The Nokia G21 is a cheap smartphone that is so appealing to a large audience. However, we certainly do not recommend the phone to everyone. In this Nokia G21 review you can read why, so that you can determine for yourself whether the device meets your needs.
Nokia G21
Price € 189,-
Color Purple blue
OS Android 11
Screen 6.5″ LCD (1600 x 720, 90 Hz)
Processor Unisoc T606
RAM 4 GB
Storage 64 or 128 GB (expandable)
Battery 5,050 mAh
Camera 50 and 2 megapixel + depth sensor (rear), 8 (front)
Connectivity 4G, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 5, GPS, NFC
Format 16.5 x 7.6 x 0.85 cm
Weight 190 grams
Other dual sim, fingerprint scanner
Website www.nokia.com 5.5 Rating 55 
- Pros
- Cleaned up software
- Long battery life
- Nice to hold
- Good selfie camera
- Negatives
- Slow charger included
- Old software and only one version update
- HD screen
- Limited cameras
At 189 euros, the Nokia G21 is not expensive, which makes it interesting for a large audience. Reason enough to extensively test the smartphone. I’ve been doing that for the past few weeks. I find it difficult to recommend the telephone, and I would like to explain why.
Solid design
The housing of the Nokia G21 is made of plastic, feels solid and lies comfortably in the hand. Fingerprints are less visible than on smartphones with a glossy back. A point of attention is that the camera module on the back scratches quickly. I also read this in other reviews.
The design is simplistic, which is fine by me. The power button on the right side contains an accurate and fast fingerprint scanner to unlock the phone. Nice is the presence of a 3.5mm audio port on the top to connect earphones or headphones. Many midrange and high-end smartphones lack an audio port. It is also nice that the Nokia G21 offers space for two SIM cards and a micro SD card. At the bottom you will find a USB-C port.
What I’m not a fan of is the Google Assistant button on the left side. That button feels redundant because you can also start the Assistant via the on and off button. In addition, the operation of the special button cannot be changed. On some smartphones, you can set the button to start the calculator or flashlight instead of the Assistant, for example. It’s a shame Nokia doesn’t give that option.
Only one HD screen
The screen of the Nokia G21 is 6.5 inches. That is a common format in 2022. The screen resolution is less common. The Nokia phone has a screen with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, or HD. Many competing devices are equipped with a Full-HD screen (minimum 1920 x 1080 pixels), which shows a noticeably sharper image. It is a pity that Nokia is cutting back on this point.
The company also opts for an LCD screen, which looks less colorful than an OLED screen. More and more devices under two hundred euros with an OLED screen are appearing. Some examples are the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, Poco M4 Pro and Motorola Moto G31.
Many affordable smartphones use a screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. That refresh rate produces a smoother image than a 60Hz screen. The Nokia G21 also has a 90Hz display. The screen does indeed look smoother, but as an HD LCD screen it does not stand out in the market.
Nokia G21 specifications
For the specifications, the Nokia G21 is a dime a dozen device. The Unisoc T606 processor used is not a speed monster but smooth enough for WhatsApp and other popular apps. The working memory is of the usual size with 4 GB.
You can buy the Nokia G21 with 64 GB or 128 GB of built-in storage. The price difference is limited. It is good to know that you can increase the storage memory yourself by inserting a microSD card into the smartphone.
The Nokia G21 does not support 5G internet. Some competing devices do, making them more future-proof. For the time being, 5G offers little added value compared to 4G, which the Nokia G21 does of course just support. The smartphone can also handle WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and it has an NFC chip for contactless debit card payments in stores.
Long breath, long charging time
Nokia claims that the battery life of the Nokia G21 is very good, up to three days of use. With my fairly intensive use, the 5050mAh battery lasts at least two days. That is a great achievement and partly due to the lower resolution screen. I expect that many people can do with the Nokia G21 for two to three days.
And then it’s time to charge the medium-sized battery. The Nokia G21’s box contains a 10-watt charger. That’s crazy, because the manufacturer says that the smartphone can charge with a maximum of 18 watts. The choice for a slower charger is a financial choice, I understand. In practice, this means that fully charging the battery takes more than 2.5 hours.
That is very long, even for a budget smartphone. I grabbed an 18-watt charger with PD support and then charged the G21 again to a full charge. It was forty minutes.
No wide-angle camera
On the back of the Nokia G21 you will find three camera lenses. These are a main camera, a macro camera and a depth sensor. The latter is not a real camera, but a sensor to create a depth-of-field effect. In fact, the G21 only has two cameras, of which the macro camera is very disappointing. The resolution of 2 megapixels is so low that macro photos look blurry and faded. We notice this more often on budget smartphones.
The main camera of the Nokia G21 is fine and has a separate night mode. That helps, as you can see in the photo comparison below.
In the camera app, Nokia also offers you a zoom mode, but don’t be fooled. The Nokia G21 has no zoom function and only makes a crop of the image via the zoom mode. The quality is not special, as you can see below.
Striking is the lack of a wide-angle camera on the Nokia G21. Many competing budget smartphones do have such a camera, with which you can capture a wider part of the environment. The Nokia G20 from a year ago also has a wide-angle camera. In my opinion, Nokia should have opted again for a wide-angle camera instead of a macro camera for the G21.
The selfie camera of the smartphone is also better than expected. That’s a plus if you make a lot of video calls with your device or like to shoot selfies.
Old software
The Nokia G21 runs on Android 11 at its release and not on Android 12. That’s crazy, because competing brands do release new devices with Android 12. Nokia did that a few years ago, but now opts for an outdated version. The company promised an Android 12 update, of course, but does not guarantee an update to version 13. It is now in development and will be released in August or September. The fact that Nokia does not yet want to make a commitment about an update for the G21 does not inspire confidence in me.
Competing manufacturers do make a commitment. Android 13 introduces all kinds of visual and technical improvements, but whoever buys a Nokia G21 now does not know whether he/she will benefit from those improvements. And that’s crazy with a phone that has just gone on sale and came out with an outdated Android version.
The Nokia G21 will receive security updates for three years, one per month. The frequency is very good, the period average. Oppo, Realme, OnePlus, Xiaomi and various other brands also guarantee three years of updates for their budget devices. Samsung opts for four years and is therefore the best choice in this area.
The software itself on the Nokia G21 is good because Nokia opts for a barely modified version of Android. The manufacturer does bother you in the beginning with participation in a user program, which you can refuse. A handful of commercial apps are installed on the device, including Netflix and LinkedIn.
Conclusion: buy Nokia G21?
The Nokia G21 is not a bull’s eye. The device simply makes too many technical compromises compared to the competition and is therefore not a smart buy. Not at all because the software is outdated and gets few updates. Many comparably priced smartphones also do that better. While the Nokia G21 is a fine choice for some, I recommend that most interested parties look further afield. For example, in our buying guide with the 10 best smartphones between 150 and 200 euros.
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