability to record more sports, the ability to track sleep better and even track mid-day naps, track menstrual cycles for people who get periods, help you relax with breathing exercises, give you an indication of how stressed you are, control your phone’s camera shutter from the Band, and even give you personalized activity tracking in the form of PAI.
More Sports Mode
The Mi Band 5 now comes with tracking for:
Yoga
Power Walking
Treadmill
Outdoor Running
Outdoor Cycling
Indoor Cycling
Pool swimming
Jump rope
Freestyle workout
Rowing machine
Elliptical
These sports modes should be sufficient for the large mass of average users who are just getting started on their fitness journey. Note that the Mi Band series does not come with GPS built-in, so for activities that involve route-tracking, the Mi Band relies on GPS information collected through the Mi Fit app on your phone.
Step Tracking
Tracking by itself is okay, a sentiment that becomes “good” when you factor in the price of the product. I still found the Band being a little over-sensitive for step tracking, usually counting a few steps for periods when I was asleep. The data is reliable within an error margin of less than 5% — I find this to be an acceptable margin for the simple reason of the Band being a starter tool and not for professional tracking. If you need devices that can deliver more precision tracking, you need to spend over five times the price of the Mi Band 4/5 — and with that in mind, the Mi Band 5 continues to do a pretty good job.
Sleep Tracking
For sleep tracking, my personal experience dictates that the Mi Band 4 was better at tracking sleep than the Mi Band 5, despite the new band claiming to come with upgraded sleep analysis tech. I usually spend a good amount of time idling in bed before falling asleep and after waking up — the Mi Band 4 was fairly accurate in capturing these, but the Mi Band 5 catches in the lowered body movement as an indication of sleep, perhaps to accommodate daytime naps? But then, there are instances when the Band said I was awake at night, which was simply not true. On a personal note, I am unable to nap during daylight hours, so measuring this conclusively was difficult. It’s also more difficult to sleep with two fitness trackers on my wrist, so I am unable to get comparison screenshots for the same night.
In the first screenshot above, I went to sleep at a good 2am, but the Band 5 already registered a sleep session when I was idling in bed. The last stretch of light sleep data is also wrong, as I had woken up by my 9am alarm. In the second screenshot, there are large periods of time when my Band 5 presumed I was awake, when in fact, I have no recollection of periods.
From personal experience, the Mi Band 4 is just better for sleep tracking. The Mi Band 5 does track REM state for sleep too, so if tracking this is important for you, you should only prefer the Mi Band 5 within this narrow context of sleep tracking. Otherwise, the Mi Band 4 is better for sleep tracking.
Period Tracking
The Mi Band 5 comes with period tracking features built-in, to better aid people who get periods. This section has been written with the assistance of a friend who gets their period.
You need to input an initial data set within the Mi Fit app first for onboarding the feature. Once your first entry is done with regards your period length, cycle length, last menstrual period date, and your consent to predict the next menstrual cycle, the Mi Fit app displays a calendar with information related to menstruation, fertility periods, and ovulation days, as well as the next cycle prediction if you chose that setting. You can enter data on a new menstrual cycle, and optionally, you can also input data on pain, bleeding, and emotions. The idea with this data collection is to maintain a history, in case you may need it for medical reasons. You can also get notified through the app on your phone, or have a notification sent to your band when your next cycle approaches.
The Mi Band 5, on the other hand, displays a timeline of period activity. You can quickly add in an entry if you get a period, but that is about it on the information you can add and interact with on the Band.
While I personally cannot hold an opinion on how useful this feature is, my friend mentions that the UI is decent, and the app displays what it can with the information provided. Period tracking usually improves as history builds up, so one should avoid judging the menstrual cycle predictions from a singular month of data alone. One point to note is that there is currently no way to add in sexual activity, as that is also vital information for period tracking, especially for figuring in delays or other unusual behavior. Period tracking apps also have a wider range of emotions that can be tracked, which is something that can be improved here. What I would add from my end is the fact that the app should consider adopting gender-neutral vocabulary to be inclusive of everyone. Even the Mi Fit app profile (your Xiaomi account) only has two gender options, so there’s room for improvement here.
Stress Monitoring and Breath Training
Another highlighting feature of the Mi Band 5 is the addition of Stress Monitoring and Breath Training. These features are pretty self-explanatory. In my daily usage so far, I did not receive any notifications related to being over-stressed (although we had just handled Techtober and some stressful workdays). The Band 5 did record a fair few periods (36%) of moderate stress, but for the most part, my sedentary lifestyle just gave me mild stress (64%), with no instances of relaxed states or overstressed states. Xiaomi notes that this data is calculated through HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and is for reference only, so I would advise readers to not read too much into it unless you get overstressed.
