The Nokia C2-01 is a budget entry-level mobile phone in a neat candybar design that uses the Series 40 operating system. With 3.2-Megapixel camera, 2-inch screen and a 12-button keypad this phone should prove ideal for the basic user. Read out Nokia C2-01 review and see what it has to offer.
The Nokia C2-01 is a quad-band phone that is intended for use in emerging markets, as well as for those who simply need a simple voice and text device with a knock-out battery life. We’ve been using it for the last week or so and found it to be quite a pleasant device to use.
Check out our Nokia C2-01 unboxing
Weighing in at 89g, the Nokia C2-01 doesn’t feel heavy in the pocket or the hand and with an overall size of 109.8 x 46.9 x 15.3mm, it sits nicely in the hand. The matt black plastic has a solid feel to it and the robust nature of this device means you can treat it a little rough and it’ll stand up to the pressure.
The backplate of the Nokia C2-01 is very firmly attached and actually getting it off to fit the battery and SIM card takes something of a knack, you need to slide it down the body of the phone. Once you’ve fitted them you’ll rarely need to open it again, though, as you’ll find the microSD slot is located on the side of the device under a small rubber cover. The slot can hold up to 16GB cards with ease, so you’ll never be short of storage space. However, a memory card doesn’t come supplied.
We’ll be looking at the Nokia C2-01 camera in a separate review but the 3.2-Megapixel CCD has lived up to expectations so far.
Nokia C2-01 Homescreen
The front of the Nokia C2-01 has a 2-inch non-touch display that is 18-bit and delivers a fairly standard 240 x 320-pixel resolution. It’s a fairly bright screen when you’re on the Homescreen but we have to admit that the wallpaper on the Menu screen does make it look like there is a weird banding going on in some of our phones, which there clearly isn’t.
The Nokia C2-01 Homescreen is a pretty basics setup, with a row of five quick launch buttons on the foot of the page, leaving plenty of space above it for the clock, email and general status reports of the device. Delve deeper and you’ll find Go to, Menu and Names dropping you into your most commonly used apps, as well as you Contacts book.
The five-way D-Pad is of a good size and sits between four function buttons, two of which are built into the keypad array while Home and Call are separate buttons. The 12-button keypad has decent sized keys that have a slight roundness to them, which makes texting and messaging easier. We found the Nokia C2-01 a fairly well rounded device to use for messaging, as the keys respond nice and quickly.
We found call clarity on the Nokia C2-01 was nice and sharp, with signal coverage being good, even when out on a walk along the beach. Battery life has also proved to be more than acceptable. Nokia is quoting over eight hours of talk time, which is close to what we found with the Nokia C2-01.
The Nokia C2-01 costs £79 (inc. VAT) SIM free from Nokia Online and we think that pretty much make sit a bargain. There is enough in the Nokia C2-01 to make this a great device for anyone who doesn’t need to step up to a smartphone, while at the same time delivers plenty of features for the price.
Check out our Nokia C2-01 Hardware Review photo gallery:
