Nokia G21 Detailed Review Part-II | Camera Quality, Final Verdict

Android 11 (Android One):

The Nokia G21 runs Android 11 on the Android One branch of the OS, which is as near to stock Android’ as you can get. The fact that it’s a year-old version is another matter entirely. Click here to read Nokia G21 Full Review Part-I

Nokia promises (/s) two years of OS upgrades (*from the global debut date of the Nokia G21, which was a few weeks ago), so you might get Android 13. They also claim that the phone will receive 36 security updates, compared to the 16 average for phones in this price range.

In all fairness, we may be being too hard on them; entry-level gadgets, regardless of brand, don’t always get the best treatment for long-term support, so that the G21 could be a good option in this aspect. Understandably, Android One devices should supposedly receive updates directly from Google.

Android in its One form is essential and practical, whether you call it stock, vanilla, or barebones. The lock screen, home screens, and notification shade will all be familiar.

Google Assistant may be launched from any screen or standby with the unique hardware key on the left. The right-hand fingerprint reader feels like the default method of unlocking the phone, and it works as well with either hand, though there’s no option to make it require a press – its tap-only behaviour may result in unwanted scans. Face unlocking via the camera is also available.

All of the phone’s essential functions are handled by Google’s apps. Your gallery is the Photos app, your email client is Gmail, and your calendar is… well, you get the idea. The G21 has an FM radio receiver with a simple app that includes RDS but no station memory or recording capability.

Benchmarks that are created artificially:

The Unisoc T606 chipset, an inconspicuous 12nm device for entry-level implementations, powers the Nokia G21. It has an octa-core CPU with a Mali G57 MP1 GPU and a 2xA75@1.6GHz + 6xA55@1.6GHz arrangement. There are three RAM and storage options available: 3/64GB, 4/64GB, and 4/128GB, with our review unit being the middle option.

We knew not to hold great hopes for the T606. Therefore, the T606’s low benchmark ratings were unsurprising. In GeekBench, the G21 easily outperforms the most basic Samsungs, and it’s not far behind the Redmi 10, with the Galaxy A22 taking it up a notch.

There’s a 50MP primary camera and a pair of 2MP companion cameras.

The Nokia G21 sports an interesting camera arrangement, with a 50MP primary camera and two simple additional cameras for close-ups and depth sensing. You wouldn’t expect to find a telephoto lens; therefore, its absence is logical. However, there isn’t an ultrawide, which is odd given that the G20 had one, as does almost every phone for this price.

The primary camera uses what appears to be a Samsung JN1 sensor. The imager is a 1/2.76″ type with small 0.64m pixels. It employs a Tetrapixel colour filter array and bins pixels 4-to-1, yielding 12.5 million 1.28 million pixels. The lens has an f/1.8 aperture and a focal length that isn’t defined but between 25 and 27mm.

Then there are two 2MP cameras, one called ‘Macro’ and the other ‘Depth.’

For selfies, there’s an 8MP camera on the front. It has an aperture of f/1.8 and a fixed focus.

The Nokia G21’s camera app is one of the few unique pieces of software, yet it looks pretty much like any other camera program. You can switch modes with sideswipes and change numerous ones at once. You can also tap on a method for quick access. The ‘More’ window contains additional ways, including Macro, but you can’t move them to the main carousel. There is no swipe action for the selfie camera, accessed from the button next to the shutter release.

Although there is only one real camera, a zoom option allows you to pick between a native 1x zoom and a digital 2x zoom. These are now displayed using numerals rather than the tree designation of older Nokias.

A settings button, a Google Lens shortcut, a toggle for Motion pictures, a self-timer (3s or 10s), an aspect ratio selection (where you can also enable the 50MP mode), and a flash mode selector are all located at the far end of the viewfinder. On the G21, there is no ‘Pro’ or ‘Manual’ mode.

Image quality in daylight:

The Nokia G21 takes images that aren’t particularly good – not in absolute terms (which is fine given its price) but compared to other phones in its class. For one thing, the dynamic range is quite good. At the same time, the photos are soft and severely sharpened, and the skies have a peculiar form of noise with a checkered pattern. The colours are also odd, with a reddish-brown hue to the vegetation and overall warmth that does not appear natural.

Sharpening is turned up even further in zoomed-in pictures, resulting in dramatic halos around contrasting edges. The amount of detail is limited, and the noise has increased.

The full-res 50MP option appears remarkably similar to the 2x zoomed photos on a pixel level. That is to say; it has no advantage over conventional 12.5MP images in terms of detail rendition.

Image quality in low-light situations:

The Nokia G21’s low-light images are reasonably sharp and detailed for the class. The issue is that they’re also quite noisy. So loud that you can nearly see it in the thumbnails – yes, that’s a stretch, but noise is already highly noticeable at fit-to-screen magnifications. You could try applying noise reduction in post, but you’d lose some details. Plus, it’s unclear whether the Nokia G21 is geared at users who do a lot of post-processing on their images.

