Nokia C2-02 review: A simple touch

Nokia Maps for pedestrians

The Nokia C2-02 doesn’t have a GPS receiver but Nokia Maps can use Cell-ID to get your approximate location. The app doesn’t feature voice-guided navigation anyway and can only plan pedestrian routes. Routes are also limited in length to 10 miles.

Simplified Nokia Maps for S40

So, even if you hook up a Bluetooth GPS receiver to the Nokia C2-02 it sill won't function as a car SatNav. There's no option for a paid upgrade either.

Maps are downloaded through your data connection, which is something else to keep in mind.

It's a nice bonus for such a low-level device, but it including it probably had more to do with not using Google's solution than providing a good mapping solution.

A few games on board

The Nokia C2-02 came with six games pre-installed. They are Golf Tour, Memorize, Music Guess, Nature Park, Picture Puzzle and Solitaire.

The Picture Puzzle needs no further explanations.

Golf Tour • Memorize • Music Guess • Nature Park • Picture Puzzle • Solitaire

Final words

The Nokia C2-02 is a pretty good handset at what it does – making calls, sending texts, looking good and keeping it simple. That’s just about what people who would never spend more than €100 on a phone need anyway, so it’s a purchase they are unlikely to regret.

We are not even talking bang-for-buck here, this is perhaps a thing to look for in some of Nokia's entry-level smartphones. The C2-02 bets on ultimate simplicity, good battery life and rock-bottom pricing. This will probably be enough to make it a hit in emerging markets and with those who like their phones to be just phones.

Some people may look at the Nokia C2-02 and see an alternative of the Corbies, Stars and Cookies out there. We beg to differ. For one, Nokia simply doesn't have the track record in touchscreen feature phones to match Samsung or LG. Secondly - and more importantly - the keypad puts the C2-02 in a different category.

We do think that if anyone would be interested in the C2-02, they will be in it for the proper keypad first and then the touchscreen. Potential users will certainly be curious about the different experience but they will need something traditional and familiar to hold on to. In that sense, the Nokia C2-02 is perfectly positioned as an upgrade option and the pricing seems right too.

The C2-02 is an entry level model compared to the Nokia X3-02, for example. Never mind the form factor, the X3-02 is the obviously more advanced option with better design and finish, Wi-Fi connectivity and a superior keypad.

Nokia X3-02

Comparisons with the Nokia C2-01 are inevitable too. It may look even more basic than the C2-02 with its 2-inch display, but it offers 3G data speeds and a 3 megapixel camera. This may be enough of a reason to at least think about skipping touchscreen altogether.

Nokia C2-01

Lastly, some might choose to wait a while longer for the dual-SIM versions of the C2-02 to be released. The C2-03 and C2-06 are basically the same phone, but with a hot-swappable extra SIM slot, which combined with the right secondary subscription might save you the price premium in monthly bills in no time.

Nokia C2-03 • Nokia C2-06

To sum up, the Nokia C2-02 is a decent addition to the company's portfolio in the lower end of the market. It may as well be more than that - a way to make the transition easier from basic call-and-text phones to touch phones.