Nokia G11 smartphone review - Fast screen in an entry-level phone
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2022 | Nokia G11 T7200 (T606), Mali-G57 MP1 | 190 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 78.5 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2022 | Nokia G21 T7200 (T606), Mali-G57 MP1 | 190 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 74.9 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Motorola Moto E20 T7200 (T606), Mali-G57 MP2 | 184 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 74.9 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1 | 205 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 |
Case and equipment - Plastic case and yet valuable
Nokia's G11 is a very affordable smartphone: The variant with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of mass storage is available for just 160 Euros (~$174). The smartphone looks similar to the Nokia G21 leading the manufacturer to offer the G11 in two exclusive color variants: Charcoal, a sophisticated dark brown, and Ice, a dark turquoise.
The plastic back of the cheaper phone also has a wave pattern, and the shiny metallic camera module looks exactly the same. Size and weight are also identical, so you can call them twin smartphones.
The variant with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of mass storage is only available directly from Nokia in Germany at the time of testing, but it is also sold out here. Both models feature Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC for near-field communication, e.g., for mobile payment services like Google Pay.
The microSD reader can be used in parallel with 2 SIM cards, and it achieves good transfer rates in the tests with our reference card Angelbird V60.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 58.9, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia G11 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Nokia G21 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Motorola Moto E20 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication, software and operation - Reliable WLAN
Since the Nokia G11 also relies on the same SoC as the Nokia G21, there is no 5G reception. The variety of 4G networks is not particularly high either, but it should be sufficient for trips to nearby foreign countries. The smartphone's reception is mediocre in a short random test. It is sufficient for everyday use, but you should be aware that there are phones with much better network stability.
The Nokia phone comes with WiFi 5. In the test with our reference router Asus GT-AXE11000, the smartphone achieved quite stable data rates of around 300 MBit per second, which is absolutely okay for the price range.
Although Android 11 is still preinstalled on our test device, the manufacturer promises two system upgrades and 3 years of security updates, which is quite an announcement for such a cheap phone. Nokia relies on quite pure Android, but you must accept a few third-party advertising apps.
It is great that Nokia provides a 90 Hz screen in this price range, which makes the operation smooth. Face recognition and a fingerprint sensor increase security. Both work reliably and respond quite quickly.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Motorola Moto E20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Motorola Moto E20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Nokia G21 | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Nokia G21 | |
| Nokia G11 | |
Cameras - Hardly any imaging performance in low light
Instead of a 50-megapixel camera like on the more expensive sister model, there is only a 13-megapixel lens on the Nokia G11, which is probably the biggest difference between the two phones. However, the camera in the G21 usually only takes photos with 12 megapixels thanks to pixel binning. The advantage of this approach becomes clear in low light: The Nokia G11 can barely make details visible here and the photos look very dark.
In normal lighting conditions, it becomes visible that a high-quality camera sensor is not installed here: The sharpness in detail leaves much to be desired and there are clearly visible artifacts in large areas, such as the sky in the surrounding image.
Users can record videos in 1080p and 30 fps. The picture quality is also slightly blurry here and the autofocus is not the fastest.
The front-facing camera in Nokia's G11 has a resolution of 8 megapixels and takes pictures that also look a bit blurry, but have quite good dynamics.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera PlantMain camera EnvironmentMain camera Low Light
Display - 90 Hz and quite bright
The 6.5-inch screen has an expanded 720p resolution, which is common in this class. The panel offers exactly the same measurements as in the Nokia G21, so we can assume they use the same screen. The maximum and average brightness is good and suitable for brighter days outdoors.
We did not measure PWM, but there is a definite blue cast. Colors are sometimes displayed quite inaccurately on Nokia's G11, so you should not try to judge printing colors on the screen.
Nokia's 90 Hz panel is a highlight in this price range. It can also dynamically adjust the refresh rate to the content and thus save energy when necessary.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 502 cd/m²
Contrast: 947:1 (Black: 0.53 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.73 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 6.8 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
95.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.352
| Nokia G11 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Nokia G21 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Motorola Moto E20 IPS, 1600x720, 6.5" | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F IPS LCD, 1600x720, 6.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -17% | -25% | -11% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 48 ? | 64 ? -33% | 60 ? -25% | 58 ? -21% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 34 ? | 34 ? -0% | 42 ? -24% | 34 ? -0% |
| PWM Frequency | 367.6 ? | 178.6 ? | ||
| Screen | 1% | 18% | 15% | |
| Brightness middle | 502 | 492 -2% | 403 -20% | 446 -11% |
| Brightness | 486 | 484 0% | 374 -23% | 423 -13% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 86 -3% | 86 -3% | 88 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.53 | 0.46 13% | 0.25 53% | 0.29 45% |
| Contrast | 947 | 1070 13% | 1612 70% | 1538 62% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.73 | 6.02 -5% | 4.31 25% | 4.94 14% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.72 | 9.13 -5% | 7.11 18% | 8.81 -1% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.8 | 7.1 -4% | 5.2 24% | 5.1 25% |
| Gamma | 2.352 94% | 2.345 94% | 2.26 97% | 2.145 103% |
| CCT | 8800 74% | 8918 73% | 7895 82% | 7890 82% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -8% /
-3% | -4% /
10% | 2% /
10% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 90 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 27 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 21 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 81 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8439 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life - Nokia phone with decent speaker
In terms of power, Nokia's G11 with its SoC Unisoc T606 class-typical values. The 90 Hz screen can increase the perceived speed of the system, but even with lighter loads, such as volume control in more demanding apps, you notice that the phone cannot draw on its full power. The memory is quite slow, but that is also common in the price range.
