The world of cellular phones never ceases to be excited about some new designs and adventurous ideas. Nokia, one of the oldest brands of tough phones, took a plunge in recent times by attempting a splash with its much publicized 5G transparent smartphone. The third design was a futuristic appearance with clear design, high-spec, and advanced level of technology. Nevertheless, despite the hype, Nokia transparent smart phone has received bad press, and has not lived to expectations. Now it is the time to take a close look at why this promising gadget failed to live up to the hype and how this poor performance will affect Nokia in its attempt to regain its position in the mobile phone industry.
The clear phone was sold as wow. Its selling point was its thin and transparent glass-like design that allowed people to see the interior structure of a phone. This radical look was targeted at the younger customers who want to consider their devices as devices and accessories. Initial rumors indicated that the phone was to be a huge 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which provides smooth pictures and videos to play games and watch videos. Having high-performance and 5G connectivity was also reported, with it said to have a MediaTek Dimensity chip powerful processor. It was a paper beast, with rumors of a huge 200MP or even 300MP camera system, a 5000mAh battery and fast charging. These specifications made this phone a premium set of products that were supposed to rival the best products in the market such as Samsung and Vivo.
The reality however was less exciting. The one main problem was the transparent construct itself. On paper, it looked very futuristic, but the transparent design did not look and feel very well. Quite a number of users described it as distracting since they could see the inside parts hence the phone appeared less refined. The back was transparent too, which was again not encouraging in terms of the durability. The phone has been found to attract scratches and smudges easily to the extent that it has been used quite often and can easily be turned into a witness, after claims by its producers on the use of Gorilla Glass to protect it. As a phone in the higher mid-range category, we expected it to be less disappointing in respect to these setbacks.
Another aspect that the phone did not pass the test on is performance. While the MediaTek Dimensity processor offered a smooth performance, the actual usage of the phone was different. The lag was experienced when dealing with heavy multitasking situations such as scrolling an intensive application like a game or video editor. The 5G connectivity was operational, but it did not make a difference in the areas where the use of 5G is yet to reach. People also felt that the phone was not worth the price when compared to other rivals such as the Vivo X200 Pro or the OnePlus Nord, which perform similarly or even better but at lower costs.
The camera system, which was touted as one of the key features, is a letdown too. Nonetheless, even though the number of megapixels was high, the photographs were not as sharp and colorful as one would have loved to see on a flagship phone. It was also bad at low light, and photos would frequently be grainy. The camera of the Nokia transparent smartphone was not a match when compared with other phones in the same price bracket, such as the Samsung Galaxy A55. Having a clean Android interface, the software was not polished in any way and lacked any additional functionality found in such brands as Oppo or Realme, making it even less convenient.
This phone did not do too badly in the battery life aspect, where its 5000 mAh battery lasted all day for most users. The rapid charging was not as quick as indicated, and it took a comparatively longer time than those of its competitors to charge fully. It was not a big deal and contributed to the general feeling that the phone failed to deliver on its promises.
Pricing was another aspect. The smartphone was projected to sell at about 30,000 to 35,000 rupees, which meant it would directly compete with established brands. The phone was too expensive to overcome its shortcomings in the view of Indian consumers, who are sensitive to prices, especially at the average and low ends. To them, the phone was too costly to use. With Nokia, several people believed that the company used the gimmick of transparent design and did not concentrate on the things that actually make a difference, such as improved cameras and/or faster functioning.
Response in the market has been tepid, to say the least. The initial enthusiasts who had found the idea interesting were soon bored, especially after the reviews cast light on the shortcomings of the phone. The reaction to social media was divided between those who thought it was an audacious design and others who termed it a style-over-substance device. Nokia trying to re-enter life at the top level in smartphones was a daring initiative, yet its transparent 5G phone failed to provide a comprehensive appearance.
What therefore does this portend to Nokia? The company behind the brand enjoys a dedicated following, a record of innovations, and yet, this release demonstrates that an eye-catching design will never be sufficient to impress a consumer of the modern age. In order to compete, Nokia must aim at pleasing with its reliable performance, a high-quality camera, and affordable price. The crystal phone was a dicey gamble and though it has created headlines, it did not excite the users as they expect their device to work, being a contemporary flagship.
To wrap it up, the Nokia 5G sees-through smartphone was a concept with potential that failed to live up to its expectations because of such practical considerations as poor durability, underwhelming performance, and a very expensive price tag. Notwithstanding the fact that the concept revealed the willingness of Nokia to innovate, it underlined the issue of interest in style and functionality mix. As of today, the phone is a notice that even famous brands can fall down when they set aside focus on content in an effort to focus on gimmicks. It will have to regroup and come back stronger in case Nokia aims to take back the position in the competitive smartphone world.
