HMD, the maker of Nokia Phones has been on the roll in the past few years trying to resurrect the Nokia brand. Jumping to the new smartphone era, HMD chose to roll with Vanilla Android for its Nokia smartphones.
Vanilla Android is the less customized Android flavor that makes it easy for OEMs to ship the latest updates to their devices, but, at the same time, delivering a cleaner UI for the end-user.
That presents the original taste of what Google thinks Android should really be or look like. No custom user interfaces, or bloatware unlike many other OEMs like Samsung, Tecno, Huawei, and almost all other manufacturers.
See, in the era where anyone can make a phone snapping in a fast processor, a couple of good camera lenses, lots of RAM, and other nifty hardware perks, the software experience becomes the ultimate winner.
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So, what are the pros of Nokia Phones running Vanilla Android?
- Fast Android updates
Topping the list of Vanilla Android pros is how fast OEMs can update their software as soon as Google ships updates. In fact, a recent report done by SRLabs, a German cyber-security firm revealed that vendors that use less customized versions of Android provide updates faster since they don’t have to put so much effort when it comes to applying patches and updates.
- Longer Support Life
Because all Nokia smartphones are part of Google’s Android One project, it is not accidental that these phones get at least 3 years of software updates. Being part of Android One means Nokia phones receive two major Android upgrades, and three years of guaranteed monthly security updates – regardless of the price tag.
Both of these are critical and may enable you to keep your device at least for a longer period instead of being hooked to the yearly upgrade cycle(I can’t be alone in this;).
- A Cleaner UI with Less Bloatware
The use of Vanilla Android means you get less bloatware. Pre-installed apps are almost all from Google (except for one – the Nokia app) including Messages, Phone, Camera, Chrome browser, Files app and more. The advantage of this is that you don’t need lots of RAM for your phone to run snappily.
Apart from the software experience, Nokia phones also offer considerably better build quality. And I’m not talking about their bottom of the barrel phones like the C2 or Nokia 1 series in this case. Have a look at their midrange phones in the Nokia 6, 7, and 8 series and you’ll dig my point.
But… As much as there are many advantages to switching to Nokia phones, you can’t miss a downside or two – and that’s okay. Most importantly is the failure of the company to price their devices competitively in tandem to the best value for money Chinese brands. Or, Samsung with their replenished Galaxy A series phones. Their under-the-hood hardware has also been a problem, especially for 2019 Nokia devices.
Battery life is also another issue among many consumers, including my editor, Nick Kanali, with his not-so-cheap Nokia 9 PureView.
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