When it come to providing exactly what you need from a low-cost phone, the Nokia G11 does the job. It is not very fast, does not capture fascinating photographs, and lacks remarkable features, but it does admirably in simple duties. It’s great for individuals searching for something that just works, thanks to its clean UI, wide support, and sturdy design.
Pros
- Sturdy construction
- Long life of the battery
- Refresh rate of 90Hz
Cons
- Inadequate camera
- Relatively slow
– Not particularly inspiring
A two-minute recap
It’s easy to overlook that a phone is merely a phone for many people, rather than something that will change their lives. Nokia appears to be tapping into that market, recognising that many customers lot reliability and long battery life over performance and the best camera in the world.
The Nokia G11 is a rock-solid performer. It’s a fairly sturdy phone that feels like it could take a few hits without difficulty, and it easily provides three days of battery life without issue.
What is the price? Well, not much. The Nokia G11 costs $255 in the United States and £119 in the United Kingdom. You receive modest features in exchange, but if you’re on a budget, you’ll appreciate Nokia’s offer of twice as many security patches as the competition and two years of software upgrades.
When so many low-budget phones are missing out on these kinds of updates, it matters a lot if you want a long-lasting phone. We believe it will continue. The Nokia G11’s minimalism has the advantage of limiting the lot of things that can go wrong.
It comes pre-installed with Android 11. While a few optional apps, such as Spotify, Netflix, and ExpressVPN, are pre-installed, they’re stored in a folder to keep everything organised. It’s a nice touch in a world when so many Android phones are bloated.
The 6.5-inch screen on the Nokia G11 is the star of the show, with a silky 90Hz refresh rate. The phone’s ooh-worthy capabilities end there, but it’s a wonderful choice for a phone that’s all about browsing and staying in touch.
The Nokia G11 can be sluggish at times, thanks to its Unisoc T606 processor, which is only good for online browsing. Also, don’t expect a lot of storage. The current edition only has 32GB of storage, but you can expand it with a microSD card.
A 13MP wide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor make up the camera configuration. The selfie camera has an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens. None of them are particularly distinctive, but they are all functional.
The Nokia G11 is functional but unremarkable, yet we were impressed with the three-day battery life. Unlike other phones, it did not take much to achieve this level of life, making it an excellent emergency phone.
Just don’t expect it to be a delightful piece of technology. This is for folks who only need the essentials from their smartphone.
Price and availability of the Nokia G11
- Price: $255 / £119 (about AU$345)
- Two colour schemes to choose from
As you’d expect, the Nokia G11’s options are straightforward. There are two colour schemes available for $255 / £119 (about AU$345): Charcoal or Ice. The simpler colour to obtain is charcoal, a shade of grey that is close to black. Ice is a blue-green colour that is currently unavailable in the UK.
The regular Nokia G11, which we tested, has 32GB of internal storage and 3GB of RAM. A second model with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM is available but not yet for purchase.
Design
- Metal frame
- Cards with two SIM slots
- Support for fingerprint and face unlock
The Nokia G11 is a good-sized phone. Its measurements of 164.6 x 75.9 x 8.5 mm are standard for a smartphone. It just weights 189g, so it’s not too heavy.
We reviewed the Charcoal variant, which is the epitome of the average-looking phone. That’s not to suggest it’s unattractive. The back appears to be quite professional. It’s just that it’s missing something that makes it stand out. The back has a wave-style texture that is pleasant to the touch but has little bearing on grip.
The phone’s three-lens camera system is located on the back. The lenses don’t protrude much, which is a nice touch when looking for a sturdy phone.
The selfie camera is located in an notch at the upper centre of the screen on the front. It’s all quite standard. Again. The volume rocker, Google Assistant, & power button, as well as the SIM card slot, are all located on the side of the phone. Face Unlock is also available, and the power button serves as a fingerprint sensor.
There is no headphone jack, as is fairly normal these days, however there is a USB-C port.
Display
- IPS 6.5-inch display
- Resolution: 720 x 1600 pixels
- Refresh rate of 90Hz
The Nokia G11’s display is the star of the show. While the rest of the phone is normal, the 6.5-inch display has a pleasing 90Hz refresh rate.
