HMD Global debuted its most affordable Android One smartphone yet, the Nokia 2.2, at an event held in India yesterday. Apart from the impressive software, the latest Nokia smartphone isn’t too shabby when it comes to hardware specifications as well. Can the latest Android One smartphone from the Finnish manufacturer take on the popular Xiaomi Redmi 7 and Realme C2 smartphones in the entry-level segment? Let’s find out.
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Nokia 2.2 vs Redmi 7 vs Realme C2: Price in India
The Nokia 2.2 is set to go on sale in India starting from June 11th. HMD has priced the 2GB RAM + 16GB storage variant of the phone at INR 6,999, while the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant will set you back INR 7,999. However, these introductory prices are only valid until the end of this month. From July 1 onwards, the 2GB RAM version will cost INR 7,699, while the 3GB RAM variant will be on sale for INR 8,699. The ‘all-rounder’ Redmi 7 comes in 2GB + 32GB and 3GB + 32GB variants. You will need to shell out INR 7,999 for the 2GB RAM variant, while the 3GB RAM variant costs INR 1,000 more. Realme C2 is more affordable than both the Nokia 2.2 and Redmi 7, starting at INR 5,999 for the 2GB RAM + 16GB storage variant. The 3GB RAM + 32GB storage option, on the other hand, is priced at INR 7,999.
Nokia 2.2 vs Redmi 7 vs Realme C2: Display, Performance
The entry-level Nokia 2.2 Android One smartphone sports a 5.71-inch 720 x 1520 pixels HD+ resolution display panel with 19:9 aspect ratio and a waterdrop notch. It has a MediaTek Helio A22 quad-core chipset clocked at 2.0 GHz with an IMG PowerVR GE-class GPU, coupled with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. You get a dedicated microSD card slot, supporting further expansion up to 400GB. Since it is an Android One phone, the Nokia 2.2 is guaranteed to receive two major OS upgrades and 3 years of monthly security updates. It ships with the latest Android 9 Pie OS and is likely to be the first smartphone in its price range to receive the Android Q update.
Redmi 7 has a larger 6.26-inch Dot Notch display with the same 720 x 1520 pixels HD+ resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio as the Nokia 2.2. In terms of performance, however, the Redmi 7 is much more impressive thanks to an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor with an Adreno 506 GPU. It comes with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable up to 512GB with a microSD card. The Redmi 7 runs on Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 based on Google’s Android 9.0 Pie OS.
Realme C2 features a Dewdrop Full Screen display measuring 6.1-inches diagonally with 720 x 1560 pixels HD+ resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, it runs on MediaTek’s 12nm octa-core Helio P22 processor clocked at 2.0 GHz with a PowerVR GE8320 GPU. Like the other two phones, the Realme C2 is available with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB RAM. It has a dedicated microSD card slot as well for further expansion. On the software front, Realme’s entry-level offering runs on ColorOS 6.0 based on Android 9.0 Pie.
The Redmi 7 and Realme C2 have a clear edge over the Nokia 2.2 when it comes to performance, thanks to more powerful chipsets. It is a similar story when it comes to the display department as well, with the Nokia 2.2 featuring a smaller display than its two major rivals.
Nokia 2.2 vs Redmi 7 vs Realme C2: Camera, Battery
The Nokia 2.2 comes with a single 13MP resolution snapper at the rear, clubbed with an f/2.2 aperture lens as well an LED flash. It has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies. Since the smartphone does not include a fingerprint reader, it uses the front-facing camera for AI-driven face unlock. The smartphone packs a 3000mAh capacity battery and comes with 5W charging support.
Redmi 7 has a 12MP + 2MP AI dual-camera setup at the rear with the primary sensor boasting 1.2um pixel size and an f/2.2 aperture. On the software side, Redmi 7 offers several AI-powered camera features such as an AI Portrait mode, AI Beautify 4.0, AI scene detection, and more. The front-facing camera uses an 8MP sensor with 1.12um pixel size and an f/2.0 aperture. Fueling the internals of the Redmi 7 is a large 4000mAh battery with 10W charging.
Realme C2 also offers a 13MP + 2MP AI dual camera setup on the back with Chroma Boost for balanced pictures and Bokeh effect for portrait shots. It comes with a Slo-Mo video mode as well, which isn’t a standard feature on entry-level phones. The Realme smartphone has a 5MP AI selfie camera on the front with 1.12um pixel size. When it comes to battery life, the Realme C2 is among the more impressive entry-level phones on the market, thanks to a large 4000mAh battery and 10W charging.
In this comparison segment as well, the Nokia 2.2 loses out to the Redmi 7 and Realme C2. Both the Redmi and Realme smartphones offer a more impressive dual-camera setup on the back and have larger batteries as well.
Nokia 2.2 vs Redmi 7 vs Realme C2: Verdict
The only area where the Nokia 2.2 has an edge over its rivals is software. Thanks to it being part of the Android One program, the Nokia 2.2 is guaranteed to receive the Android Q and Android R updates. Its rivals, on the other hand, are unlikely to receive even one major OS upgrade. In addition to two major OS upgrades, the Nokia smartphone will also receive monthly security updates for up to three years.
When it comes to hardware, however, there is no doubt that the Redmi 7 and Realme C2 are both superior to the Nokia 2.2. So if you are someone who doesn’t wish to compromise with hardware specs and would also be interested in saving some money, it makes a lot of sense to get the Realme C2. Redmi 7 is a fantastic option as well but is slightly more expensive.
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