Nokia C30 REVIEW: This durable phone's big screen and long-lasting battery life is perfect for binge-watchers
Did you know that Nokia is still making phones?
Yup, the brand known for making durable mobile devices such as the Nokia 3310 is still in business and cranking out smartphones. One of their latest offerings is the Nokia C30, a budget smartphone with a big screen and long-lasting battery.
There are some aspects of the phone that are lackluster, though especially if you consider the fact that other devices in the same price segment have better specs. But I'm not counting the Nokia C30 out just yet—there are certain types of users that would benefit from having this phone as their daily driver, like someone who loves binge-watching videos on YouTube and Netflix.
Specs and inclusions
Out of the box, the Nokia C30 comes with a micro USB charger, a power brick, a pair of 3.5mm earphones, and a jelly case.
Specs-wise, it's not the most impressive phone on paper. It's powered by a Unisoc SC9863A processor, and comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It runs on Android 11 Go edition and has a 6,000mAh battery.
Design and build
If you're someone who always drops their phone, the Nokia C30 is one of the more durable options out there. This device feels solid and sturdy with its polycarbonate build and I didn't feel like I needed a case to protect the phone.
At the back of the phone are the dual rear cameras, a fingerprint scanner, and—oddly—the speaker. The back doesn't catch fingerprints like on other phones because of its plastic material.
The C30 is a big and hefty phone—at 237g, it felt two times heavier than my personal device, the iPhone 12 mini. Its screen comes in at 6.82 inches, which I find too big for my hand. Whenever I would use it with one hand, I found it hard to reach for parts of the screen that were on the opposite side like the notification shade.
Camera and multimedia
With a big 6.82-inch display, watching videos is fun on the Nokia C30—the screen is vibrant, crisp, and bright. I've been binge-watching Tick, Tick... Boom! and Kim's Convenience on this phone and the picture quality is pretty vivid. The only downside though is the audio since the speaker is a mediocre unit located in the back instead of next to the charging port at the bottom like most phones.
And because of its placement, I couldn't lay the phone flat on its back while I would watch videos. The sound would get all muffled. I suggest you connect a good-quality pair of earbuds or earphones to fully enjoy your viewing experience on this Nokia.
Onto the cameras. If you're looking for a budget camera phone, this device isn't it. The 13MP+2MP dual rear cameras and the 5MP selfie camera on the Nokia C30 fall short.
Images turn out so pasty and bright spots or surfaces get overexposed. Just check out how overexposed the floor looks in the photo below. The camera also seems to have a hard time focusing on subjects which is frustrating if you have to take a quick snap of something.
Even when I turned off beauty mode on the selfie camera, the end photo still looked like it was tweaked with filters. There's a sheen to it that I don't usually get when I take selfies on my iPhone.
Performance
The Android 11 Go edition that the phone runs on is clean and the user interface is very beginner-friendly and neat-looking. First-time smartphone users will find this phone easy to navigate.
Additionally, I personally like this pure Android version since there's not a lot of pre-installed bloatware on the phone upon startup.
I've been using this phone mainly for watching YouTube videos and playing a bit of Pokémon Unite, and I haven't encountered any hiccups or hitches with performance so far. And since I just use it casually, the phone's battery life lasts me well over a day before needing a charge. Charging from low battery to 100% can take almost two hours though.
Verdict
The best things about the Nokia C30 are its durable build, big display, long-lasting battery life, and clean Android software. Because of these qualities—mainly because of its sturdy body—I would recommend this device as a first phone for a teen or maybe a senior citizen who loves watching Netflix or YouTube. With the C30, these users can binge-watch all the videos they want for long hours and easily navigate through apps.
