The Nokia C2 which we have been talking about for the last few months finally landed in our lives and I’ve been using the phone for several weeks now, alongside Nokia 5.3. Here are my thoughts on the C2. I already documented my Nokia 5.3 thoughts here.
I think the most appealing point about this phone is that it is really a safe and budget friendly way to get people on board onto the online world. Safe in that it is an Android One phone, software and software updates come straight from Google, and users will not be having to deal with malware. So for the price of Kshs7,999/- one is able to get an all rounded smartphone.
The Nokia C2 is a light-weight phone with a removable battery. It has been so long since I used a phone with a removable battery that when the phone came, I plugged it into the charger and waited for it to charge as per usual. Only to remember later that I needed to assemble the battery 😀 Anyway, phones with removable batteries also have their wins. For example, when a phone freezes, removing the battery and putting it back always works. Also, one can be able t buy an extra battery and carry it around in case they’re going somewhere without power for a few days. To go completely off radar, one can also switch off the phone, remove the battery and
As much as the battery is 2800mAh, I was able to use the phone for a full two days without needing to charge and this ticks the promise the HMD has made about the phone. The 5.7” screen does not hog a whole lot and what’s more, it fits quite snuggly into the palm. This is, and the weight of just around 160 grams is something I’m finding quite different in a nice way because my phones have tended to be bigger and heavier in the last few years. The Nokia C2 gives the freedom to carry the phone around easily and it easily fits into jeans pockets.
Both cameras are 5MP each. Not the highest megapixels but then again remember this is a budget phone and it is only fair not to expect too much. I was however surprised by the clarity of the cameras. One would be tempted to think that it takes poor photos because it is a 5mp but that is not the case. Here are some photos I took with the phone.
Night photo with flash. Day photo without flash. Day photo with flash. Day photo without flash.
The phone has an internal memory of 16gb ROM and RAM is 1gb. It is enough as it is but one would need to be careful about saving too much into the phone. In short use it in moderation especially when it comes to heavy hoggers like video. We’ll still go back to the point of this being an entry level phone which comes at a really fair price so this too can be excused.
Overall I would say that in this phone, HMD has been able to balance between giving a really fair price and still pack quite a number of useful features. With the solid quality that Nokia phones are known for, it is a phone that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone buying an entry level phone either for themselves or for a loved one.
Once again, the absence of bloatware is an absolute winner for me.