The first Nokia C-series phone was introduced in 2020 by HMD and within this short period, the affordable Android Go Edition phones have become quite popular. They already account for 16% of the company’s total smartphone sales in the last 5 years. Here come a couple of new units to strengthen the company’s portfolio.
To continue this success, the Finland-based company has yet again announced new devices in the brand’s budget-focused C-series, dubbed Nokia C21 and Nokia C21 Plus.
Table of Interests
Nokia C21 Plus
The Nokia C21 Plus is quite a good upgrade as C-phones go with a metal chassis and an IP52 rating, a first for the series. It also has a toughened glass over the display (brand unknown).
As for the display, it is a large 6.5” panel with 720 x 1,600 px resolution (20:9). The phone runs a clean Android 11 Go Edition and will receive quarterly security patches for two years.
The phone is powered by the Unisoc SC9863A chipset (28 nm, eight Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.6 GHz and a PowerVR GE8322 GPU). It is paired with 2GB, 3GB or 4GB of RAM plus 32GB or 64GB storage and there is a microSD slot available (it’s a dedicated slot on the dual-SIM version).
The 5MP selfie camera can be used for face unlocking. Alternatively, there is a fingerprint reader on the back. Also here is a 13 MP main camera (with AF) plus a 2MP depth sensor and an LED flash.
Interestingly, there are two versions of the C21 Plus. One has a 5,050 mAh battery for three day battery life, the other is lighter with a 4,000 mAh battery capacity for two day battery life. In either case you get a 10W charger (that works over microUSB) in the retail package.
Nokia C21 Plus Specifications
Network Properties
- 2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only)
- 3G bands:
- HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100
- HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
- 4G bands: LTE
- Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps
Launch
- Announced: 2022, February 28
- Status: Exp. release 2022, March
Design
- Dimensions: 164.8 x 75.9 x 8.6 mm (6.49 x 2.99 x 0.34 in)
- Weight: 178 g or 191 g (6.28 oz)
- Build: Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back
- Colors: Dark Cyan, Warm Gray
- SIM: Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
- Splash protection
Display
- Type: IPS LCD
- Size: 6.52 inches, 102.6 cm2 (~82.1% screen-to-body ratio)
- Resolution: 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~269 ppi density)
- Protection: Scratch-resistant glass
Operating System
- Android 11 (Go edition)
Hardware
- Chipset: Unisoc SC9863A (28nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (4×1.6 GHz Cortex-A55 & 4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A55)
- GPU: IMG8322
- Storage: 32GB 2GB RAM, 32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM
- Memory Card slot: microSDXC (dedicated slot)
- eMMC 5.1
Cameras
- Main Camera: Dual
- 13 MP, (wide), AF
- 2 MP, (depth)
- Features: LED flash, HDR, panorama
- Video: 1080p@30fps
- Selfie Camera: Single – 5 MP
- Features: LED flash
- Video: 720p
Multimedia
- Radio: FM Radio
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- Audio 3.5mm jack: Yes
Connectivity
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
- Bluetooth: 4.2, A2DP
- GPS: Yes, with A-GPS
- NFC: No
- USB: microUSB 2.0
Features
- Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity
Battery
- Battery Type and Capacity: Li-Ion 4000/5050 mAh, non-removable
Nokia C21 Plus Price and Availability
The C21 Plus will be available in Teal color ways. The starting price is €119 ($132) for the 2GB / 32GB version.