We measured a maximum temperature of 43.5 °C (110.3 °F) on the underside under prolonged load. That is already noticeable and it could also become unpleasant in warm ambient temperatures.
The small mono speaker at the bottom is pleasing: It does not distort the sound even at maximum volume and does not overemphasize trebles too much, so the sound is quite convincing for the price range. A 3.5 mm port for speakers and headphones is available, as is Bluetooth 5.0. At least aptX HD and LDAC can be used as codecs, but the quite new aptX Adaptive or aptX TWS+ codecs are not available.
The 5,050 mAh battery is dimensioned according to the class and enables good runtimes for Nokia's G11: The phone lasted for more than 18 hours in our WLAN test, so you should be able to survive several days away from a power outlet if you do not put too much strain on the smartphone. Nokia also includes a charger with a maximum power of 18 watts, which takes about 120 minutes to fully charge the battery.
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Nokia G21 | |
| Motorola Moto E20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Average Unisoc T7200 (T606) (5.1 - 11, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5.5 - 166, n=201, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Nokia G21 | |
| Motorola Moto E20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Average Unisoc T7200 (T606) (1.9 - 5.5, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.4 - 321, n=201, last 2 years) | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Nokia G21 | |
| Motorola Moto E20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Average Unisoc T7200 (T606) (0.85 - 7.3, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 144, n=202, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia G11 | |
| Nokia G21 | |
| Motorola Moto E20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | |
| Average Unisoc T7200 (T606) (0.85 - 2.1, n=19) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1.2 - 129, n=201, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia G11 | Nokia G21 | Motorola Moto E20 | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F | Average 32 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 14% | 3% | 0% | -31% | 612% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 252.7 | 257.6 2% | 263.2 4% | 302.3 20% | 242 ? -4% | 2054 ? 713% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 187.6 | 180.6 -4% | 105.4 -44% | 74.5 -60% | 100.5 ? -46% | 1667 ? 789% |
| Random Read 4KB | 48.2 | 74 54% | 72.3 50% | 77.8 61% | 43.1 ? -11% | 286 ? 493% |
| Random Write 4KB | 59 | 60.2 2% | 59.8 1% | 47.21 -20% | 22.3 ? -62% | 327 ? 454% |
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.5 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.4 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
Nokia G11 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 54% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 71% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 59% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Nokia G11 5050 mAh | Nokia G21 5050 mAh | Motorola Moto E20 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F 5000 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi Websurfing | 1053 | 1087 3% | 867 -18% | 879 -17% | 1035 ? -2% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - entry-level with an unconvincing camera
The Nokia G11 is an even cheaper version of the Nokia G21 and differs mainly in the memory configuration and the camera. So, if you don't need that much mass storage on your phone, you can save a few Euros here, because the core qualities of the slightly more expensive sister model, such as a bright screen with 90 Hz and the good runtimes, remain. The performance is also quite decent and the casing looks reasonably high quality, despite the plastic back.
However, the differences in the camera are clearly visible, especially in the low-light range: Nokia's G11 can hardly bring out details here. Even in bright light, the sharpness of the pictures leaves much to be desired. And the few 4G frequencies make the phone rather limited for frequent travelers.
Nokia manages to make a decent entry-level phone with the G11, which can be worthwhile if you want a good screen and don't attach much importance to the camera.
If you want to pay the extra price for the Nokia G21, you will get a slightly better camera, especially in dark environments, and more working memory, but this is hardly noticeable in our benchmarks. The Motorola Moto E20 offers the same SoC for considerably less money.
Price and availability
At the time of testing, the phone is sold out by the manufacturer itself. Online retailers like Cyberport, amazon.de and notebooksbilliger.de offer the 3/32 GB variant for 155 - 160 Euros (~$169 - $174).
Nokia G11
- 04/03/2022 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
