Nokia C1 Review: Android on the Go

Oh Nokia. The nostalgia.

I won't say that it has been a long time since I held one, as I am still using old Nokia phones for reading ebooks and some casual music and photography. But this is the first time that I'm going to review a phone from their Android lineup.

I got the Nokia C1 at a discounted price in their official Shopee site and received it after two working days. You can check out their official Shopee page here.

Announced last December 11, 2019, the Nokia C1, which runs on Android 9 Pie (Go Edition), is one of the latest budget Android phones by Nokia licensee HMD, aimed for users who are stepping up from feature phones to their first smartphones. 

Specifications

5.4" FWVGA+IPS screen, toughened glass

1.3 GHz quadcore processor

1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory (microSD support up to 64GB)

5MP rear camera with flash, 5MP front camera also w/ flash

GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900

WDCMA: 1, 2, 5, 8

3G Network Speed, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/AGPS

Sensors: Ambient Light, Proximity, Accelerometer

FM Radio

Android 9 Pie (Go Edition)

Google Assistant Button

micro-USB port, dual Nano Sim cards

3.5mm audio jack

2,500 mAh removable battery

147.6 mm x 71.4 mm x 8.7 mm, 155g

Price: PHP2,990

Packaging

The Nokia C1 comes in a simple box with the signature holding hands logo. Package includes a USB cable, an adapter, and instruction manuals. No earphones or jellycase included here if you're gonna ask but not a dealbreaker considering the cost.

The Nokia C1 comes with the battery, usb cable and adapter, and instruction manuals.

Design and Display

HMD did a great job with the Nokia C1 by not sacrificing aesthetics to lower its price tag. It does not look premium but definitely does not look cheap either. Just the right Nokia phone feels.

It fits perfectly on one hand and is so light! I did miss holding phones this size.

A 5MP camera with a flash sits at the top, along with the earpiece and the Nokia logo.

At the back is the 5MP camera with a single flash, the Nokia Logo, and a speaker grille at the bottom left.

Only the Google Assistant Button on the left side.

At the bottom is the usb port and the mouthpiece.

At the right side is the power button and the volume control. 

The 5" FWVGA IPS screen is not the best display around but is decent enough and colors are still good for a very basic Android phone. The viewing angles are great thanks to the IPS screen.

Performance and Software

The Nokia C1 runs on Android Pie Go Edition, a version of Android designed to run on low-end smartphones with 2GB RAM or less, so most apps preinstalled here are mostly lite versions, such as Maps Go, Youtube Go, and Google Go, so that it will use less memory and data.

The Nokia C1 runs on Android Go Edition.

Maps Go app

Dialer app

Nokia added its own My Phone app on the C1. This app lets you manage settings of your account, monitor the phone's status, access the user manual and warranty, ask for support from the community, etc.

Just for fun, I did try installing full versions of some apps like Facebook and Spotify, as well as games such as Zombie Tsunami and Wordscapes and lags did occur so I advise using only the Lite versions.

Wordscapes

Spotify Full

Camera

The Nokia C1 is as basic as it gets, and photography is definitely not its strong point. With good lighting though such as on daylight, pictures look good enough. A bonus feature is that both the front and rear camera has its own flash. See captured images below:

Battery Life

I have been using the Nokia C1 for almost 2 days (connected on WiFi and some occasional music) and it still has 50% battery juice left. It took me 4 days before I need to charge it though. 

Competition

The only other contender I could think of is the Xiaomi Redmi Go which was released way back January last year. Compared to Nokia C1, the Redmi Go has a smaller 5" HD screen but a better resolution, as well as a more powerful 1.4 GHz quadcore Snapdragon processor. On the camera side, the Redmi Go has a better 8MP rear camera as against Nokia C1's 5MP. And lastly, a beefier 3,000 mAh battery. All this comes at a pricier tag of PHP3,990.

On the other hand, the Nokia C1 has a more updated software (Android Pie vs. Android Oreo on the Redmi Go) and a flash on its rear camera. 

Conclusion

Be it your first Android phone or as a secondary/backup phone, the Nokia C1 2019 is an excellent choice for its very affordable price tag. With all the basics covered, matched with a good-looking design, a snappy software, and a long-lasting battery, you can never go wrong with the Nokia C1.

Official Nokia C1 product page HERE.

Official Nokia Shopee page HERE.