Nokia G21 Smartphone Review: Slim 4G phone convinces with bright screen

Name: Nokia G21
Brand: Nokia

3 years of security. With an extra-long update promise, the Nokia G21 aims to stand out from the crowd of low-priced 4G phones. Compared to its predecessor, the Nokia G21 finally gets faster Wi-Fi and a stylish casing. We take a closer look at this under-200 Euro mid-range smartphone in this review.

Florian Schmitt, 👁 Florian Schmitt, ✓ Vaidyanathan Subramaniam (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy), Published 03/09/2022 🇩🇪 🇨🇳 ...

Android ARM Smartphone

Test device courtesy of Nokia Deutschland

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Nokia G21 (G Series)

Processor

UNISOC T606 8 x 1.6 GHz, Cortex-A75 / A55

Graphics adapter

ARM Mali-G57 MP1

Memory

4 GB

Display

6.50 inch 20:9, 1600 x 720 pixel 270 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, 180 Hz sampling rate, glossy: yes, 90 Hz

Storage

64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB

, 49 GB free

Connections

1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD up to 512 MB, dedicated, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, proximity sensor

Networking

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, 2G (850/900/1800/1900), 3G (B1/B5/B8), 4G (B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/B38/B40/B41) , Dual SIM, LTE, GPS

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 8.5 x 164.6 x 75.9 ( = 0.33 x 6.48 x 2.99 in)

Battery

5050 mAh Lithium-Polymer, 18 Watt charging

Charging

fast charging / Quickcharge

Operating System

Android 11

Camera

Primary Camera: 50 MPix f/1.8, phase comparison-AF, LED-flash, Videos @1080p/30fps (Camera 1); 2.0MP, macro lens (Camera 2); 2.0MP, depth of field (Camera 3)
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix Videos @1080p/30fps

Additional features

Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, charger, USB cable, SIM tool, 24 Months Warranty, LTE Cat 4 (150Mbps/50Mbps) ; FM radio; SAR 0.339 W/kg (head), 1.048 W/kg (body), fanless

Weight

190 g ( = 6.7 oz / 0.42 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)

Price

169 Euro

Links

Nokia homepage

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

see all specifications

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Possible competitors in comparison

Rating	Date	Model	Weight	Drive	Size	Resolution
78.5 %	03/2022	Nokia G21 T606, Mali-G57 MP1	190 g	64 GB eMMC Flash	6.50"	1600x720
73.8 %	01/2022	Xiaomi Redmi 9C Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320	196 g	128 GB eMMC Flash	6.53"	1600x720
78.9 %	01/2022	Motorola Moto G31 Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2	181 g	64 GB eMMC Flash	6.40"	2400x1080
74.9 %	12/2021	Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1	205 g	64 GB eMMC Flash	6.50"	1600x720
76.4 %	07/2021	Nokia G20 Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320	197 g	64 GB eMMC Flash	6.50"	1600x720

Case and features: Stylish polycarbonate

With the Nokia G21, the manufacturer has a cheap mid-range cell phone on offer. Nokia particularly advertises the long update period and a slimmer casing as the phone's strengths.

The G21 actually seems thinner than the predecessor, the Nokia G20, but the camera module protrudes clearly from the casing. The design has become a bit more angular compared to the G20, but the polycarbonate chassis still sports a stylish design. A light line pattern runs across the back, which is available in dark Nordic Blue or Dusk, a brown color variant. The smartphone is sturdily built and cleanly manufactured.

64 GB or 128 GB of mass storage is available, and the price difference between the two is approximately 20 Euros. Two SIM slots and a dedicated microSD reader are on board. The latter reads memory cards very quickly and also proves to be at least on class level in the copy test. It is also pleasing that Nokia did not skimp on the NFC chip, so you can use mobile payment services or other apps that support near field communication.

