The Nokia G21 is released a little less than a year after the G20. The G-series, like other manufacturers, is home to mid-rangers that prioritise economical cost and a dependable product above frills.
The G21 heralds the start of a new design language for the corporation. Previous models had a centred circular camera bump, lovingly known as "Oreo." This model transitions to a rounded rectangular bump nestled into the corner.
It's not a completely original design, but it feels like a fresh perspective after a few of years with the Oreo style. Unfortunately, the "let's try something new" mentality does not extend to the rest of the phone.
Before we get into that, we should give the phone credit where credit is due. HMD has chosen chipsets that are rather conservative. Even the Nokia X100 and G300, which are now the highest-end Nokias, have a Snapdragon 480 CPU. The G21 uses a Unisoc T606. While Unisoc chips don't get the same attention as, say, Dimensities, this one is pretty capable.
To be sure, the Nokia G20's Helio G35 chipset with eight Cortex-A53 cores contributes to its uniqueness. To put things in perspective, the A53 was unveiled in 2012 and was replaced by the A55 in 2017. The T606's two Cortex-A75 cores are also from 2017, however they are "large" cores with substantially better performance. Even the six A55 cores that are coupled with the A75s are quicker and use less power than their predecessors.
Another plus is that the 6.5" LCD has been improved to a refresh rate of 90 Hz. Regardless matter what benchmarks suggest, it does make the UI smoother, which is significant for how quick a smartphone seems. Furthermore, the phone includes the Widevine level required to stream Netflix films in HD, so you should notice a substantial boost in image quality while binge watching a new programme.
We also applaud HMD for including a triple card slot, which allows for two phone lines and a memory expansion. In addition, there is a 3.5 mm headphone port, making high-quality, low-latency sound attainable on a budget.
This is the point at which we run out of praises. The 6.5" display has the same 720p+ resolution as the G20. A 1080p+ display would have been a compelling reason to suggest this phone — such panels aren't popular in this price range, but there are a few possibilities.
In terms of pricing, the Nokia G21 starts at €170, which is €10 higher than the G20. This is a perilous situation because simply €10-30 extra could get you a better competent phone. For example, a Redmi 10 costs €10 more and has a refresh rate of 90 Hz at 1080p+. A Moto G31 and a Galaxy M21 2021 are both in the same price range and have 1080p+ AMOLED displays. You can even get a 5G phone for €200 or less, which is more powerful than the Unisoc T606.
You can point out that, unlike the Galaxy and Redmi, the Nokia comes with a pristine version of Android (but not unlike the Motorola). True, but HMD opted to pre-install ExpressVPN and Spotify, which isn't ideal if you're looking for privacy.
The phone's new 50MP camera is a standout feature, but there are shockingly few specifics regarding the sensor and lens. HMD instead concentrated on the Super Resolution and Night Mode capabilities. We'll see how well they function for ourselves, but that won't keep us from noticing what's lacking.
The Nokia G20 sported an ultrawide camera - it wasn't fantastic, with a 5MP sensor, but it was there. In addition to the primary module, the Nokia G21's camera only has a macro camera and a depth sensor. We'd choose the ultrawide over any (or both) of them any day.
The battery is another not-quite-upgrade. The 5,050 mAh capacity is ample, and HMD guarantees three days of battery life. That sounds fantastic – indeed it is – but the G20 had the same capacity and promised to last three days between charges.
The true improvement is that the phone now supports 18W fast charging (USB Power Delivery 3.0). However, it comes with only a 10W charger, so you'll need to bring your own. You probably already have an 18W charger, thus the 10W charger will just sit in the drawer. If you don't already have an 18W charger, this isn't an improvement for you (not a free one, anyway).
Depending on where you live, the Nokia G21 may appear underspecced for its price, or it may be one of the few sub-€200 phones with a good battery and a manufacturer commitment to software maintenance. If that's the case, check back in a few minutes to see how well it did in our testing.
