MWC 2022: Nokia releases yet another series of questionable phones with pretty affordable pricing.

Nokia loves shooting themselves in the foot

During this year’s Mobile World Congress, Nokia has showcased new budget phones under the C series. They should not have because really, they’re just embarrassing themselves.

There are three phones in the new series, the leading one is the C21 Plus, followed by the C21 and the C2 2nd Edition (pictured above).

Nokia C21 Plus and Nokia C21

The Nokia C21 Plus is a budget phone, and a pretty basic one at that. It’s not really meant for those who are looking for performance and/or good cameras, but rather those who just need something for basic calls, texting, and video calling.

While inherently budget, the phones do have a pretty premium design since they use a metallic chassis. This also comes with IP52 splash resistance. Most budget phones go for cheap plastics, if you didn’t know.

That’s where the good parts end, sadly. The display is lackluster, only a 6.5in. HD+ IPS LCD and runs Android 11 Go Edition. It will receive security updates quarterly for two years as Nokia is part of the Android One project.

On the performance side of things, not much really is to be seen here. It has a UNISOC SC9863A processor paired with 2-4GB RAM and 32 or 64GB internal storage. Since it runs Android 11 Go Edition, that’s a sign that 4GB RAM isn’t enough these days anymore. It has a dedicated MicroSD slot.

Cameras are pretty basic too. There’s a 13mp camera at the back alongside a 2mp depth sensor. The 5mp front camera is intended for face unlocking. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometrics.

Interestingly, there are two versions of the phone, depending on the RAM/storage configuration. One has a 5050mAh battery and the other has a lighter 4000mAh battery. Nevertheless, both will get only 10W worth of charging plugged via MicroUSB.

The Nokia C21 is almost the same ordeal, except it’s a lot cheaper and has no IP rating. It kept the same display specifications, metallic frame, and chipset. You are limited to just 2 or 3GB RAM with 32 or 64GB internal storage and the battery is also a lot smaller. It’s only 3000mAh and is still plugged via MicroUSB. Oh, it charges even slower, at 5W.

The camera has been nerfed to just 8mp and there’s only one now. It did keep the already low 5mp resolution sensor for the front cam. The phone also kept the fingerprint unlocking capability.

Specs:

• 6.5in. HD+ (1600x720px) IPS LCD
  • Metal Frame
  • IP53
• UNISOC SC9863A (28nm)
• CAMERAS:
  • 13mp (main, C21 Plus)
  • 8mp (main, C21)
  • 2mp (depth, only for C21 Plus)
  • FRONT: 5mp (main, C21 and C21 Plus)
• 5050mAh or 4000mAh, 10W charging
  • 3000mAh, 5W charging (C21)
• Android 11 Go Edition
  • Two years security patches
• 4G LTE services, MicroUSB, Rear Fingerprint Scanner, Face Unlock
• PRICE: TBA

Nokia C2 2nd Edition

This phone is ultrabudget at its definition. It does not have a great screen, it does not have a quite competitive SoC, and it lacks decent cameras. It also has a pretty basic and “disposable” design.

It has a pretty compact design in today’s standards. It stands at a tall 5.7in with a terribly low FWVGA LCD screen. There’s also an unspecified Mediatek chip inside it complemented with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage.

The Nokia C2 2nd Edition is a phone from the past that somehow made its way in 2022. It has a 2400mAh replaceable battery, a novelty nowadays, a plastic design, and a single 5mp camera at the back along with a 2mp camera at the front.

Like the other two, the phone runs Android 11 Go Edition and it’s also the cheapest phone of the bunch.

SPECS:

• 5.7in. FWVGA LCD (854x480px)
• Unspecified Mediatek processor
• CAMERAS:
  • 5mp (main)
  • FRONT: 2mp
• 2400mAh, removable
• MicroUSB, Android 11 Go Edition
• PRICE: TBA

Source: India Today