Nokia C10 Review: Few disappointments but still worth the Job

The Nokia C10 is part of the Nokia C series smartphones from HMD global, initially formalized to the public on April 8^th. Some of the C series handsets that we have already done include the C20 and C30 devices from Nokia Kenya. Be sure to check them if you haven’t.

The C10  smartphone is an entry-level device that falls below the 10,000 KES mark in the country. As an individual who has been using 5G and 4G devices, What mainly captured my attention after having the device on is the lack of a 4G connection on the device. All the same, we will touch on that later. Still, on the Good side, this is a smartphone for any individual intending to use the model only for essential purposes but not running heavy. Here is our complete review of the Nokia C10 [Grey ]Test.

Nokia C10 Full datasheet

• Operating System Version: Android v11
• Sim Slots: Dual SIM
• Network: 3G & 2G
• Fingerprint Sensor: Yes
• Rear Camera: 5 MP
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Weight: 191 grams
• Colour: Gray
• Screen Size: 6.52 inches
• Screen Resolution: 720 x 1600 Pixels
• Display Type: IPS LCD
• Touch Screen: Yes
• Internal Memory:32 GB
• RAM: 1GB
• Expandable Memory: Yes
• Flash: Yes, LED Flash
• Battery Capacity:  Li-Polymer, removable 4000 mAh
• Wifi:Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11, a/ac/b/g/n
• Bluetooth: Yes, v5.0
• Gps: Yes, with A-GPS
• USB connectivity: Mass storage device, USB charging
• Loudspeaker: Yes
• Audio Jack: 3.5 MM
• Fingerprint Sensor: Yes
• Warranty: 1 Year

What is in the Box:

• Documentation
• Micro USB 2.0
• Charging adaptor
• Silicon Case
• Nokia C10 smartphone
• Earphones

Design

The smartphone assumes a Nordic design like the C20 gadget, thus bringing the simplicity that the manufacturer is mainly known for. Like the C-Series of smartphones, the C10 screen is already fitted with a screen protector, and the Panda Glass screen makes this gadget steadier under high pressure. Still, we have a 6.52 inches HD LCD panel and a 5-megapixel camera on the front part.

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We have a removable lid on the backside that permits you to fit in your Sim card or a Memory card. There is also a removable battery on this side, nothing to complain about this. The back cover feels smoother on my hands, making it easy to grip and operate the device with only a single hand. At the top, we have a protruding camera that houses the 5mp lens and LED flash just below it and a single speaker at the bottom. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top side of this device, while the volume rockers and power button sit on the device’s right-hand side. At the bottom side, we have the charging port that supports a 2.0 Micro USB

For the design part, I can’t see any difference between the Nokia C20 and the C30 smartphones, and maybe except for the Display type but all the same, they provide you with an HD streaming experience while streaming your favorite content.

Screen

The mobile from Nokia comes with a 6.52 inches display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 Pixels. I could not wait to stream Red Notice because the Nokia C10 screen(HCD LCD) is very adaptive when exposed to various lighting conditions. The 400 nits of brightness were not  a problem for me, but it is the same for one reason or another: the touchscreen annoys me. At some point, the screen could just become unresponsiveness, especially when using the device for a very long time.

Performance

Sadly enough, the Unisoc SC7331E Chipset is not that competitive as I had expected it to be. The smartphone experiences some lag, just like the unresponsive screen, especially when switching between various Applications. You will have to exercise a little bit of patience here. Should we blame it on the 1GB of RAM and the 32 GB of storage?

But wait, the smartphone still is up to the task as it is shipped with at least the most stable version of Android 11(Go edition), which guarantees two years of security updates. Most of the applications sent with the device include lite apps from Google. Thus we suggest not running heavier applications on your Nokia C10 handset if you want to feel its power. As if that is not enough, you can opt for secondary storage(Memory slot) if you’re going to have large files on the device.

As far as the software aspect is also considered, 3G/2G seems to be a wrong choice for the manufacturer, especially when many of its shoulder competitors such as Xiaomi, Poco, Inifinix, Techno, etc. are adopting 5G technologies. Nokia should rethink this because you can currently find a 4G smartphone at just below the 5,000 KSH mark.

Camera

For this device no much difference between the rear and flash camera:

• Rear Camera:5MP
• Selfie Camera: 5MP

If you want to consider bringing the best out of the Nokia C10 camera, We recommend shooting your images in environments with sufficient lighting conditions. At least your pictures will have most of the information, but if you are keen enough, you can notice that your photographs still lack some clarity. Try shooting your videos, and you will indeed congratulate the manufacturer for having a 720p component at this price range. Some of the features offered by the camera include:

• Panorama
• Standard image
• Video
• Time-lapse

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Autonomy

Remember we said somewhere that the manufacturer designed this smartphone for essential use. The 3000mAh battery is just enough for day-to-day use. The five w charging adaptor & the Micro USB 2.0 will take the device from 0% to 100% in 2hrs 42 minutes, at least during our test. Fast charging would be attractive here.

Price

The cost of this device will vary depending on your retailer, but it cost somewhere between KES(8,000-10,000) locally. Check price in Jumia

What we like about the Nokia C10

• Promised Android security upgrades
• HD LCD  panel

What we don’t like about the Nokia C10

• Slow performance is not  attractive at all
• Camera lenses are not appealing
• No 4G connection

Our verdict on the Nokia C10 smartphone

It is lovely to have this device at a price below KES 10,000 if you do not intend to use it as your primary device. Still, it can be your primary device if you are not planning to stress it with extensive applications; otherwise, you will have to rethink your decision.