The Nokia C1 was the first in the Nokia C series Smartphones since Nokia rebranding by HMD Global, though many mistakenly saw the phone as the immediate successor of the Nokia 1.
Till now there are a number of Nokia C series Smartphones available in various Nokia key markets, including the Nokia C2, Nokia C3, Nokia C2 Tava, Nokia C2 Tennen, Nokia C5 Endi and the Nokia C1 Plus launched December last year.
Since Nokia made a comeback to the Smartphone arena, we have seen a number of devices from the company largely made of feature phones, budget and mid-range devices with one or two flagship smartphones. However the major focus of the company is on the budget and mid-range segment with a long list of Smartphones as a proof.
What stands out is their resolve to give us highly durable devices with an amazing user experience as a result of it's pure stock Android version which ensures zero bloatware and timely software updates.
While there are a number of smartphone brands with budget smartphones, Nokia has not shyied away from this competitive niche that has largely been dominated by the likes of Infinix, Tecno and Xiaomi as well as realme an a number of other brands.
With the others Slowly climbing up the price ladder, Nokia still gives us an option to own an affordable smartphone and the Nokia C1 being their cheapest with a number of feature phones much cheaper than this.
Being a 2019 phone it comes with all the best software that we expect of any smartphone released that year, including Android 9 (pie) Go edition. Though the company didn't mention if it will receive future Android updates, it would be almost impossible to find a phone at it's price tag with such an updated OS.
It is powered by a quad-core 1.3 GHz CPU, the simplest it can get but is a justification to it's price. It also has a 1 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 64 GB via an SD card. This will give you sufficient memory to carry on with your day to day Smartphone tasks, and considering that many Infinix Hot devices come with such amount of Memory, it will still serve as a good alternative to a feature phone.
The Nokia C1 also comes with a 5.45 inch IPS LCD screen with a HD display of 480 x 960 pixels and a pixel density of 197. Though quite basic, it is good enough for the normal day to day Smartphone needs.
Nokia C1 Pros And Cons.
- Nice simple design for a phone at it's price.
- Clean Android experience with no ads and bloatware.
- Good battery that can last you well over a day with normal use.
- The most affordable Android Go Smartphone which is a good alternative to feature phones.
- A 5MP camera to capture your memorable moments.
- Amble Storage consisting of a 1GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage expandable up to 64 GB via an external SD card.
- Dual SIM.
Cons.
- No 4G LTE support. You will have to get contented with 2G and 3G.
- Low quality Display that doesn't really reflect a phone of this generation.
- No USB-C port, as it retains the traditional Micro-USB port.
The major drawbacks of the C1 was it's lack of 4G LTE support, and since then HMD Global have launch the Nokia C1 Plus which is 4G LTE enabled.
Nokia C1 Price In Kenya
So, how much is Nokia C1 in Kenya? The Nokia C1 Price in Kenya is Ksh. 6,200 at Jumia Kenya, with other retailers both online and offline having a price close to this. Nokia Kenya sells the Nokia C1 at Ksh.6,500, Priceinkenya Kenya Ksh. 6,800 and Gadgetshop sells @ Ksh. 6,700. You can also get the Nokia C1 at Phoneplace for Ksh. 6,600
At such a price the Nokia C1 has a long list of Competitors including the Nokia C2, Infinix Smart 3, Infinix Smart 5, Tecno W2, Tecno W3, Tecno Pop 3 Nokia C1 Plus, Itel A36 and Safaricom Neon Phones among other budget Android Smartphones.
Is the Nokia C1 a good phone?
Considering it's price tag and alternatives, the Nokia C1 remains one of the best entry-level smartphone with a durability well known of Nokia phones. The design and features of this phone are quite respectable going by its asking price and remains one of the best alternative to feature phones.
Nokia C1 Specifications.
- Price: Ksh. 6,500
- Launched: September 2019.
- Network Technology: GSM/HSPA
- Sim type: Dual SIM.
- Dimensions: 147 x 71.4 x 8.7 mm.
- Weight: 155 g
- Screen size: 5.45 inch, 76.7 cm2, 72.7% Screen-to-body ratio.
- Display type: IPS LCD.
- Resolution: 480 x 960 pixels
- Pixel density: 197 ppi.
- Aspect ratio: 18:9
- Protection:.
- OS: Android 9 (pie); Go edition.
- CPU:. Quad-core 1.3 GHz.
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 16GB expandable up to 64 GB
- Cameras: Single 5 MP, f/2.4, AF.
- Features: LED flash.
- Video: 7200p@30fps.
- Selfie Camera: Single 5 MP,
- Video: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: Removable Li-ion 2500 mAh.
- WLAN:. Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g, Hotspot.
- Bluetooth:. 4.2 A2DP, LE.
- USB: MicroUSB 2.0.
- Sensors: proximity, Accelerometer.
- Colors: Black, Red.
A simple elegant design.
The Nokia C1 looks quite impressive for a phone at it's price range. Simple, neat and compact. The back of the phone is made out of plastic, something not to wory about considering that even high end smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S20FE are also made out of a plastic back.
The camera module is placed at the centre of the phone, and below it is the bold Nokia logo vertically placed. You can choose between black and red, depending on your taste.
The back cover is removable, revealing the removable Li-ion battery and the Sim as well as the SD trays.
At the front is a 5.45 inch display with a 480 x 960 pixel resolution. There are bezels all round it, getting thicker at the bottom and top, a standard design for a low budget smartphone.
The top bezels houses the earpiece speaker, the front camera and it's LED flash as well as the infrared Proximity sensor. There is also another Nokia Logo at the top right.
The volume rockers are placed at the right hand side of the phone with the power button just below it, and at the Left is the dedicated Google Assistant button we first saw in the Nokia 4.2.
At the bottom is the 3.5 mm jack port and the traditional Micro-USB port. It would have been nice if Nokia had settled for the USB-C, but considering the price of the device we can't expect much.
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A simple Display for Normal day to day use.
The Nokia C1 has a 5.45 inch Screen made of IPS LCD, and I don't think we would have expected an AMOLED display here not even from any other brand. This is the same screen size in the Nokia C1 Plus, C2 Tennen and the Nokia C2 Tava.
The display is made of 480 x 960 pixels resulting in a pixel Density of 197 ppi. This is as basic as it gets, and while the phone is good enough for normal Smartphone use you won't expect to use if for videos or heavy gaming. Here you get exactly what you paid for, and it will be unfair if we expect too much.
Performance.
The C1 is powered by an unspecified 1.3 Ghz processor with 1 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. It comes with Android 9.0 (pie) Go edition hence you will get a number of Google light apps pre-installed.
While you will get almost the same Android experience as the stock Android phones, you will occasionally experience lags and slight delays when opening or switching between apps.
The 1GB RAM can also get exhausted pretty fast and you will have to limit the amount of downloads. Thankfully the clean Android interface maximizes memory use.
While the phone can satisfactorily handle basic gaming, you won't expect to use it for heavy gaming.
When subjected to intense activity like multitasking and Gaming, the phone begins to heat and apps start crushing, but that is no cause for alarm since we don't expect a flagship experience in a basic Android device.
Cameras
The phone comes with two 5 MP cameras, one at the back and the other in front. The rear camera can shoot relatively good photos in enough Lighting conditions, but it totally fails to impress at low Lighting conditions. That means this phone is not for low light photography, and just like it's other features you get a basic Smartphone experience with this device.
The front camera can deliver good selfie snaps outdoors during the day, and there are not much camera options or filters to play around with.
Both cameras can shoot basic videos with a resolution of 720p@30fps.
Nokia C1 Battery performance.
Nokia have always been economical with their battery sizes and their batteries are always slightly smaller than those of it's Competition. This is no different here, and at the back of the C1 you get a removable 2,500 mAh Li-ion battery that can last you well over a day with normal use. Using the phone for gaming or watching videos can easily drain the battery, and with no fancy fast charge support you will also have to be patient with your device when charging.
Conclusion.
The Nokia C1 is a great attempt by HMD Global to give us a simple yet elegant and durable Smartphone that can be a great alternative to a feature phone.
With a good price of just Ksh. 6,500, the Nokia C1 is one of the best entry level Smartphones you can get in the market right now. If you don't mind about 4G LTE, then you can get this phone. Otherwise I suggest you wait for the upcoming Nokia C1 Plus.
More From Nokia:
- Nokia 1.4 Specifications And Price In Kenya.
- Nokia 3.4 Specifications And Price.
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