Size comparison

SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F (Angelbird V60)	47.8 MB/s ∼100% +132%
Average of class Smartphone (10.9 - 77, n=125, last 2 years)	26.6 MB/s ∼56% +29%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C (Angelbird V60)	21.15 MB/s ∼44% +3%
Nokia G21 (Angelbird V60)	20.6 MB/s ∼43%
Motorola Moto G31 (Angelbird V60)	17.7 MB/s ∼37% -14%
Nokia G20 (Angelbird V60)	12.5 MB/s ∼26% -39%

Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)

Nokia G21 Mali-G57 MP1, T606, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø30.5 (12.9-38.6)

Xiaomi Redmi 9C PowerVR GE8320, Helio G35, 128 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø37 (26-47.6)

Motorola Moto G31 Mali-G52 MP2, Helio G85, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø35 (24.2-45.6)

Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Mali-G52 MP1, Exynos 850, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø32.3 (23.2-38.8)

Nokia G20 PowerVR GE8320, Helio G35, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB: Ø31.1 (21-41.1)

Nokia G21 Mali-G57 MP1, T606, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø75.5 (39.6-81.6)

Xiaomi Redmi 9C PowerVR GE8320, Helio G35, 128 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø73.4 (15.2-76.3)

Motorola Moto G31 Mali-G52 MP2, Helio G85, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø76.7 (37.3-82.8)

Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Mali-G52 MP1, Exynos 850, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø50.2 (31.6-54.4)

Nokia G20 PowerVR GE8320, Helio G35, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB: Ø58.2 (14.6-62.3)

Communication, software and, operation: Nokia with Android 11

The Nokia G21 is only a 4G phone. That being said, there are only a handful of 5G smartphones that can be found for under 200 Euros. The frequency diversity is limited to the bare essentials, so you might have difficulties accessing the mobile Internet when traveling to more distant countries. The reception is mediocre in our sample and does not come close to high-end smartphones indoors or outdoors, but it is sufficient for everyday use.

Having said that, the Nokia G21 is up-to-date and comes with Wi-Fi 5. Thus, our test device receives and transmits significantly faster than most comparison devices in our test when tested with our reference Asus GT-AXE11000 router — only the Motorola Moto G31 can keep up here.

Nokia relies on a pure, stock Android 11 UI. The manufacturer promises Android 12 and another year of operating system updates as well as three years of security updates from market launch, probably until February 2025. Motorola's Moto G31 offers an equally long support period with security patches. It is often difficult to get a concrete update promise for inexpensive smartphones, so the Nokia G21 can be rewarded here.

The touchscreen with a sampling rate of up to 180 Hz and a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz makes daily operation pleasantly smooth. A fingerprint sensor, which is installed in the standby button, is found on the casing's right. Fingerprint recognition is quite reliable and the smartphone is unlocked after a short delay. Face recognition can also be used.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Motorola Moto G31 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	346 (334^min - 352^max) MBit/s ∼100%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C 802.11 b/g/n	47.7 (14^min - 69^max) MBit/s ∼14%
Nokia G20 802.11 b/g/n	47 (24^min - 73^max) MBit/s ∼14%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F 802.11 b/g/n	42.9 (21^min - 65^max) MBit/s ∼12%
iperf3 receive AX12
Motorola Moto G31 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	353 (261^min - 359^max) MBit/s ∼100%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F 802.11 b/g/n	50.4 (41^min - 57^max) MBit/s ∼14%
Nokia G20 802.11 b/g/n	46.9 (27^min - 66^max) MBit/s ∼13%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C 802.11 b/g/n	35.8 (19^min - 52^max) MBit/s ∼10%
iperf3 receive AXE11000
Nokia G21 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	299 (224^min - 315^max) MBit/s ∼100%
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
Nokia G21 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	339 (328^min - 362^max) MBit/s ∼100%

Nokia G21; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø299 (224-315)

Nokia G21; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø339 (328-362)

Cameras: Decent picture quality

Thanks to the 50 MP sensor, the smartphone comes with a high-resolution main camera. However, it usually only takes photos with a resolution of 12 MP and uses pixel binning to create larger pixels with more light sensitivity although the camera can also be used at full resolution if desired. There is no wide-angle lens, but there is a 2 MP macro camera and another camera with the same resolution that supports bokeh effects.

Pictures from the main camera start becoming blurry when you enlarge them even slightly, but the 50-megapixel camera does a decent job overall for the price. The brightening in dark scenes is particularly convincing, and the software obviously tries to achieve warm colors.

Videos can be recorded in Full HD quality with a maximum of 30 frames per second. The exposure reacts with a slight delay to changing light conditions, and the sharpness is average. If you look at the comparison devices, you can record passable videos with the Nokia G21.

The front-facing camera has a resolution of 8 MP. A slight blur is also visible here, but the dynamic range is quite decent so very bright as well as dark areas are displayed well.

