Nokia vs. Motorola: Which Brand Is Better for You?

Nokia and Motorola are two top telecommunications companies globally renowned for their quality products. Nokia has held the top spot for creating budget devices, but recently, it has faced stiff competition from Motorola. In addition, both companies offer an extensive range of products. For instance, Nokia provides network hardware components, walkie-talkie radios, smart watches, etc. Motorola primarily focuses on creating networking systems and smart home devices.

This article details the important aspects of the products and services offered by these two companies.

Nokia vs. Motorola: Side-by-Side Comparison

Aspect	Nokia	Motorola
Founders	Fredrik Idestam, Leo Mechelin, Eduard Polón	Paul Galvin, Joseph Galvin
Year Established	1865	1928
Head Quarter Location	Finland	United States
Products Offered	Networks hardware components and Electronics(smartphones and laptops)	Smartphones, accessories, smart home devices and networking systems
Company Employees	86,900 (2022)	20,000 (2022)
Subsidiaries	Alcatel Submarine Networks, HMD Global, NGP Capital, Bell Labs	UIQ Technology
Revenue	$26.246B	$9.11B

Nokia vs. Motorola: What’s the Difference?

If you’re thinking of purchasing products from these two brands, there are notable differences you should watch out for. Check out a few below.

Design and Build Quality

Nokia and Motorola have invested in creating reliable and resilient devices, guaranteeing their longevity with proper care. To create durable products, Nokia designs them using quality materials like polycarbonate plastic, precision-milled aluminum, stainless steel, etc., with a high-quality finish (shiny and slippery). The Nokia high-end phones are fitted with corning Gorilla Glass designed to provide damage resistance from drops during daily use and from scratches.

Some Motorola phones also feature a durable body constructed from aramid fiber and a screen fitted with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, like the Motorola Defy (2021), designed to prevent the phone screen from accidental cracks and scratches. They even feature the IP68 rating, making them dust and water-resistant for depths of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

Security

These two telecommunications companies strive to offer the highest level of security possible across their products. For instance, Motorola and Nokia both offer up to three years’ security updates on their phones, keeping your phones secure from malicious software.

Therefore, when purchasing Nokia phones, consider those with the Android Enterprise recommended seal, as they feature multi-level security for improved data protection.

To help secure the data and information of Motorola mobile device users, the company recently unveiled the Moto Secure App, created to keep smartphones and tablets safe from phishing attacks, malware, and other dangers. A notable mobile application functionality is the “Secure Folder,” which allows users to store sensitive information or applications in a password-protected folder. This Motorola App even features a privacy dashboard that breaks down the different applications which have recently accessed your files and calendar.

Display

The display quality of Nokia and Motorola screens is of high quality. Both brands have OLED and AMOLED screens with sharp, crisp displays. While this is the case, you should consider going for products with OLED instead of AMOLED screens, as they feature deeper blacks, meaning they retain their clarity even when viewing them in direct sunlight.

Regarding the contrast ratio, the OLED displays’ contrast is better than that of the AMOLED screens. However, you should know that AMOLED displays have better refresh rates than OLEDs. 

Battery

Whether you opt for a Nokia or Motorola product, you can be assured of good battery life. However, this will depend on the battery capacity of your mobile phone model. You can expect a better battery life if you choose a higher capacity. Regardless, most Nokia phones offer better battery life than their Motorola counterparts, even if they have the same capacity.

Unlike the Motorola phone, Nokia uses Adaptive battery technology to improve users’ battery life. This technology can learn your device usage patterns and prioritize battery usage based on your frequently used applications. While you may not get great battery life with the Motorola phone, you’re assured of fast charging as most Motorola chargers feature Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 technology.

Operating System

The older Nokia and Motorola phones used the Symbian operating system, but the advent of smartphones led to the rise in Android OS, featuring improved functionality. Newer phone models from these two companies come with a two-year Android OS upgrade, which helps you enjoy improved functionality and features with each release.

