Nokia knows what they’re doing. They’ve been releasing killer phones the past year, but how does their budget phone from 2 years ago fair? Let’s talk about the Nokia 2.2 below.
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If you didn’t know, the memory variant you get affects how much you’ll be spending. This is true for its warranty as well. Store warranties are much cheaper than company ones.
We’ve established that the Nokia 2.2 is cheap. Being so budget-friendly, you’d be crazy to expect a high-end build. You’re getting a polycarbonate device. It definitely feels cheap, but it isn’t too bad. Compared to other phones its price, the polycarbonate feels quite nice.
The presence of polycarbonate also means that the phone can be thrown around a bit. It’s not as thorough as gorilla glass, but this was expected.
The 2.2 isn’t that light. The device is 153 grams, helping it feel more premium.
It isn’t the slimmest though. You’re getting 146 x 70.6 x 9.3 mm dimensions, which doesn’t hide the fact that the phone’s so affordable.
The Nokia 2.2’s buttons are easy to use, and we think the device fits nicely into palms.
If you look around its sides, you’ll see a headphone jack and microSD card. What more could you want? Well, you could want a phone that’s not a fingerprint magnet? Unfortunately, the 2.2’s glossy back is a major fan of smudges. This is especially true for its black variant.
Not just black, you can get the 2.2 in grey and blue, in case you’re wondering.
You’re not getting that immersive of a viewing experience. The Nokia device comes with a 5.71-inch display. Compared to certain phones its price, the 2.2 is easily overshadowed.
Being so affordable, it’s not surprising that it comes with an IPS LCD screen. Although not as colourful as Samsung’s Super AMOLEDs, colours are surprisingly deep.
Its display is detailed. You’re getting a 720 x 1520-pixel screen resolution. Don’t get us wrong, it’s good, but only for its price. You don’t have to look too close to notice blurriness.
Living in Sri Lanka, you need a phone with a bright display. The Nokia 2.2, sadly, does not deliver.
The 2.2 struggles with bezels. You’re only getting a 79% screen to body ratio.
You get a 3000 mAh battery with your purchase. As its screen isn’t the most powerful, its battery doesn’t get eaten up too fast. You can expect the Nokia 2.2 to last about a day.
So far so good, but you’re going to be disappointed when we talk about its charging capabilities. The phone takes around 3 hours to fully charge.
Surprisingly, the Nokia device comes with a removable battery. We haven’t seen this in a while, so we’re pleased.
Who’d want a slow phone? If that’s what you’re looking for, the 2.2 is right up your alley. You’re getting the Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 chipset, making the most basic tasks difficult. It’s the complete opposite of a snappy processor.
On a lighter note, you’re getting Android 10. The phone comes with Android 9 out of the box, though. Nokia recently started rolling out Android 11 update for its devices. While there is no official word yet, regarding the 2.2, the device would most likely receive the update as well.
Considering how slow it is, gaming with the 2.2 is the hardest thing you’ll ever do.
What about memory variants? Well, you can choose from 16 or 32 gigs of space. This might not be enough for you; it isn’t for us. That’s why its microSD slot is appreciated. You can choose from 2 or 3 gigs of RAM as well.
If you’re not a fan of bloatware, Nokia is your friend. The company pretty much uses Stock Android in all of their devices. If the 2.2 had any bloatware, we can only imagine how hard it’d be to use.
Its camera is bad in low-light. This was expected due to its price tag, but it’s especially bad. Shots are not only noisy, but there’s blurriness to them.
In daylight, you’re getting a decent camera. It tends to mute colours, however.
Its front camera is equally bad.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the 2.2’s camera app works slowly. Its shutter speed is not great to say the least.
You’re probably wondering what its camera specs are. You’re getting a single 13 MP unit on its rear, with a 5 MP camera on its front.
It’s pretty clear what we think about the Nokia 2.2. To help you make the best decision, let’s compare it with a couple of alternatives.
Compared to its Nokia counterpart, the Redmi 8A is huge. You’re getting a 6.22-inch screen, which provides a more immersive viewing experience.
You’re met with an IPS LCD display again, so colours are not that vibrant. Let’s not forget that its screen resolution is the same as the 2.2’s. Thankfully, you’re getting a better screen-to-body ratio but not by much. It’s 81.8% after all.
We are fans of how it looks, though. The 8A looks more premium.
Unlike the 2.2, you’re getting a very strong display. There’s gorilla glass 5 on its screen. Does this matter, however? Tempered glass exists for a reason.
The two phones are about as bright. The 8A has a 400 maximum nit display.
Out of the box, you’re getting Android 9. The Redmi device is also getting the Android 10 update, in case you’re wondering.
In terms of the memory variants you can choose from, there are quite a few. The Redmi 8A comes with 32 or 64 gigs of space along with 2 or 4 GBs of RAM. As you can imagine, the 4 GB RAM variant is snappier than any of the Nokia 2.2 versions.
With your purchase, you’re getting the faster Snapdragon 439 chipset. Although a better processor, it’s not better by much.
We just have to talk about its battery. It’s jaw-dropping; you’re getting a 5000 mAh unit. Considering that the 8A’s display isn’t the most powerful, you can easily squeeze 2 days out of it.
Unfortunately, no, its battery is not removable.
You won’t be waiting 3 hours for the 8A to charge. The Redmi device comes with an 18 W fast charger, which lets the phone fully charge in 2 and a half hours. It’s good compared to the 2.2’s 3 hours, but is 2 and a half hours that fast?
Camera-wise, you’re getting a single 12 MP set up. Unlike the Nokia 2.2’s set up; it captures quite a bit of colour. However, it’s known to exaggerate highlights. The camera isn’t too bad in low light, surprisingly.