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.

Hauptkamera Pflanze Hauptkamera Umgebung Hauptkamera Low Light

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Display: 90 Hz screen for little money

An IPS screen with extended 720p resolution is class standard — only the slightly more expensive Motorola Moto G31 stands out with its Full HD AMOLED screen. However, this IPS screen in the Nokia G21 has great brightness levels achieving 484 cd/m² on average. The black value is mediocre; dark tones on the screen look more gray than black when the screen is very bright. Another special feature of the screen in the Nokia G21 is the refresh rate, which can be up to 90 Hz. Thus, scrolling feels smoother and operation is faster.

The accuracy of the color representation is mediocre and is probably too inaccurate for professional applications. We determine this in our test with the spectrophotometer and CalMAN software.

We did not notice any PWM, but the response times are quite long so demanding gamers should look elsewhere.


506 cd/m²	486 cd/m²	445 cd/m²
516 cd/m²	492 cd/m²	463 cd/m²
506 cd/m²	487 cd/m²	459 cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 516 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 484.4 cd/m² Minimum: 1.54 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 492 cd/m²
Contrast: 1070:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.02 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 7.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
94.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.345

	Nokia G21 IPS, 1600x720, 6.50	Xiaomi Redmi 9C IPS, 1600x720, 6.53	Motorola Moto G31 OLED, 2400x1080, 6.40	Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F IPS LCD, 1600x720, 6.50	Nokia G20 IPS, 1600x720, 6.50
Response Times		3%	87%	5%	23%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *	64 ?(31, 33)	60 ?(27, 33) 6%	6 ?(3, 3) 91%	58 ?(31, 27) 9%	44 ?(25, 19) 31%
Response Time Black / White *	34 ?(17, 17)	34 ?(17, 17) -0%	6 ?(3, 3) 82%	34 ?(17, 17) -0%	29 ?(16, 13) 15%
PWM Frequency		17120	223.2	178.6 ?(7)	2500000
Screen		-0%	28%	14%	1%
Brightness middle	492	467 -5%	423 -14%	446 -9%	485 -1%
Brightness	484	417 -14%	425 -12%	423 -13%	447 -8%
Brightness Distribution	86	83 -3%	94 9%	88 2%	88 2%
Black Level *	0.46	0.53 -15%		0.29 37%	0.44 4%
Contrast	1070	881 -18%		1538 44%	1102 3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *	6.02	4.14 31%	1.58 74%	4.94 18%	5.75 4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *	9.13	8.49 7%	4.68 49%	8.81 4%	10.53 -15%
Greyscale dE 2000 *	7.1	6 15%	2.7 62%	5.1 28%	5.7 20%
Gamma	2.345 ^94%	2.291 ^96%	2.219 ^99%	2.145 ^103%	2.095 ^105%
CCT	8918 ^73%	7536 ^86%	6674 ^97%	7890 ^82%	8070 ^81%
Total Average (Program / Settings)		2% / 0%	58% / 43%	10% / 12%	12% / 6%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.

↔ Response Time Black to White
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 17 ms rise
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 17 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. » 89 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms).
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
64 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 31 ms rise
64 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 33 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.

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 19046 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance, emissions, and battery runtime: Fast SoC, but high temperatures

The Unisoc Tiger T606 is no longer the latest SoC, but it can still keep up very well with the competition. Nokia's entry-level smartphone is much faster than comparison devices in almost all benchmarks — only the more expensive Moto G31 can keep up. Thus, you get a lot of performance for your money. The system can be used without stutters in everyday use. Only more complex apps cause waiting times or stutters. The Nokia G21 is in the midfield of comparison devices in terms of graphics performance.

The high performance in the slim case takes its toll, though. We measured up to 45.9 °C as the maximum temperature at the back. Since this is a measurement at room temperature, these temperatures can rise even further on hot summer days and become unpleasant.

The small speaker on the bottom edge can get quite loud, does not distort, and the trebles are not overemphasized too much. Thus, you get a decent sound for the price. External audio devices can be connected via the 3.5 mm port and Bluetooth.

The battery life in our WLAN test is a bit shorter than Nokia G20 but is still on a very high level at 18:07 hours. The smartphone can be charged with up to an 18 W charger. It takes about two hours until the empty battery is fully charged again with the included charger.

