Nokia 6.2 vs Nokia 4.2: Which should you buy?

Nokia 6.2
Nokia 6.2 (Image credit: Android Central)

Nokia 6.2

Nokia 6.2

In the market for an incredible smartphone value? The Nokia 6.2 drives a hard bargain. It offers a vibrant HDR display, three rear cameras, and a big 3,500 mAh battery. It also benefits from a clean user interface and guaranteed software updates. For the price, it's darn impressive.

Nokia 6.2

Wonderful value

HDR display
Faster processor and more RAM
Triple rear cameras
Larger battery
Charges via USB-C
So-so camera performance

Nokia 4.2

Nokia 4.2

The Nokia 4.2 keeps a lot of what makes the 6.2 great while lowering the price even more. It has a sleek and durable design, two cameras on the back, and clean Android software with guaranteed updates. You also get an NFC chip for Google Pay and a dedicated Google Assistant button.

Nokia 4.2

Even cheaper

Sleek design
Expandable storage up to 400GB
Google Assistant button
Clean software
NFC for Google Pay
Display is only 720p
Lackluster performance
Micro-USB charging

There aren't any losers in this battle of the Nokia 6.2 vs. Nokia 4.2. If you have the cash to afford it, the Nokia 6.2 delivers an outstanding experience — some of the highlights being an HDR display, capable performance, three rear cameras, and a big battery. It's the phone we recommend getting out of these two, but if you're trying to keep things under $200, the Nokia 4.2 won't steer you wrong. The processor isn't quite as impressive, the display is lower-res, and the battery's smaller, but all of the core components are there for a solid Android experience.

Where the Nokia 6.2 comes out on top

Nokia's lineup of Android phones can be difficult to keep up with, but as far as we're concerned, the Nokia 6.2 represents one of the best values the company offers right now.

Hardware-wise, it's firing on all cylinders. The Nokia 6.2 has a premium glass back, a sturdy polycarbonate frame, and a large 6.3-inch display to showcase all of your apps, games, and movies. The Full HD+ resolution means all of your content will be nice and crispy, but the real draw to the 6.2's display is its support for HDR. Not only can it play native HDR content, but it can also convert SDR videos into HDR ones for more vibrant and punchy colors. That may sound like a gimmicky feature, but it's actually pretty great.

Around back, the Nokia 6.2 offers a trio of cameras — consisting of a 16MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera, and 5MP depth camera to help with portrait photos. Pictures taken with the Nokia 6.2 won't blow you away, but they look good enough for sharing with friends on social media. Plus, having that ultra-wide camera allows for a lot of photo possibilities you don't get with the cheaper Nokia 4.2.

Internally, the 6.2 impresses. You'll find a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,500 mAh for long-lasting endurance. There's also an NFC chip for Google Pay, a dedicated Google Assistant button, and a clean build of Android 9 Pie. The 6.2 also comes with guaranteed software updates, with major OS upgrades offered through October 2021 and security patches until October 2022.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Nokia 6.2Nokia 4.2
Operating SystemAndroid 9 PieAndroid OneAndroid 9 PieAndroid One
Display6.3-inch2280 x 1080IPS LCDHDR5.71-inch1520 x 720IPS LCD
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 636Qualcomm Snapdragon 439
Memory4GB RAM3GB RAM
Storage64GBExpandable up to 512GB32GBExpandable up to 400GB
Rear Camera 116MP primary camera13MP primary camera
Rear Camera 28MP ultra-wide camera2MP depth camera
Rear Camera 35MP depth camera
Front Camera8MP8MP
Battery3,500 mAh3,000 mAh
ChargingUSB-CMicro-USB
NFC✔️✔️

The Nokia 4.2 does a lot at its low price

Nokia 4.2

Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

The Nokia 6.2 is not an expensive phone, but if you're on a mission to spend as little as possible on your next handset, the Nokia 4.2 is a solid alternative.

Compared to the 6.2, there are some downsides of the 4.2 to be aware of. Its display is a lower 720p HD resolution with no HDR support, there's less RAM, less internal storage, a smaller battery, and no ultra-wide rear camera.

Those are considerable downgrades to keep in mind, but if all you're after is a reliable Android phone you can use for watching YouTube, getting in arguments on Twitter, and making the occasional phone call, it'll serve you just fine.

We also like that the Nokia 4.2 keeps some of the 6.2's nicer features, such as a great design, NFC for Google Pay, a Google Assistant button, and clean software with guaranteed updates (major OS upgrades through April 2021 and monthly security patches through April 2022).

You can't go wrong either way

No matter if you get the Nokia 6.2 or Nokia 4.2, you'll end up with a solid Android phone that should serve you quite well for years to come.

The more expensive 6.2 offers a better overall experience thanks to its previously-mentioned advantages over its more affordable sibling, but if money's especially tight, you can buy the 4.2 and still enjoy yourself just fine.

Whichever phone you end up grabbing, we hope you enjoy the heck out of it.

Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.