Breath Training is something I found useful. Essentially, you can set 1-5 minutes of training for relaxed breathing. The Band then guides you through inhaling and exhaling periods through an animation on the display and short vibration when the state is to be changed. At the end of the exercise, the Band displays your initial and your final heart rate, giving you an idea of how much you managed to calm yourself down. I love the inclusion of this feature. My wishlist for the same would be perhaps set a time of the day when the Band reminds you to do this exercise or perhaps customizing the Stress limits on which the Band could trigger a reminder notification for this exercise.
PAI – Personalized Activity Intelligence
This is a new addition to the Mi Band 5, although we have seen the same on more expensive wearables such as the Huami Amazfit GTR and Amazfit GTS
PAI uses the heart rate data collected during physical activity to provide a PAI score. The total PAI score is based on a rolling 7-day window, and the goal is to maintain a PAI score of 100 or more, which has apparently proven to provide maximum health benefits. The goal of 100 PAI was chosen as a normalized value, but what each person needs to do to achieve 100 PAI is also apparently unique to them. As you become more fit, it also becomes inherently more difficult to achieve 100 PAI which makes it appropriately challenging for all levels. Shamefully, my lifestyle, Techtober, and the COVID-19 pandemic ensured that I could only exercise irregularly and that too, for the sake of this review. My score never went above 7, which is worse than the 11 I had managed to achieve when reviewing the Amazfit GTS. I wouldn’t blame this on the Band.
Battery and Charging on the Mi Band 5
The Mi Band 5 charges easily, charges quickly, and lasts for weeks on a charge
All the Mi Bands have provided excellent battery life so far, and the Mi Band 5 is no exception. For wearables, anything above a 7-day life cycle is considered “good enough” in my books, as one can presume that there will be at least one opportunity to charge your watch once in a week. The Mi Band 5 has a bigger battery, but the display is also marginally bigger and fairly brighter, plus there are more functions. Xiaomi claims up to 14 days of battery life, and up to 21 days if you use the band in power saving mode. Their claims check out almost, as I was able to get 12 days reliably with most features enabled. Charging the watch up takes between 1.5-2 hours, and as mentioned before, connecting the charger is no longer a task in itself, so you can consider quick 5-10 minute top-ups every day. The Mi Band 5 aces the Battery and Charging section of the review, with no complaints.
Conclusion: The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is a noticeable improvement from the great Mi Band 4
My Mi Band 4 review mentioned that “the Mi Band lineup from Xiaomi keeps improving and keeps surprising, year after year. Just when you thought the company has delivered the best value product, out comes another that raises the bar even higher.” The statements continue to hold true for this generation as well.
We do need to take note of the fact that there has been a small rise in pricing for the Band series in India. The Mi Band 3 came in at ₹1,999, while the Band 4 came in at ₹2,299 and the Band 5 comes in at ₹2,499. The price increase is small, but it does admittedly affect how affordable this starter fitness band can be. Xiaomi also has introduced lower Bands in the form of the Redmi Band at ₹1,399, so the pinch from the Band 5 doesn’t hurt at much. For the price it commands, you do get a well-rounded product, and it is easy to ask potential customers to shell out another ₹200 and just get the newest product, completely justified by the change in the charger itself.
The Mi Band 5 is a wearable that makes good fitness tracking affordable. You can achieve a lot of these functions from other wearables in the market, but Xiaomi has figured out the mantra on the Mi Band lineup. The only downside on this device is the lower reliability in sleep tracking, which the company could fix through software updates. If you are a hobbyist or an amateur just looking to get some motivation for your first week of running, the Mi Band 5 is an excellent purchase for a healthier lifestyle and a great option for gifting.
PUBG Mobile has undeniably changed the mobile gaming landscape for casual as well as professional gamers. It is now regarded as one of the top mobile games around the world. What started off as a simple battle royale game now offers a variety of gameplay modes including deathmatch, domination, sniper training, and more.
Today we are looking at five of the top-rated weapons that are available on PUBG Mobile. Now we are strictly talking about the guns that are available in the classic mode and not the other modes. Also, do note that these are just the most commonly used and recommended options. Your use case may vary depending on your skill and style of gameplay. We’ve also listed some tips to improve your PUBG Mobile gameplay.
Best Gun in PUBG Mobile: M416 Assault Rifle
The M416 is considered to be one of the best guns in the game, and it is also our personal favorite. Apart from offering a wider range of attachments than any other weapon, it offers a good rate of fire and is pretty versatile for all sorts of battles. Pro-tip: You can use a 6x scope on the M416, pull down the zoom to 3x, and get excellent stability and recoil control.