Geekbench 5.4 | PCMark for Android | 3DMark | GFXBench

Geekbench 5.4
Single-Core (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	312 Points ∼38%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	149 Points ∼18% -52%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	353 Points ∼43% +13%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	178 Points ∼22% -43%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	170 Points ∼21% -46%
Average UNISOC T606 (273 - 313, n=8)	306 Points ∼37% -2%
Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=241, last 2 years)	823 Points ∼100% +164%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	1185 Points ∼45%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	538 Points ∼20% -55%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1295 Points ∼49% +9%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	1087 Points ∼41% -8%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	607 Points ∼23% -49%
Average UNISOC T606 (708 - 1318, n=8)	1137 Points ∼43% -4%
Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=241, last 2 years)	2641 Points ∼100% +123%

PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	7805 Points ∼73%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	5208 Points ∼49% -33%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	6596 Points ∼62% -15%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	5739 Points ∼54% -26%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	5297 Points ∼50% -32%
Average UNISOC T606 (6637 - 7912, n=7)	7280 Points ∼68% -7%
Average of class Smartphone (4780 - 28378, n=228, last 2 years)	10651 Points ∼100% +36%

3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	1414 Points ∼21%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	843 Points ∼12% -40%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1785 Points ∼26% +26%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	1273 Points ∼19% -10%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	599 Points ∼9% -58%
Average UNISOC T606 (1414 - 1440, n=3)	1429 Points ∼21% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (599 - 18846, n=166, last 2 years)	6791 Points ∼100% +380%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	1255 Points ∼12%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	799 Points ∼7% -36%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1633 Points ∼15% +30%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	1142 Points ∼11% -9%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	541 Points ∼5% -57%
Average UNISOC T606 (1255 - 1285, n=3)	1269 Points ∼12% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (541 - 36477, n=165, last 2 years)	10853 Points ∼100% +765%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	2546 Points ∼67%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	1043 Points ∼28% -59%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	2644 Points ∼70% +4%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	2032 Points ∼54% -20%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	954 Points ∼25% -63%
Average UNISOC T606 (2489 - 2673, n=3)	2569 Points ∼68% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (954 - 7019, n=165, last 2 years)	3785 Points ∼100% +49%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	945 Points ∼38%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	445 Points ∼18% -53%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1408 Points ∼56% +49%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	863 Points ∼34% -9%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	341 Points ∼14% -64%
Average UNISOC T606 (945 - 963, n=6)	956 Points ∼38% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=130, last 2 years)	2515 Points ∼100% +166%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	806 Points ∼32%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	377 Points ∼15% -53%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1246 Points ∼50% +55%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	738 Points ∼29% -8%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	289 Points ∼11% -64%
Average UNISOC T606 (806 - 823, n=6)	814 Points ∼32% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=130, last 2 years)	2517 Points ∼100% +212%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	2379 Points ∼79%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	1194 Points ∼40% -50%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	2578 Points ∼86% +8%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	2031 Points ∼68% -15%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	933 Points ∼31% -61%
Average UNISOC T606 (2379 - 2560, n=6)	2471 Points ∼82% +4%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=130, last 2 years)	3006 Points ∼100% +26%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	959 Points ∼18%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	491 Points ∼9% -49%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1430 Points ∼27% +49%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	867 Points ∼16% -10%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	373 Points ∼7% -61%
Average UNISOC T606 (959 - 976, n=6)	968 Points ∼18% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 16100, n=204, last 2 years)	5307 Points ∼100% +453%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	814 Points ∼10%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	425 Points ∼5% -48%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	1267 Points ∼15% +56%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	736 Points ∼9% -10%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	318 Points ∼4% -61%
Average UNISOC T606 (814 - 826, n=6)	821 Points ∼10% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 192870, n=203, last 2 years)	8211 Points ∼100% +909%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	2559 Points ∼70%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	1073 Points ∼29% -58%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	2603 Points ∼71% +2%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	2109 Points ∼57% -18%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	949 Points ∼26% -63%
Average UNISOC T606 (2484 - 2676, n=6)	2594 Points ∼71% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (839 - 7042, n=203, last 2 years)	3672 Points ∼100% +43%
Wild Life Score (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	397 Points ∼13%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	719 Points ∼24% +81%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	428 Points ∼14% +8%
Average UNISOC T606 (394 - 412, n=6)	401 Points ∼13% +1%
Average of class Smartphone (370 - 10062, n=179, last 2 years)	3036 Points ∼100% +665%
Wild Life Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	393 Points ∼8%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	717 Points ∼15% +82%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	426 Points ∼9% +8%
Average UNISOC T606 (392 - 413, n=6)	402 Points ∼9% +2%
Average of class Smartphone (366 - 14566, n=216, last 2 years)	4677 Points ∼100% +1090%
Wild Life Extreme (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	111 Points ∼9%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	181 Points ∼14% +63%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	116 Points ∼9% +5%
Average UNISOC T606 (111 - 114, n=6)	112.7 Points ∼9% +2%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 3877, n=219, last 2 years)	1258 Points ∼100% +1033%
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	110 Points ∼9%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	180 Points ∼14% +64%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	117 Points ∼9% +6%
Average UNISOC T606 (109 - 112, n=6)	110 Points ∼9% 0%
Average of class Smartphone (101 - 3792, n=212, last 2 years)	1252 Points ∼100% +1038%

