At first glance, the Nokia G21 looks like an attractive option, promising great battery life and a mostly stock Android experience.
Its chipset, the Unisoc T606, seems like a fair workhorse, and it also offers a 50MP main camera, but it also pushes 720p resolution.
That puts it in a tough spot, especially next to the Redmi 10, which ups the resolution to a much better 1080p in the same price range, so what else can this durable and affordable phone bring to Table ?
Design and construction
Available in Nordic Blue and Navy Blue (our review unit is first), the Nokia G21 has the look you’d expect from a smartphone modern and affordable, but there are a few thoughtful touches.
For one, the rear panel has a matte finish to increase grip, and although the build is plastic, the whole phone feels sturdier than other devices at this price point.
On the left you’ll find a Google Assistant button matching the power button/fingerprint sensor on the right, with the opposite SIM tray and volume rocker just above it.
There’s a USB-C port at the bottom, with a headphone jack at the top. On the back, the camera module includes a standard wide sensor, a macro camera and a depth sensor.
Unlike its predecessor, the G20, you won’t find an ultra-wide camera here, but we’ll get to that later. The front sensor is located directly on the top bezel of the phone’s 6.5-inch screen, arranged in an unusual dewdrop-shaped arrangement.
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As large as the G21’s screen is, it’s immediately clear that compromises have been made to match its price. While the screen is a big enough canvas for web browsing and social media, its 720p resolution makes it feel like you’re looking at the screen through extra glass.
It’s pretty clear when browsing Android 11, but when you start looking at the images, they look a bit boring. This is partly due to the low resolution, but also to the use of an LCD panel far removed from OLED technology. Hopefully the trickle of these panels trickles down to affordable Nokias sooner rather than later.
On the plus side, the phone has a 90Hz refresh rate, which means flipping through app pages or scrolling through your Twitter feed is more responsive, but hard to get excited about. Players will probably want to look elsewhere for the special effects of League of Legends: Wild Rift.
HDR is also not offered, so fewer colors can be displayed. Not only will this affect your latest Netflix binge, but it can also mean a lack of detail in the photos taken.
Performance
The Unisoc T606 is powered by 4GB of RAM, and in our tests that means you can expect solid results. If you use the Nokia G21 to send emails, scroll through social networks and browse some web pages, you will be very happy with the handling of the phone.
In fact, while its single-core scores in Geekbench 5 are nothing out of the ordinary, in multi-core it slightly outperforms the similarly priced Redmi 10.
As with the Redmi, that means graphically intensive gaming is out of the question. Sure, you can run games like PUBG Mobile, but you can expect to encounter a lot of frame drops and texture chips.
The good news is that the Nokia G21 is more than happy to play around with productivity apps like Google Docs or Sheets. I was able to switch between apps with virtually no lag, although I ran into a weird issue when trying to reorient a photo I had taken.
Still, there’s a lot to like under the proverbial hood, and while the included 64GB of storage is probably enough for many, there’s also an SD card slot, so up to 512GB of extra storage can be added. in the blink of an eye. .
cameras
Perhaps no part of the G21 signifies its “monkey’s paw” identity other than in its camera setup. It offers a large 50MP widescreen sensor and macro camera, but lacks the ultra-wide of its predecessor, the G20.
We bet many would rather have an ultrawide than the macro used here, but in terms of what’s on offer the results are a bit mixed.
Nokia has AI imaging (even on the box), and it certainly has its moments. For example, in night mode, the same photo looks noticeably sharper. However, in daylight images still lack detail and vibrancy, with a dull palette that looks bland. Portrait mode is included, but the natural bokeh effect seems inconsequential due to the neutrality of the foreground colors.
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The front sensor also lacks detail, looking a bit smudged. Still, it’ll work well enough with video calls, for the most part.
Battery
Another thing Nokia is trying to impress with potential buyers is the G21’s battery life, and it does well to do so, although your mileage will vary. We were able to get just under three days with normal use, but our PCMark Work 3.0 test offered different results, with readings of around 12.5 hours and 11.5 hours of screen time.
That’s actually less than the Redmi 10, despite Nokia’s claims to the contrary. Still, real-world usage passes these custom tests, so we trust the manufacturer.
As you can imagine, it all depends on how often you use the device, but the 5050 mAh battery coupled with less demanding hardware like the 720p screen ensures great longevity.
Although 18W fast charging is supported, a compatible charger is not included in the box. It’s a shame, because after 15 minutes we were only able to charge the considerable battery to 10%, with 24% after half an hour. However, USB-C chargers are pretty universal these days, so you might be able to charge the G21 faster without spending on an extra power adapter.
Software and features
The G21 runs on Android 11, with Android 12 being the latest version currently available. Google’s update cycles can be a little hard to gauge, but Nokia promises two years of OS updates, which means you should be covered through Android 13.
The company also promises twice as many security updates as the competition, with 36 being the magic number in the fine print.
As for the pre-installed applications, there are a few, but they are not the most harmful. You’ll find Spotify pre-installed, as well as LinkedIn and ExpressVPN, the latter with a 30-day free trial.
Beyond that, we’ve praised Nokia’s Android experience time and time again for its clear and light approach.
Price and availability
Depending on the market, the Nokia G21 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB (UK and France) or 128GB (Europe and Germany) of storage, in the two color variants we mentioned above. Availability in markets such as the United States and India does not seem to be planned yet.
It can already be purchased and is sold at $ 149 on Amazon Europe.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 10 is the most obvious alternative, but affordable offerings like the Realme 8 and Motorola’s Moto G31 might also do the trick if you prefer a prettier design or display, respectively, for a similar price. .
Check out our pick of the best budget phones available right now, for more alternatives too.
Verdict
With a three-day battery life, balanced processor and large display, the Nokia G21 looks like a solid budget-end smartphone – but it’s not going to thrill.
A restrictive 720p resolution and a camera that’s got plenty of megapixels but not much to show off, however, make this a competent work phone that you won’t easily turn to when the day is done.
Technical specifications
- Android 11
- 6.5 inch, LCD, 720p, 20:9 aspect ratio
- Unisoc T606
- 4 GB of RAM
- 64 GB of storage (microSD card slot)
- Main camera 64 MP, f/1.8
2 MP depth sensor
2 MP macro lens - 8MP front camera
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual band 2.4/5G)
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 4G/3G support
- dual-SIM
- 5040mAh
- 164x76x8.5mm
- 190 grams
- Launch Colors: Nordic Blue, Twilight
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