Best Sniper in PUBG Mobile: AWM Sniper Rifle
The best sniper gun in the game, the AWM is undeniably the most powerful weapon of choice. A single headshot with this gun guarantees a knock/kill. The only downside of the AWM is that it isn’t as common compared to other guns in the game. You need to either hunt for an air-drop supply or call for a flare drop supply to get one.
Best SMG in PUBG Mobile: UZI Submachine Gun
You might not prefer using an SMG (submachine guns) in PUBG Mobile, but the UZI is such an amazing weapon to have. It is excellent for short-range and mid-range battles thanks to its fast rate of fire. One clip into your enemy and he is toast! The UZI also comes in handy during the early stages of a map, with the only limitation being its range.
DP-28 Light Machine Gun
Another versatile weapon, the DP28 light machine gun can be very deadly if used smartly. Like the M416, it can accommodate up to a 6x scope, allowing it to be used for short, mid, and long-range fights. It also offers a large 47-bullet clip, however to balance it out, it is one of the slowest guns when it comes to reloading. Additionally, this gun doesn’t let you add any attachments other than sight. Nonetheless, the DP28 is fairly stable when it comes to recoil.
AKM Assault Rifle
The go-to secondary weapon used by a number of players, the AKM isn’t the easiest weapon to tame. However, it does offer a base damage of 49, which is higher than most assault rifles in the game. Apart from the scope, the AKM can accommodate muzzle and magazine attachments.
If you’re in India, due to the recent ban around Chinese publishers, PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite is currently banned in the country. The government has advised not to download either of the games.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra are some of the most powerful smartphones you can buy right now. A culmination of the best flagship technologies, the Galaxy Note 20 flagships from Samsung feature top-of-the-line hardware. You can find Samsung’s Exynos 990 chip on the global units, while the U.S. models are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus SoC — although there is a caveat with the U.S. models.
The catch is that there is a further demarcation between the U.S. carrier (model number ended with U) and the U.S. carrier unlocked variants (model number ended with U1). Certain carrier baked features such as Video over LTE (ViLTE) and Rich Communication Services (RCS) can’t be accessed on the unlocked Galaxy Note 20 model, even after putting in the carrier SIM. Interestingly, there are no internal hardware differences between these two variants, which means users who purchased the phone at full retail are at a disadvantage against users who opted for a carrier-based contract.
If you specifically bought the unlocked Note 20 for a carrier-bloat-free experience, then you would be glad to know that XDA Recognized Developer warriorvibhu has managed to activate native video calling over LTE, RCS, and other carrier features on this variant. The developer has also put together an elaborate guide that utilizes the Google Phone app to access the hidden IMS Settings and subsequently turn on the required parameters.
How to enable ViLTE and RCS on unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Warning: Do not mess with any settings here that you aren’t familiar with, or that haven’t been recommended in this guide. You may experience issues with connectivity if you fail to heed this warning.
Open Google Phone and make it your default Phone app.
Dial *#*#467#*#* to open IMS Settings.
Tap on “IMS Service Switch”. Then make sure “MMTEL switch” and “RCS switch” are toggled on. Turn on every sub-option of MMTEL as well.
Go back to main page and then tap on “RCS Configuration” settings. Make sure the underlying options are configured as “Always Connect”.
(Optional) You can now change the default phone app from Google Phone to Samsung’s stock dialer.
Enjoy ViLTE and RCS on your unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 20!
Note that the default video calling option on the stock contacts app still points to Google Duo. You have to make a regular voice call to a contact and select the native video call icon to properly make use of ViLTE. Moreover, you may need to turn off Google Messages’ chat features in order to get RCS working on Samsung Messages.
The Nokia 5.3, one of the first smartphone announcements delayed because of COVID-19, follows in the same footsteps of other Nokia-branded devices launched after 2016. It offers a relatively pure Android software experience as a result of HMD Global’s commitment to Google’s Android One program. More recently, the Nokia 5.3 was launched in India, where smartphone companies often employ a nasty method to make smartphones more affordable — serving obnoxious ads in system apps. HMD Global’s smartphones, though, offer a unique proposition to users; the Nokia 5.3, for instance, brings a bloatware-free, ad-free Android experience at a price of ₹13,999, alongside a software update promise that extends much longer than smartphones in the same price bracket.
In December 2016, the Nokia brand name reemerged in the smartphone market after over two years of hiatus. This hiatus was a result of Microsoft acquiring Nokia’s phone business — what was once the world’s largest phone-related entity — in 2014, and eventually liquidating it. These events were a result of bad choices by the company’s leadership, perhaps the worst of which was the choice to stick with Windows Mobile as the preferred operating system when the rest of the industry gravitated towards Android. When it came time to revive the Nokia brand for the Finnish startup HMD Global, which was made up of former employees in Nokia’s mobile arm, the decision was clear and univocal. They weren’t going to — yet again — ignore the massive force that Android had become!
HMD Global committed to shipping devices under Google’s Android One program a year after they brought the Nokia smartphone brand back into the market. The key devices that mark their entry into the Android One club include the Nokia 6 (2018) and the Nokia 7 Plus. Since then, the Nokia brand has remained aligned with the pure Android experience as one of the largest brands to be associated with Google and the Android One branding. With guaranteed Android version updates for the next two years and security updates for an additional year on top of that, the Nokia 5.3 guarantees long-lasting software support.
Before going into more detail on why that is important, here’s a look at what the Nokia 5.3 offers in terms of specifications:
Nokia 5.3 Specifications
Specification
Nokia 5.3
Dimensions & Weight
164.3 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm
180g
Display
6.55-inch (720 x 1600 pixels) HD+
20:9 aspect ratio
2.5D curved glass display
SoC
Octa-Core Snapdragon 665
11nm
4 x 2GHz Kryo 260 + 4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 260
Adreno 610 GPU
RAM & Storage
4GB / 6GB RAM
64GB/128GB storage
expandable memory up to 512GB
Battery & Charging
4,000mAh
10W charging
Rear Camera
Primary: 13MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture
Secondary: 5MP wide-angle camera
2MP depth sensor
2MP macro sensor
Video:
up to 4K @ 30 fps
Front Camera
8MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
Ports
USB Type-C
Security
Capacitive rear fingerprint scanner
Face unlock
Connectivity
Dual 4G VoLTE
WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS + GLONASS
USB Type-C
Android Version
Android 10
2 years of Android OS upgrades
3 years of Android security patch updates
How Android One sets the Nokia 5.3 apart
The beauty of Android being an open-source OS lies in the fact that you can experience it in different flavors. There are a variety of custom Android software experiences available in the market, and some of the most commonly known ones include Xiaomi’s MIUI, OnePlus’s OxygenOS, Samsung’s One UI, OPPO’s ColorOS, Huawei’s EMUI, and so on. Each of these custom Android builds add distinct components and features, both visually as well as functionally. But at the same time, a relatively undervalued flavor of Android is what is commonly known as vanilla, or stock Android.
Simply put, stock Android, as users commonly refer to it, is generally considered the barebones version of Android with little to no visual changes from the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) code, along with some basic apps like Gmail, Photos, Maps, YouTube, etc. from Google. Unlike Android builds that are extensively personalized by OEMs, the stock Android user interface remains unchanged from how Google intended it. While the set of pre-installed apps may vary based on the manufacturer, a stock Android UI is nearly visually identical to how Google designs Android for its own Pixel smartphones.
The user interface on smartphones under Google’s Android One program is essentially stock Android with a set of apps, as per Google’s conditions and recommendations. Instead of developing their own user interface based on the open-source version of Android, certain manufacturers collaborate with Google to simply optimize the user experience for the hardware.
These apps may be complemented by some utility applications that fit the bill for a clean software experience. HMD Global’s Nokia 5.3, which is part of the Android One program, also offers the same clean experience that we’ve just been discussing.
Clean software experience without bloatware
In price-sensitive markets such as India, many smartphone manufacturers compete to offer the best hardware specifications at the lowest prices. These brands then recover these costs through software partnerships by pre-installing third-party applications and services on smartphones. The pre-installed third-party apps are — in a way — both advertisements and points-of-sale for any particular app or service.
Pre-installed bloatware on premium Xiaomi and OPPO devices as compared to zero third-party apps or bloatware on Nokia 5.3’s Android One UI
Users in the lower price brackets, especially in developing countries, often lack the technical skill required for deleting these apps and end up being users of these apps. Even though users may enjoy these apps and services, there are underlying concerns citing lack of privacy for user data or the trustworthiness of these apps.
Left-to-right: System apps in MIUI, app install recommendations in MIUI, and suggestive push notification ads in Samsung’s One UI
HMD Global’s commitment to providing a clean software experience means, for the most part, that they’re omitting the pre-installation of any third-party apps. The opinions about this approach may vary — while some users prefer having loads of pre-installed apps on their devices, some like to start with a clean slate. But from the standpoint of data security, a clean user interface reduces the scope of any app jeopardizing user data.
