The Nokia 6.2 and 7.2 are official: bigger and better displays, improved cameras and competitive prices

This year’s IFA in Berlin might be starting tomorrow, but some companies are eager to showcase their products before the tech floodgates open. HMD Global, the company that’s been making Nokia-branded phones for the last few years, just announced not one or two, but 5 new devices! Granted, three of them aren't even smartphones, but still, a phone is a phone!

The big stars of the show are the new Nokia 6.2 and its slightly mightier sibling, the Nokia 7.2. As you’ll see, the two phones are very similar, but they do have some notable differences as well. First, let’s begin with the things they have in common.

Nokia 6.2 and 7.2, all the shared tech

On the back, both phones have triple camera setups within a round camera bump which seems to be the latest trend in smartphone design, if leaks from other companies are to be believed. But more about the cameras later. Under the camera bump we get a standard fingerprint reader on both phones, so now fancy under-display sensors around here.

Another common feature on the outside of the devices is the dedicated Google Assistant button that debuted earlier this year on several other models. We’re also happy to report that the 3.5mm headphone jack is still here, HMD Global gets a high-five for that one.

Under the hood, so to speak, the similarities continue. Both phones support dual SIM and have an SD card slot for expandable storage. The duo is also carrying 3500mAh batteries that charge via USB Type-C, as one might expect.

On the software side, the phones will come with Android 9 out of the box but the Android 10 update should follow pretty soon after. Nokia has been very quick with major updates in the past and the devices are part of the Android One program which means no third-party software and guaranteed monthly security updates as well as OS updates for the next two years.

Now it’s time to see what separates these two smartphones

All the major differences between the Nokia 6.2 and the Nokia 7.2

Going by the numbers in the names it’s clear that the Nokia 7.2 should be the better one specs-wise, but how much better exactly? For starters, the 7.2 gets the faster Snapdragon 660 system-on-a-chip, compared to the 6.2’s Snapdragon 636. Ther 660 has slightly higher clock speeds and a better GPU but in day-to-day use, the performance difference will barely be noticeable. So, is there a more significant change? Well, yes, the cameras we mentioned earlier.

On the Nokia 6.2 the three three-camera setup consists of a 16MP main sensor paired with a 5MP depth sensor and an 8MP wide-angle one. These days usually phones with three cameras have a telephoto lens but technically the depth sensor is a camera as well so we’ll accept that.

With the Nokia 7.2 the difference is that the main sensor is replaced by a 48MP one with Quad Pixel technology. This is especially useful when shooting in low-light conditions. The 48MP camera mode can also be used as a lossless zoom in a way as the pictures will have much more detail than the standard 12MP ones and you can crop the area you want to focus on.

At the front, the 7.2 gets an upgrade as well with a 20MP selfie shooter with Quad Pixel technology as well. Meanwhile, on the Nokia 6.2, you’re stuck with a humbler 8MP front-facing camera. Of course, before we can talk picture quality from both rear and front cameras, we’d have to see some samples first, or even better, take ones ourselves.

Other differences can be found in the RAM and storage options available for the two new phones. The Nokia 6.2 will come with either 3 or 4GB of RAM and storage starting from 32GB and going up to 128GB. The 7.2, on the other hand, will also get a 6GB RAM variant while the base model will be a 4/64GB one.

And lastly, there are some different colors as well. The Nokia 6.2 comes in two colors: Ceramic Black and Ice, while for the Nokia 7.2 you can choose between Cyan Green, Charcoal and Ice. What’s the difference between Ceramic Black and Charcoal, we can’t say for sure but our guess is that one is a glossy finish while the other is a matte one.

Nokia 6.2 and Nokia 7.2 prices and release dates

As expected, these are some very affordable smartphones. The Nokia 6.2 starts at just 199 Euro (about $220) for the 3/32GB version and is expected to hit the markets in Europe at some point in October. The device should be available in the US at a later day as well and will likely cost $199 before tax.

The Nokia 7.2 starts at 299 Euro (about $330) for the 4/64GB version and tops at 349 Euro (about $385) for the 6/128GB one. This device is expected to come out first towards the end of September.

The combination of hardware features, software and low price makes these models a great choice for people that want a decent smartphone without breaking the bank. An admirable showing from HMD Global for the Fall season.

But what if you like to keep things old school and you avoid those pesky personal data harvesters like the plague? Well, Nokia has something for you too.

A fresh batch of Nokia feature phones