The launch of the Jio Phone Next is poised to shake up the entry-level budget smartphone segment, especially with its rumored Android Go operating system. However, Google’s Android Go, designed for devices with limited resources, hasn’t seen widespread adoption in India despite its 2018 introduction. With smartphones like the Nokia C20 Plus, recently launched with Android Go and priced at Rs. 8,999, the viability of the platform is coming under scrutiny, especially considering the competition from formidable players like Micromax, Redmi, and Realme, all of which offer attractive alternatives within the same price range. This begs the question: Is Android Go truly a suitable option for budget smartphones in 2021, or does it simply limit the user experience? Let’s dive deep into the Nokia C20 Plus and explore the current landscape of Android Go to answer this question.
Nokia C20 Plus: A Closer Look
The Nokia C20 Plus, starting from Rs. 8,999 for the base variant with 2GB of RAM and 32 GB storage, comes in two color options, grey and blue. It features expandable storage of up to 256GB with a dedicated microSD card slot. While the device sports a simple, practical design with a textured back that provides a decent grip, its large 6.5-inch display makes it bulky and less comfortable for single-handed use. Add to that the phone’s thickness (9.35mm) and weight (204g), and it’s clear that the C20 Plus isn’t built for portability. The plastic unibody, however, feels sturdy and resists fingerprints, while the display glass remains smudge-free. On the connectivity front, you get Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (only 2.4GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, and GPS and AGPS for navigation. It’s worth noting that the phone still uses a Micro-USB port, while other entry-level smartphones are quickly adopting Type-C ports.
Android Go: Performance and User Experience
The Nokia C20 Plus runs Android Go, based on Android 11. While initially designed for devices with 512MB to 1GB of RAM, the requirement has since been raised to 2GB or below. While the idea behind Android Go is to provide a smooth experience by using smaller, lighter apps that load faster and reduce strain on system resources, the reality is more nuanced. While the C20 Plus has up to 3GB of RAM, the phone struggles with smooth performance in daily use. Animations and transitions experience significant stuttering, and app launches are consistently slow. Even Google’s Go apps, despite their size advantage, feel somewhat underwhelming in terms of feature set and functionality. This is compounded by the fact that many Go apps rely heavily on the Chrome browser for their operations, leading to a clunky user experience.
The Pre-Installed App Dilemma
Perhaps the most significant issue with the C20 Plus is the abundance of pre-installed apps and games. Unlike the Nokia G20, which came with only two additional preinstalled apps, the C20 Plus has an array of third-party apps and games, including Moj, MyJio, MXTakaTak, Simple Soulful, Moj Lite, Facebook Lite, and a host of Google Go apps, alongside regular apps like Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and Files. This contradicts the core principle of a lean and efficient Android Go experience, which champions a minimal, bloat-free environment.
Performance and Battery Life: A Mixed Bag
The Nokia C20 Plus utilizes the Unisoc SC9863a processor clocked at 1.6GHz, and though it might be sufficient for basic tasks and casual gaming like Subway Surfers, it falls short in more demanding scenarios. Graphics-intensive games like Call of Duty: Mobile, even at low settings, struggle to deliver a smooth and enjoyable experience due to lag and skipped frames. This is further highlighted by the phone’s disappointing benchmark scores: 77,335 points in AnTuTu, 126 and 473 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests respectively, making it one of the weakest performers in its price segment.
The battery life, while decent at a day and a half with moderate usage, drops significantly with heavier tasks like gaming. The C20 Plus achieved a modest 11 hours and 19 minutes in our HD video loop battery test, a disappointing performance for a budget smartphone. Recharging the 4,950mAh battery using the included 10W charger takes a lengthy 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Camera Performance: Below Average at Best
The Nokia C20 Plus features a dual rear camera system: an 8-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is a 5-megapixel sensor. While the camera app’s design is familiar to Nokia users, the camera performance itself is disappointing. The laggy experience between camera modes creates frustrating delays, and image quality is subpar overall. Daylight photos lack detail and appear overexposed, with limited dynamic range, resulting in black areas with minimal detail. The camera struggles with focusing, especially in close-up shots.
The Portrait mode, only available for the rear camera, exhibits poor edge detection and blown-out highlights, both on the subject and the background. Selfies lack vibrancy, showcasing dull colors and a hazy appearance. Video recording in daylight is significantly shaky and suffers from low detail and overly high contrast. After sunset, image quality plummets, rendering photos and videos mostly unusable.
Conclusion: A Difficult Sell
Considering all of these aspects, the Nokia C20 Plus doesn’t offer much in terms of hardware or software to justify its Rs. 8,999 price tag. Its performance struggles, slow charging, and lackluster camera make it a difficult sell when compared to competitors within the same price range. The Micromax In 2b, priced slightly lower at Rs. 8,499, offers a superior software experience with near-stock Android and minimal bloatware. It also handles gaming better and offers a more capable camera. Realme’s C21Y is another contender in the same price bracket, offering the same Unisoc T610 SoC as the In 2b and crucial features like a USB-C port. Even Realme’s Narzo 30A, priced in the same range, provides better value with its larger 6,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging.
In conclusion, with a plethora of capable and competitive smartphones available at Rs. 8,999 or even less, it’s tough to recommend the Nokia C20 Plus, even for discerning Nokia fans. The phone’s limited performance and compromised user experience, combined with its high price point, leave it lagging behind in a crowded and rapidly evolving market.
