India’s sub-15K smartphone market is rifled with competition as several brands offering excellent value on their handsets. However, the excellent hardware experience is often combined with lacklustre software in the sub-15K segment. But two recently launched devices attempt to offer good hardware paired with clean software without breaking the bank.
The recently launched Moto G9 and Nokia 5.3 offer decent hardware coupled with excellent, bloatware-free software. While the near-stock Android experience is common on both these devices, their respective hardware tells a different tale. So, stick around and let’s find out which of these two phones offers the best value.
Nokia 5.3 vs Moto G9
| Specs | Moto G9 | Nokia 5.3 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 662 | Snapdragon 665 |
| Display | 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD | 6.55-inch HD+ IPS LCD |
| Memory | 4GB + 64GB | 4GB + 64GB / 6GB + 64GB |
| Rear Camera | 48 MP, f/1.7 + 2 MP (Depth) + 2 MP (Macro) | 13 MP, f/1.8 + 5 MP (Ultrawide) + 2 MP (Depth) + 2 MP (Macro) |
| Front Camera | 8 MP, f/2.2 | 8 MP, f/2.0 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh, 20W Charging | 4,000 mAh, 10W Charging |
| Software | Android 10 | Android 10 |
| Price | Rs 11,499 | Rs 13,999 / Rs 15,499 |
Both of the Moto G9 and Nokia 5.3 feature a pretty similar design, with the only difference being the shape of the rear camera module. Even the screens on both phones are nearly identical on the spec sheet.
In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 665 SoC on the Nokia 5.3 is slightly faster than the Snapdragon 662 on the Moto G9, although the SD662 is a newer chip and supports Wi-Fi 6 and NavIC. The margins in terms of performance are pretty slim between the two chipsets.
In optics, the Nokia 5.3 opts for a 13 MP quad-camera setup, while the Moto G9 gets 48 MP triple cameras. While the Nokia 5.3 has the advantage of an ultrawide camera, it is hard to believe that camera consistency between the two cameras is maintained, considering its low resolution. Megapixel count may not matter that much as price scales, but at this budget, the higher megapixel sensor on the G9 should have a clear advantage. At least on paper, the G9 seems to have the better camera.
Lastly, the Moto G9 also has a bigger battery than the Nokia 5.3, which means more battery life. The G9 also supports fast charging, making it a clear winner on the battery front. Since it is hard to distinguish these phones when it comes to performance, we looked at price-to-performance. And at Rs 1,500 less than the Nokia 5.3, the Moto G9 comes out top.