GFXBench
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	9.5 fps ∼25%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	7.5 fps ∼20% -21%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	8.4 fps ∼22% -12%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	11 fps ∼29% +16%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	7.6 fps ∼20% -20%
Average UNISOC T606 (9.5 - 11, n=7)	9.93 fps ∼26% +5%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=240, last 2 years)	37.5 fps ∼100% +295%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	5.2 fps ∼11%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	4.1 fps ∼8% -21%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	9.6 fps ∼20% +85%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	6.2 fps ∼13% +19%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	4.2 fps ∼9% -19%
Average UNISOC T606 (1.9 - 5.5, n=7)	4.84 fps ∼10% -7%
Average of class Smartphone (1.9 - 175, n=241, last 2 years)	48.8 fps ∼100% +838%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	6 fps ∼22%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	4.8 fps ∼18% -20%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	5.4 fps ∼20% -10%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	7 fps ∼26% +17%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	4.8 fps ∼18% -20%
Average UNISOC T606 (6 - 7.1, n=7)	6.29 fps ∼23% +5%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 100, n=241, last 2 years)	26.8 fps ∼100% +347%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Nokia G21 UNISOC T606, Mali-G57 MP1, 4096	2 fps ∼11%
Xiaomi Redmi 9C Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	1.5 fps ∼8% -25%
Motorola Moto G31 Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 4096	3.5 fps ∼19% +75%
Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096	2.2 fps ∼12% +10%
Nokia G20 Mediatek Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320, 4096	1.5 fps ∼8% -25%
Average UNISOC T606 (0.85 - 2, n=7)	1.793 fps ∼9% -10%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 68, n=241, last 2 years)	18.9 fps ∼100% +845%

	Nokia G21	Xiaomi Redmi 9C	Motorola Moto G31	Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F	Nokia G20	Average 64 GB eMMC Flash	Average of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5		-11%	35%	-15%	-23%	-16%	278%
Sequential Read 256KB	257.6	263.1 2%	309.8 20%	302.3 17%	256.1 -1%	273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=196) 6%	1183 ?(215 - 4512, n=234, last 2 years) 359%
Sequential Write 256KB	180.6	208.4 15%	221.5 23%	74.5 -59%	139.3 -23%	177.2 ?(40 - 274, n=196) -2%	743 ?(13.6 - 3062, n=234, last 2 years) 311%
Random Read 4KB	74	54.5 -26%	84 14%	77.8 5%	63.5 -14%	59.4 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=196) -20%	208 ?(22.2 - 543, n=234, last 2 years) 181%
Random Write 4KB	60.2	39.7 -34%	109.8 82%	47.21 -22%	27.4 -54%	31.9 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=196) -47%	217 ?(13 - 572, n=235, last 2 years) 260%

Temperature

Max. Load

Idle


44 °C 111 F	36.9 °C 98 F	35.5 °C 96 F
43.1 °C 110 F	37.3 °C 99 F	35.7 °C 96 F
41.3 °C 106 F	37 °C 99 F	35.3 °C 96 F

Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 38.5 °C = 101 F


34.4 °C 94 F	37.8 °C 100 F	45.9 °C 115 F
36 °C 97 F	37 °C 99 F	44.6 °C 112 F
35.2 °C 95 F	37.3 °C 99 F	41.9 °C 107 F

Maximum: 45.9 °C = 115 F
Average: 38.9 °C = 102 F

Power Supply (max.) 42.3 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260

