Nokia Go review

The Nokia Go is a fitness tracker in its most simple form. For those very simple functions, it's a strong performer. Compared to many other fitness trackers, the Nokia Go doesn't do a whole lot.

But whereas many of those same devices tend to overpromise and underdeliver on a good, wholesome experience, the Nokia Go mostly nails the balance.

Who's this for?

The Nokia Go is a minimalist's dream. The E Ink screen, in tandem with the solid color enclosures, looks heavenly and feels unobtrusive to the activities of daily life and sleep.

It doesn't try much, but it easily accomplishes what it sets out to do. If you're looking to track steps and monitor your running, sleeping and swimming, this is one of the more affordable ways to achieve it.

The Go wins big points by being versatile as a watch or a clip. Its rugged, waterproof design means it can handle whatever you throw at it. But why wouldn't you want to show this cool, little device off on your wrist?

Should you buy it?

While the Go does push the boundaries for sleek, simple design and ease of use, there are some issues to note.

The Go's interface is too short on information. Most wearables attempt to free you from checking your phone by pushing its metrics and other notifications to your wrist, but this does no such thing. While it's sometimes a blessing to be removed from it all, it's a curse for those who would prefer a wearable that beams more info.

Speaking of the Go's display, this device is proof that the use of E Ink in a wearable is a clever, but imperfect application of the tech. It has its benefits, like supreme, eight-month long battery life and readability. But switching between screens often shows unsightly ghosting of the previous screen's visual elements, and it lacks a backlight, so forget about peeping the time at night.

All of that said, the Nokia Go is a perfectly good fitness tracker for those with perfectly simple needs. This wearable doesn't aim to spark a revolution in the way that you work out, nor does it pack in the features to push the endless stream of notifications to your wrist.

But, in a market where every other device tries to do just that, the Go is a refreshing breath of air in that it defies the trends to make a very solid, reliable, long-lasting tracker that will only cost you less than most of the competition.

First reviewed: January 2018

The competition

Don't think the Nokia Go is the perfect fitness tracker for you? How about some of these alternatives.

Moov Now

We love the Moov Now - it's affordable and can do much more than the Nokia Go. It can record fitness data at a much deeper depth and only costs a touch more than if you were to buy the Nokia Go.

This doesn't come with a screen though, but that does mean it offers months of battery life too.

Read our Moov Now review

Xiaomi Mi Band 2

Another fantastically affordable fitness band here and this one comes with a LED screen on the front so you can easily see all of your daily stats. 

Perhaps the standout feature on the Mi Band 2 is the fact it can handle heart rate tracking, unlike the Nokia Go. It doesn't have such great battery life as the Nokia tracker though.

Read our Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review