HMD Global kicks off 2023 with a budget Android 12 Go Edition phone, the Nokia C12. Based on the model number, this is a sequel to the Nokia C10 from early 2021, though it is actually smaller than most phones in the C-series. This is due to the 6.3” display, an LCD with HD+ resolution. The C12 measures 160.6 x 74.3 x 8.75mm and weighs 177.4g. For comparison, the C10 is 169.9 x 77.9 x 8.8mm and 191g and it has a 6.52” display. A more recent example is the Nokia C31, but that one is even larger with a 6.75” display.
Anyway, the Nokia C12 is powered by the
Unisoc SC9863A1, a chipset built on an ancient 28nm node. It has eight
Cortex-A55 cores (4x 1.6GHz + 4x 1.2GHz) and a PowerVR IMG 8322 GPU. The phone
comes with 2GB of RAM but has an option to enable another 2 gigs of virtual
RAM. Go Edition can run on as little as 1GB of RAM, though some models come
equipped with up to 4GB, so the C12 is somewhere in the middle. It is equipped
with 64GB of storage (eMMC 5.1), however, there is no microSD expansion
available as far as we can tell.
The phone has two cameras – one 8MP module
on the back (with autofocus and an LED flash) and one 5MP selfie camera on the
front (in a notch). They have Night and Portrait modes.The Nokia C12 is a 4G
phone, other wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth
5.2. You can also plug in wired headphones into the 3.5mm jack. That’s all
good, but we are not pleased to see a microUSB connector for data and power. Speaking
of, the phone has a 3,000mAh battery (with “all-day battery life”) and charges
at a measly 5W.
Cheap though it may be, the C12 is built
to last. It has a polycarbonate body with a grippy texture, but the phone is
protected against drops too and it has toughened glass on the front. And it is
rated IP52 (protected against dust and dripping water). HMD has committed to 2
years of quarterly security updates (no word on OS updates, but that is typical
of Go Edition models).
The Nokia C12 comes at a price of € 120
(US$ 130/£ 105/₹ 10,500) with a single configuration (2/64GB). It will be available
in Germany and Austria first and will expand to other markets soon after.
