HMD Global, the home of Nokia smartphones, announced the new one a few weeks ago Nokia G21, a model that focuses heavily on battery life - with his own 5050 mAh - and that brings with it some improvements to the screen and camera over the predecessor G20. But how does the Finnish company's new smartphone behave? Let's find out together, in our Nokia G21 review.
Our Nokia G21 review
This Nokia G21 is placed on the economic range of smartphones and despite this, the company has decided not to leave out the constructive quality. The device is in fact well built, in the hand it is solid and balanced, and aesthetically it appears with attention to detail. The shell is made of polycarbonate and the back is rough, thanks to small carved lines, which prevent the smartphone from being slippery. The texture also ensures that fingerprints do not remain in the back cover, a problem that we find in many glossy smartphones and that can be annoying to some.
The camera block is quite small, both in width and protrusion: it is not flush with the back cover, but it does not protrude excessively and is always a plus. Speaking of size, this Nokia G21 measures up 164.6 x 75.9 x 8.5 mm, so it is unlikely to use it with one hand, but the weight of 190 grams - as mentioned - is well distributed.
On the right side of the smartphone we find the power button, which also integrates a fingerprint sensor. Its positioning is comfortable, especially when it is held with the right hand and the thumb is used to release, e the sensor is quite responsive especially considering the hardware the smartphone is equipped with. Above the power button is the volume rocker. On the left side there is a button dedicated to Google Assistant, the voice assistant of Android, and the trolley for two SIMs and a microSD card. Finally, on the top we find the audio jack from 3.5mm and a microphone, while on the bottom we have the main microphone, a mono speaker and the USB Type-C for charging.
The display: one of the compromises of this smartphone
The smartphone costs less than 200 euros, this means that the company is due to keep the price low make some compromises. One of these is the display resolution, which stops at 720p. During everyday life there are certainly no problems, but when you read a lot of texts or scroll through high-quality images, the resolution 1600 720 pixels x notice.
That said, the generic quality is good. The diagonal from 6.5 inches it is very convenient for the use of the contents and the update frequency of 90Hz it is noted in the reactivity during the scrolling of the pages. The brightness of the display is also good, even if it is a bit low in direct sunlight.
The display is inserted inside a frame with very small frames, with a slightly more pronounced "chin" on the lower part. Then stands theteardrop housing for the front camera, which also takes care of unlocking through face recognition. The latter is quite reliable, although we recommend using the fingerprint sensor.
What we find under the body of this Nokia G21
The Nokia G21 is powered by the Unisoc T606 SoC e 4GB RAM memory, as well as 128GB of integrated memory, expandable via microSD. Considering the price range in which it is placed, the smartphone works well. For basic use, such as checking emails, consulting some web pages and daily applications such as Whatsapp and Telegram, this Nokia G21 is excellent, especially if you have a limited budget. Of course, in some situations it will be necessary to be patient, because the processor under a little effort is quite thoughtful, but we must always think that this model is intended for those who do not have too many pretensions in terms of performance.
The strong point of the smartphone is the autonomy, in fact, it is designed specifically for those looking for a "forklift" phone that lasts during stressful days. Indeed the Nokia G21 ensures two days of heavy use, that is to say with heavier processes and many hours of screen, while with a milder use you can easily cover even the third day. The autonomy is given by the low energy processor, by the 720p display and above all by the 5050mAh of battery capacity. For recharging, then, you can take advantage of the supplied 10W charger even if the smartphone supports the fast charging at 18W.
The smartphone rotates its Android 11 stock, so the update to the next version is yet to come. But Nokia promises two-year operating system update, so this G21 should be covered up to Android 13. The company has also stated three-year support for security patches. The operating system runs well, especially thanks to the fact that it is stock Android, devoid of heavy customizations. The pre-installed apps are also few and are quite useful, like Spotify, LinkedIn ed ExpressVPN. For the latter, a 30-day free trial period.
Nokia G21 review: how it shoots
The photo module of this Nokia G21 consists of three cameras: a 50MP main sensor, a 2MP macro sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, however, we find the 8MP front camera, placed inside the teardrop hole above the display.
Among the compromises of the company to keep the price low we also find the photographic sector. We know well that it is not a cameraphone, but despite all this department it seemed a lot to us needy. The main camera, although on paper it is 50MP, lacks detail and liveliness, confirming how the number of megapixels does not really indicate the quality of a sensor. The colors all turn towards more subdued shades and the camera, in general, often seems "thoughtful", employing a little too much for focus. The photos do not convince even during the darkest hours, although the AI imaging helps to make them slightly sharper.
The front camera also leaves out a lot of detail and is not very sharp, although it will be fine by most users who will use it to make quick video calls.
Data Sheet
- Dimensions: 164.6 x 75.9 x 8.5 mm
- Weight: 190 grams
- Display: 6,5″ HD+ (1600×720 pixel)
- CPU: Unisoc T606
- RAM: 4GB
- Memory: 128GB + microSD card up to 512GB
- Network: 4G
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, GPS, NFC
- Battery: 5050 mAh with 18W charging
- Rear camera: 50 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP
- Front Camera: 8 MP
- Videos: FullHD
- Operating system: Android 11
Nokia G21 review: buy it or not
This Nokia G21 is available in the variant of 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, in the Nordic Blue color, a 199,99 euros on the official website and a little menu on Amazon. It is a smartphone dedicated to those on a limited budget and it does not have too many claims regarding performance under stress, but looks for a model that has excellent autonomy. Unfortunately, despite being at the low end, the compromises to be accepted stand out and over the years Nokia has shown that it is able to market more balanced yet cheap smartphones. But if your purpose is always have a smartphone ready and chargedTo check emails, make calls, browse the web and use social media, this Nokia G21 is for you.
PRO
- Excellent autonomy
- Design and construction
- Expansion via microSD
AGAINST
- Photo gallery
- Sometimes thoughtful processor
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