Besides protecting users’ data, Android One devices are also required to get security patches routinely. The promise of periodical security updates ensures that smartphones are guarded against the latest security vulnerabilities.
Two years of Android updates guaranteed
As part of the Android One requirements outlined by Google, a manufacturer must provide a guarantee of at least three years of security updates. At the same time, smartphones certified for Android One must also receive at least two years of Android version updates.
HMD Global has lived up to this expectation and has delivered timely updates to its smartphones across different price segments. Recently, they rolled out the Android 10 updates forNokia 3.1 and Nokia 5.1. Both of these phones were launched in mid-2018 and shipped with Android 8.1 Oreo pre-installed. That makes Android 10 their second major OS update. Notably, the Nokia 3.1 —the more affordable option out of the two — is among the few entry-level smartphones from 2018 to get a taste of Android 10.
HMD Global recently also announced its timeline for the Android 11 release, and the announcement includes premium devices such as the Nokia 8.1 and the Nokia 9 Pureview, mid-rangers such as the Nokia 7.2 and the Nokia 6.2, and even entry-level devices such as the Nokia 2.2. All of the smartphones hit the market running Android 9 Pie, so that means Android 11 will be their second OS update.
Few smartphone manufacturers reach the same level of support as HMD Global—OnePlus and Google do, for instance, though they maintain far fewer devices. While Google promises three OS updates on Pixel devices, OnePlus has pushed out up to three consecutive updates to its smartphones including the OnePlus 3/3T and the OnePlus 5/5T which have been updated to Android 9 Pie and Android 10, respectively.
It’s worth noting that Google and OnePlus have always targeted the premium (or quasi-premium) segment with their smartphones. HMD Global, on the other hand, has been able to keep devices, especially in the lower and mid-range segments, up-to-date for relatively longer than other manufacturers competing in similar price brackets.
Android One offers a Pixel-lite experience but at a much lower price
The Android One program was originally designed to offer a clean Android experience on low-end devices, especially for markets like Southeast Asia and Africa. It evolved significantly to rope in several manufacturers like Japan’s Sharp, which released the Aquos 507SH with decent mid-range specifications. In 2017, Google partnered with Motorola to announce the Moto X4 Android One Edition powered by Google Fi in the U.S., paving way for brands like Xiaomi and HMD Global to jump on the bandwagon. While the rest of the brands have seemingly pulled the plug on (or neglected) their partnerships, HMD Global is still wholly committed to Android One.
Devices like the Nokia 5.3 enjoy certain benefits apart from Google’s assistance for software that other smartphones may not enjoy. Besides a user interface emulating Google’s Pixel smartphones, Android One devices also benefit when it comes to receiving features from Pixel smartphones before any other device. Google’s Call Screen, a feature that lets Google Assistant talk to callers on your behalf, was rolled out exclusively to select Android One devices last year.
“Pure” may not be the “best” Android experience
While this article has mostly highlighted why the Nokia 5.3’s Android experience is closest to what Google intends for users to experience, we do not — in any way — suggest that that “pure” Android experience is also the “best” one. Android’s open-source nature allows different manufacturers to serve different custom experiences to their users. Most often, these custom user experiences become the selling point for companies, even crucial to their identities. Besides visual enhancements, brands also add their own features or replace Google’s apps with more feature-rich versions in a bid to secure a consumer’s loyalty. In certain use cases, this can go beyond marketing and actually mean that the user gets better features than on stock Android, leading to a quite evident consumer stickiness.
Stock Android, on the other hand, is not exclusive to a brand, and that frees users from the obligation of sticking to a familiar one. They can use smartphones from different brands — like HMD Global, Motorola, Google, ASUS, etc. — without any significant learning curve.
Overall, different flavors of Android offer some unique characteristics to attract and hook users. Stock Android, and more specifically Android One, does that by ensuring a bloat-free interface, some of Google’s Pixel software features before a wider roll-out, and guaranteed delivery of at least two generations of Android versions.
Nokia 5.3: Bound to outlast the competition
The Nokia 5.3 is understandably pricier than other smartphones in India running on similar hardware. The competition at its ₹13,999 price point includes the Redmi Note 9 Pro, POCO M2 Pro, Realme Narzo 20 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy M21, and others. Each phone has a definitive advantage over the Nokia 5.3 when it comes to hardware — the Redmi and POCO phones feature a more powerful processor, the Narzo features faster charging and a 90Hz display, and Galaxy M21 offers a larger 6000mAh battery with an AMOLED display.
Metaphors about sprints and marathons aside, none of these phones offer the software experience and update guarantee that HMD Global offers for the Nokia 5.3, making it an excellent choice for any user seeking longer use of their phone.