The only notable difference between the Nokia and Motorola operating systems is that Motorola has its customized user interface while Nokia currently doesn’t. The Motorola User interface (My UX) offers users different customization options, like customizing the font type and icon layout. You also have the option to open your phone by using gestures. For instance, you can launch the rear camera by twisting your wrist twice and the front camera by repeating the same gesture.

You should know that Nokia is in the process of creating its user interface (Nokia Pure UI) that features a clean, minimalistic design. This new interface will feature icons based on strokes, with their thickness varying from one device to another. It will also come in a blue theme, but users can change it to the color of their choice.

Regarding wearables, most Nokia smartwatches use the Wear OS, like the Nokia Steel HR Heart Rate & Activity Tracking Watch, while the Motorola Moto Watch 100 Smart Watch features the Moto Watch OS. If you’re a health-conscious individual, picking a Moto OS watch over Wear OS is worth it as it features different wellness tracking applications and doesn’t accept the installation of third-party apps, which is the case with Watch OS.

Camera

Nokia and Motorola cameras can record videos and take high-quality images. However, you’ll only get high-resolution images and up to 4k video recordings from premium products, not budget options. An outstanding feature of Nokia cameras is the quality of their lenses and sensors. For instance, some Nokia phones, like the Nokia 9 Pureview, feature the Carl Zeiss optics lens known for its exceptional color reproduction and sharp clarity.

Many Motorola products feature the ultraWide lens, depth sensor, and macro lens that produces sharp images. Another notable feature of Motorola cameras is optical image stabilization (OSI). This feature reduces the chances of experiencing blurred images even after taking a photo with a shaky hand. Their camera user interface is also easy to use, including features that improve photo taking, like automatic scene detection.

Product Offering

Nokia and Motorola offer their clients a wide range of products and services. First, Nokia is split into different business categories. The first category is the mobile phones section, where the company deals with marketing data and voice products to businesses and customers. Second, there’s the multimedia section involved in selling cable television, satellite systems, and gaming devices. The third section is the enterprise solution and networks involved in developing and selling wireless transmission systems.

Motorola is a subsidiary of Lenovo and mainly deals with manufacturing telecommunication and electronics products. Some common products they offer include mobile and office phones, smart watches, Bluetooth headsets, and baby monitors. Both companies also offer cyber security and mobile networking services to various companies.

Nokia vs. Motorola: Must-Know Facts

• Motorola and Nokia run on the Android operating system, with the difference being that Motorola has a customizable user interface (My UX) while Nokia doesn’t.
• Motorola created its first phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8,000 X cell phone, in 1983, while Nokia’s first phone, the Mobira Cityman 900, was manufactured in 1987.
• Nokia and Motorola are two of the oldest multinational telecommunication companies. Nokia was established in 1865, while Motorola was founded in 1928.
• The phones manufactured by Nokia and Motorola include three years of monthly security updates designed to keep your phone safe from phishing attacks, among other threats. These two companies also offer cybersecurity consulting services to businesses.
• Nokia offers a wide range of services, including cloud technology consulting, mobile network planning, and deployment, while Motorola’s services range from video analytics and access control solutions to cybersecurity consulting and network infrastructure support.

Nokia vs. Motorola: Which Brand Is Right for You?

Nokia’s services extend to offering telecommunication services and equipment for communication networks. Under the mobile segment, Nokia offers a wide range of phones, with most entry-level phones going to markets with low mobile penetration. Many mid-range to high-end phones the company offers have a decent performance, whether playing games or multitasking between different applications.

Similarly, you’ll enjoy decent performance using Motorola products which offer impressive performance and durable build quality. Another thing you’ll love about Motorola’s phones is the inclusion of the My UX, which offers different customization options like changing icons and using gestures. Besides phones, Motorola also offers different telecommunication products. Overall, most Nokia products are of more premium quality than Motorola, but both are worth considering.