Many more expensive phones steadfastly adhere to 60Hz, so it’s fantastic to see it here. It makes browsing easier and more enjoyable.
Other than that, it’s business as usual. The Nokia G11 screen appears fine in normal lighting, but it suffers in strong light until you adjust specific settings.
Camera
- Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP + 2MP
- Selfie camera with 8 megapixels
- Limited choices
Taking pictures with the Nokia G11 is fine, but don’t expect a lot of fun. On the back of the phone, there are three lenses: the main 13MP camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. A front-facing 8MP selfie camera is included.
Taking a photo with the Nokia G11’s 13MP lens reveals that it isn’t capable of capturing much detail. At times, the photos are a little dim. HDR does its hardest to brighten things up, but it frequently results in strange and overly brilliant colours.
Detail was sacrificed in favour of unrealistic vividness when photographing flowers. Our poor cat had also lost some definition.
The Nokia G11’s macro lens is a significant letdown, and it also struggles in low-light situations.
At this price, it’s hardly shocking, but it does indicate that budget photographers should avoid the Nokia G11.
Performance and specifications
- Unisoc TS606 power source
- 32 GB of storage
- Ineffective performance
Using Geekbench 5, the Nokia G11 received a single-core score of 312 in our testing. It was so low thats it did not even come close to the 328 of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.
Multi-core performance was also disappointing, with a score of 1,135 and a compute score of 516.
The Nokia G11 isn’t quite as slow in regular use, but there is still a little wait when you load Chrome or any basic software.
On the positive side, simply unlocking your phone is quick enough, thanks to the Nokia G11’s Android 11 experience being fairly pure.
This isn’t a gaming gadget or one that will impress you, but it gets the job done.
Life of the battery
- Battery capacity: 5,050mAh
- Charging at 18W
- Long life of the battery
Aside from the screen, the Nokia G11’s battery life is another standout. Nokia guarantees three days of battery life, which it easily fulfils. We assume this is because to its slowness, but it’s good to have a device that doesn’t require constant charging.
When you do need to recharge it, the 18W charging support is enough, and a full charge takes only a few hours.
Wireless charging is not supported, which is unsurprising.
Is the Nokia G11 a good buy?
If you desire a long battery life, this is the device for you.
If you don’t charge your phone very often, the Nokia G11 will last far longer than the competition.
You want a straightforward phone.
The Nokia G11 isn’t going to blow you away with its cameras or speed, but it does the job nicely for the money. Because of its security update plans, it should survive a long time.
You have a limited budget.
If you’re on an budget, you need to stretch it as far as possible. At a reasonable price, the Nokia G11 has a stunning screen and a long battery life.
You need a fantastic camera.
Simply put, the Nokia G11 does not take good images. This is not the phones for you if you prefer to take pictures on the go and show them off.
You desire a quick performance.
The Nokia G11 is a sluggish phone. It’s sufficient for basic jobs, but not much more.
You’re looking for something unique.
The Nokia G11 is an budget phone with no illusions of grandeur, to put it bluntly. There’s nothing spectacular about this.
NFC Xiaomi Poco X3
If speed is vital to you, the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is worth stretching your budget for. It offers decent gaming performance and a gorgeous 120Hz screen.
Powerful Moto G9
The Moto G9 Power is an good option for the budget photographer, with a similar robust battery but greater photo-taking abilities.
G50 Moto
The Moto G50 is a little more expensive, but it comes with 5G compatibility and better lenses, as well as somewhat better performance.
Jennifer has over ten years of experience as a roaming IT freelancer. She has written for a variety of magazines, including T3, FitandWell, Top Ten Reviews, Eurogamer, NME, and others, after receiving a degree in Media and Communication Studies from Swansea University and then a diploma in Computer Games Design from Staffordshire University.
Her major areas of interest include B2B, smart technology, wearables, speakers, headphones, and anything gaming-related, and she writes everything from product reviews to buying tips in these areas. She spends her free time going to the movies, walking, and trying to train her pet guinea pigs. She has yet to be successful.
