We have since talked about many Nokia phones that were announced earlier this year. The releases marked a new naming scheme for Nokia phones. The C series is the entry-level line, followed by the G series in the midrange section.
The X series is the premium line, although we haven’t been able to have one in the house (the X10 and X20 are already on sale in Kenya at KES 35K and 40K, respectively).
It also appears that all members of the X lineup are equipped with 5G radios, making them a good bet for groups that want to have a 5G phone as the country ramps up the expansion of the network beyond pilot tests.
With that in mind, we have since played with the G10 and G20 – both of which we love. Of course, the G20 costs KES 4000 more, but it has better snappers and is more polished as a whole.
The C20 has also been at our desk. For the price of about KES 11500, there is nothing wrong with it because you get what you pay for. The cameras are not good, but other than that, it is a good phone with clean software (Android 11 Go Edition) – and yes, it has a removable battery.
The same thing can be said about the C10, which is the cheapest of the bunch at KES 8900. We do not have the phone at our hands, but that should not stop us to assess its offerings, albeit theoretically.
Here are some of its specs, which should also point out what you get with a budget of under KES 9000:
4G LTE: NO
SOFTWARE: Android 11 Go Edition
CPU: Unisoc SC7331e Quad Core 1.3 GHz
MEMORY: 1/16 GB, 1/32 GB, 2/16 GB, microSD card support
SCREEN: 6.5”, 720 by 1600 pixels
CAMERAS: 5 MP main, 5 MP selfie
BATTERY: 3000 mAh
WEIGHT: 191g
SECURITY: Face Unlock
PRICE: KES 8900
There are several specs that match those of the C20. For instance, the phones have the same chipset. The memory configuration is mostly the same. The cameras are the same as well, and we figure camera output should be the same too.
Their battery capacity is equal, and that cell can be removed (and replaced if you have an extra pair). It is more than enough and will last a whole day or more if you are a frugal user. Charging, however, is slow for our liking, but that is what we have come to expect of budget phones.
However, unlike the C20, the C10 lacks 4G support. While 3G is fast enough, we would have loved to see 4G here, and that is an omission that some people may not be ready to compromise.
Like the C20, the C10 does not have a fingerprint reader. The phone is nonetheless secured with face unlock. You can choose other options too, such as pattern or PIN.
Looking at competitors, they aren’t offering any more features that you are getting here. Heck, the software experience is unmatched for a budget phone because Nokia says that it will releases quarterly security updates for the C10 for the next two years. You don’t get that kind of support anywhere.
To note: it is unlikely that the phone will be updated to Android 12, but we know expensive phones that will not too, and for less KES 9K, we can let that slide.
TLDR;
Is the C10 a good purchase at KES 8900? Yes.