In terms of its selfie camera, an 8 MP sensor is by your side. It’s nothing to write home about.
Like the Redmi 8A, the Nokia 2.3 is gigantic when compared to the 2.2. The phone’s 6.2 inches after all.
It’s one of the heaviest devices on our list. The 2.3 is 183 grams, which is a heft we’re major fans of.
Unfortunately, its plastic back doesn’t help sell the premium feel. It has a gradient that we’re fans of, however.
The phone has an IPS LCD screen. It rocks the same screen resolution as its brother. You already know how we feel about this.
Its screen to body ratio is somewhat similar too. It’s 80.9%, which isn’t much of a difference to us.
Once again, you’re getting Android 9 out of the box. In case you’re wondering, yes, the Nokia 2.3 can be upgraded to Android 10.
But what about its chipset? Things aren’t looking that good. The Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 is present once again.
The 2.3 does not come with as many memory variants. It only comes with 32 gigs of space and 2 GBs of RAM. Thankfully, a MicroSD slot is at your service.
Its battery is much larger than the Nokia 2.2’s. Considering that its screen is also larger, you’d expect it to get eaten up. However, you can easily pull 2 days out of it. Is it removable, though? Unfortunately, no.
Once again, you’re stuck with 3 hours of charging. The same 5 W charger that came with the Nokia 2.2 is seen again.
The Nokia 2.3’s camera set up is similar. You’re getting a 13 MP sensor on the rear, but this time around, there’s a 2 MP depth sensor attached to it.
We have to say, its camera is not that good. Shots are grainy and lack dynamic range. Don’t get us started on low light pics.
What about its front camera? It’s identical to the one on the 2.2.
The Galaxy A01’s as light as the Nokia 2.2. We’re not fans of this as the heftier a phone is, the more premium it feels. It’s a 149-gram device, in case you’re wondering.
No surprise, you’re getting a phone that’s made out of plastic. Its plastic doesn’t look or feel that expensive, sadly.
The A01 is not only lighter, it’s smaller too. The phone’s 5.7 inches, but does this matter? It’s only smaller by 0.01 inches.
You’re getting a display that’s just as detailed. The same screen resolution is by your side. No, you’re not getting an IPS LCD screen. This time around, Samsung’s PLS TFT is at your disposal. It’s not as good as Super AMOLED but is much better than IPS LCDs.
The A01 comes with a 75.1% screen to body ratio. This is the final nail in the coffin, proving that the Nokia 2.2 provides a better viewing experience.
Things look good when talking about processors. The Samsung device has the Snapdragon 439 inside of it. We met it in our 8A review, so you already know how we feel about it.
How fast your A01 is will depend on the memory variant you get. Unfortunately, the options at your disposal are not that impressive. You can only choose from 16 or 32 gigs of space, while only get 2 GBs of RAM.
The Nokia 2.2 came with a MicroSD slot, unsurprisingly, the A01 does as well.
You don’t have to ask about an Android 10 update. The Samsung device comes with Android One out of the box.
It’s unfortunate that its 3000 mAh battery barely lasts a day. Like its Nokia counterpart, it doesn’t come with fast charging. The same 5 W charger we met in the Nokia 2.2 is present. Yes, charging takes 3 hours as well.
But is its battery removable? No.
Camera-wise, you’re getting a dual camera set up. There’s a 13 MP primary sensor along with a 2 MP depth sensor. Shots are decent, but they tend to be warm.
Front camera wise, you get a 5 MP sensor that we’re pleased with.
The phone isn’t as heavy. You’re getting a 146-gram device, but it’s only a couple of grams lighter, so this isn’t a big deal.
It’s just as big, however. You’re getting a 5.71-inch device, which we think feels equally as sturdy.
Let’s not forget that the Y5 looks great. Its plastic back is super glossy.
What about its display? Well, you’re met with an IPS LCD panel once again. You already know how we feel about this. The Y5’s screen to body is very similar to its Nokia counterpart’s. However, it’s not as good, coming in at 78.1%.
Not only is it the same size, you’re also getting the same screen resolution. To be honest, this isn’t a surprise. Many budget phones have 720 p displays.
Although we weren’t surprised by that, we were surprised to see the Helio A22 chip again. It’s in the Y5, and we aren’t fans.
If you’re wondering about its memory variants, the Huawei phone doesn’t come with that many options. You’re getting 16 or 32 gigs of space along with 2 GBs of RAM. Of course, the device comes with a MicroSD slot.
As you’re only getting 2 GBs of RAM, the 3 gig RAM variant of the 2.2 is much snappier than any version of the Y5.
Now:
You get Android 9 out of the box. You’re probably wondering if it’ll get Android 10. Don’t hold your breath, it will not.
In terms of its battery life, you’re not getting anything too special. Most of the phones we ran through came with 3000 mAh units, and this is about the same for the Y5. Its battery is 3020 mAh, letting you pull a day out of it. If you guessed that it isn’t removable, you’re right.
Unfortunately, the Y5 (2019) doesn’t come with fast charging either. Get a good book ready.
Camera-wise, you’re getting a 13 MP set up. It’s pretty mediocre. And in the front camera, there’s a 5 MP set up.
The Nokia 2.2 is budget-friendly. By no means did Nokia try to outdo other phones in the same price range.
That’s why we’re not fans of its processor. If you’re used to faster phones, the 2.2 is not for you. Its camera is mediocre too.
That being said, the Nokia device did fairly well when compared to alternatives. We weren’t expecting it to blow them out of the water, so all expectations were met.
Do we think that you should buy it? Yes, but know what you’re getting into.
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