(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.5 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.9 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.9 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Loudspeaker

Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)

Nokia G21 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 73% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%

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
» 67% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 80% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%

Battery life

	Nokia G21 5050 mAh	Xiaomi Redmi 9C 5000 mAh	Motorola Moto G31 5000 mAh	Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F 5000 mAh	Nokia G20 5050 mAh	Average of class Smartphone
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing	1087	905 -17%	1032 -5%	879 -19%	1186 9%	887 ?(424 - 1252, n=241, last 2 years) -18%

Battery Runtime


WiFi Websurfing		18h 07min

Pros

+ bright screen with 90 Hz

+ good runtimes

+ a lot of power for the money

+ slim case

Cons

- strong heating under load

- few 4G frequencies

- slow screen response times

Conclusion: The Nokia G21's price-performance ratio is convincing

In test: Nokia G21. Test device provided by Nokia Germany.

The Nokia G21 is a slim, pretty, and powerful phone that is also quite affordable. There is no 5G for less than 200 Euros, but you get a fast 90 Hz screen and fast Wi-Fi 5. The manufacturer also promises long software updates and a decent camera.

The high temperatures under load are a nuisance, as is the low number of 4G frequencies. This should be sufficient for home use but can quickly become an obstacle for surfing while travelling abroad.

With the G21, Nokia has put together a good overall package thanks to a bright screen and fast SoC, which is available at a low price.

Those who prefer an AMOLED screen and higher performance are better served by the Motorola Moto G31. If you want a smartphone with less heat, you can consider the Xiaomi Redmi 9C. However, it cannot keep up with our test device in terms of performance.

Price and availability

The Nokia G21 with 128 GB storage is currently only available directly from the manufacturer https://www.nokia.com/phones/de_de/nokia-g-21?sku=719901183921for about 190 Euros. The 64 GB version is available from various online retailers for 170 Euros. Our partners amazon.de, notebooksbilliger.de and Cyberport also list the Nokia G21.

Nokia G21 - 2022-03-06 03/06/2022 v7
Florian Schmitt

Chassis

82%

Keyboard

65 / 75 → 87%

Pointing Device

93%

Connectivity

45 / 70 → 65%

Weight

89%

Battery

92%

Display

83%

Games Performance

11 / 64 → 18%

Application Performance

66 / 86 → 77%

Temperature

85%

Noise

100%

Audio

72 / 90 → 80%

Camera

60%

Average

73%

79%

Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Editor of the original article: Florian Schmitt - Managing Editor Mobile - 1032 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2009

I initially wrote about gaming laptops when I joined Notebookcheck in 2009. I was then involved with the setup of the comparison portal Notebookinfo and worked with social media concepts for large companies like BMW and Adidas, while also returning to work for Notebookcheck in 2012. Nowadays, I focus on smartphones, tablets, and future technologies. Since 2018 I have been Managing Editor for mobile device reviews, working alongside my colleague Daniel Schmidt.

contact me via: @FloSchmi26, LinkedIn, Xing

Translator: Ninh Ngoc Duy - Editorial Assistant - 310303 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2008

My main responsibility as an editorial assistant is maintaining the Library section, which aggregates reviews from other publications and channels. In addition, my daily breakfast is Notebookcheck's long list of new content, which I comb through to select the most interesting topics for translation from English to French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch."

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> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Nokia G21 Smartphone Review: Slim 4G phone convinces with bright screen

Florian Schmitt, 2022-03- 9 (Update: 2022-03- 9)

Nokia G21 Smartphone Review: Slim 4G phone convinces with bright screen

Possible competitors in comparison

Case and features: Stylish polycarbonate

Size comparison

Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)

Communication, software and, operation: Nokia with Android 11

Cameras: Decent picture quality

Display: 90 Hz screen for little money

Display Response Times

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

Performance, emissions, and battery runtime: Fast SoC, but high temperatures

Temperature

Loudspeaker

Nokia G21 audio analysis

Samsung Galaxy A12 Exynos SM-A127F audio analysis

Battery life

Pros

Cons

Conclusion: The Nokia G21's price-performance ratio is convincing

Price and availability

More articles related to this device

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