On the plus side, colours don’t have any issues with weird casts, and the dynamic range is decent for the class.

The global image attributes and the pixel level are significantly altered while using night mode. Shadows receive a significant boost, enhancing what was already a substantial exposure and dynamic range performance. Although noise has been vigorously removed (some remains), this has resulted in a loss of fine detail, which appears to be a very lovely trade-off in this case.

Mode 1: Portrait

Portrait mode photos feature suitable subject identification (suggesting that the 2MP ‘depth’ camera isn’t completely useless). The messed-up wall panelling (a situation where cheap and premium phones might fail) and unkempt hair, which can get blurred into the backdrop, are minor outliers. The lack of HDR in this mode is a more urgent issue, as it will render contrasty scenes less appealing to the eye.

Selfies:

The Nokia G21 snaps some good selfies, despite its basic hardware. In general, detail is excellent, and noise is well controlled, especially in more balanced illumination. The colours are true to life, and the dynamic range is enough for a camera in this price range.

Portrait mode on the selfie camera is just as good as on the rear camera; however, it comes with the same drawbacks: no HDR and unnaturally blurred hair strands outside of the main subject outline.

Making a video:

The video recording capabilities of the Nokia G21 are restricted. Its maximum resolution is 1080p, and even then, it’s only at 30 frames per second (no 60fps mode). While the Galaxy A22 and the Redmi 10 do not support 4K30 or 1080p at 60 frames per second, the Realme 8 does.

In terms of 1080p (compared to the Redmi and Galaxy above), the Nokia’s footage is comparable to, if not slightly better than, the Redmi’s. It catches a lot of information, and while the sharpening is a little heavy-handed, it’s not as severe as the Redmi’s. In contrast, the Galaxy uses more natural processing yet has a uniquely soft look. We see the same off colours in the video that we observed in the stills, which isn’t ideal. The dynamic range, on the other hand, is excellent.

Competition:

Nokia’s budget-conscious G21 is up against some tough competition, including traditional value brands like Realme and Xiaomi’s Redmi and Samsung and Motorola (if you’re like legacy names).

As a viable alternative to the Nokia, the Redmi 10 comes to mind. It has a few features, such as loud stereo speakers and an infrared transmitter, and it can also be used as a power bank due to its reverse charging capability. Unlike Nokia, it also has an ultrawide camera. The G21, on the other hand, takes better selfies. Then there’s the question of whether you prefer MIUI on the Redmi or Android One on the Nokia and the intangible appeal of the Nokia name.

With Realme 8:

That, plus the FM radio, are pretty much the only things the G21 has going for it against the Realme 8. The Realme comes with a brighter AMOLED display, and even if its refresh rate is just 60Hz, we’d still choose the Realme for the screen alone. However, the iPhone 8 has a far more powerful chipset than the Nokia, and it charges two to three times faster while lasting about the same amount of time. Considering the additional ultrawide camera and the improved primary camera (with a splash of 4K), the €15-20 premium looks well deserved.

The G21 and the Galaxy A22:

The G21 and the Galaxy A22 (non-5G) have a similar pricing difference, but the decision isn’t as straightforward. Another AMOLED, this one’s display can refresh at 90Hz, which is a plus. As does the chipset, which, although not a monster, does give a notable improvement in graphics over the G21s. Even compared to Nokia, the ultrawide camera gives it some merits, but the primary camera does not. Another thing to think about is OneUI vs Android One.

It’s one less item to consider when deciding between the Nokia G21 and the Moto G50 – the G50 may not be Android One, but it sure looks like one, complete with some minor custom tweaks. The Moto, like the Nokia, lacks an ultrawide camera, but its primary camera and Macron are far superior to those of the G21. Its display is significantly brighter than the Nokia’s, which is a drawback, but battery life and charging speed are practically equal. The G50 is a year old and still commonly available for roughly G21; newer Moto models tend to be more expensive, so we’re staying with the G50.

Verdict:

The Nokia G21 isn’t a dud; it gets a lot of things well. One of its most vital points is its battery life, while Android One implies a simple UI and quick updates. Selfies are decent, and there is a slew of extras, including a card slot and an FM radio. The conservative looks are also appealing to us.

Pros:

• Nokia emblem on the rear, understated but attractive design.
• Battery life is lengthy.
• Android One is a dream come true for OS purists.
• Excellent selfies.
• DualSIM with a dedicated MicroSD slot, 3.5mm jack, NFC, FM radio

Cons:

• Scratches are typical on the camera island.
• The maximum brightness of the display is disappointing.
• Charging is slow, especially with the included adaptor.
• The chipset is underpowered, notably in the GPU field.
• There isn’t an ultrawide camera.
• There is no 4K footage, and there is no stabilization for 1080p.