Nokia C21 Plus Review

Design

The Nokia C21 Plus features a plastic build with a height of 164.8 mm, a width of 75.9 mm, and a depth of 8.6 mm. It weighs 178 grams. The design includes a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for security. The device is available in Dark Cyan and Warm Gray color options.

Display

The phone sports a 6.52-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 269 ppi. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio and includes a waterdrop notch. It offers standard features like capacitive touch and multi-touch input. There is no mention of any screen protection.

Performance

The Nokia C21 Plus is powered by the Unisoc SC9863A chipset, built on a 28 nm process. It has an octa-core CPU consisting of 4 Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and 4 Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.2 GHz. The graphics are handled by an IMG8322 GPU. The phone is available in multiple configurations including 2GB, 3GB, or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal eMMC 5.1 storage. The phone's Antutu score (v9) is around 109200. There is no SD card slot for storage expansion.

Camera

The device has a dual-camera setup on the rear. The primary camera is a 13MP standard lens, and the secondary is a 2MP depth sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The rear camera setup includes features like digital zoom, autofocus, touch focus, PDAF, continuous shooting, geotagging, panorama, HDR, and face detection. The front-facing camera is a 5MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. It features a front-facing LED flash. Video recording is limited to 1080p at 30fps. There is no optical image stabilization or slow-motion video recording capability.

Battery Life

The Nokia C21 Plus packs a 4000 mAh Li-Polymer battery. The device supports 10W fast charging via microUSB 2.0. The battery is non-removable.

Software

The phone runs on Android 11. There is no mention of the possibility for later Android version updates.

Pricing

The Nokia C21 Plus is categorized as a low-priced device. Prices vary based on the RAM and storage configuration. For example, a 3GB/32GB version costs around $98 to $233. A 3GB/64GB version is priced around $184.

Other Features

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2 LE with A2DP, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, SUPL, and Galileo. It supports dual SIM dual standby using Nano SIMs. 4G LTE bands include several bands, while 3G and 2G bands are also supported. The phone uses microUSB 2.0 for charging and data transfer. It supports USB OTG but is missing features like display port, video output, or USB-C. Sensors present include accelerometer and proximity sensor. The phone has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Overall Verdict

The Nokia C21 Plus is a budget-friendly smartphone offering a large display and a decent battery. However, the phone's low-resolution display, dated micro-USB port, modest performance, and older Android version may be its limiting factors. The camera system offers basic functionality, and video capabilities are limited. The phone may be a suitable option for users with basic smartphone needs or for those on a tight budget.