The most affordable smartphones often require compromises to reach their rock-bottom prices. While still the cheapest way to enter the Android 14 ecosystem, the NUU N20 hopes that doing away with some of the caveats available on most sub-$100 smartphones will justify you spending it as a spare handset, or the first gadget for your teenager. Is the experience worth the bucks you’ll be spending here? Find out in our NUU N20 review.
The NUU N20 takes a few baby steps towards adulthood. The 5000mAh battery life and updated base RAM and storage give it a bit of much-desired punch, but they don’t quite go the extra mile to compete with budget models like the Samsung Galaxy A03s. A fair pick for starters, but will not be ideal for anyone replacing an old midrange phone, or anyone looking to update their existing smartphone.
NUU N20 Specifications
- Operating System: Android 14
- Camera: Rear Camera: 16MP + 8MP wide-angle with LED flash; Front Camera: 5MP
- Processor: 1.6GHz Octa-Core
- Display: 6.6″ HD+ 1600 x 720; 90Hz Refresh Rate
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Memory: RAM: 6GB RAM + 6GB Extended RAM
- Storage: 128GB
- External Storage: microSD (up to 128GB)
What you need to know about the NUU N20
Before I even describe the features of the NUU N200 smartphone, I will insist, that this is a budget smartphone through and through, so it doesn’t need any comparison with any flagship model from Samsung, Motorola, Google, OnePlus, or any other brand.
I review gear for a living, and the NUU N20 is easily the most inexpensive smartphone I’ve had to review this year, and everything about it shows. For sure, it takes some time to move from my flagship mindset and accept this budget gear for what it is.
Once again, if you’re coming from a midrange smartphone, let’s say, the OnePlus 8, Google Pixel, or Samsung Pixel, stick to your line – this will leave a sour taste in your buds with middling performance and pedestrian screen brightness. However, if you’re coming from another budget phone, then you’ll find the N20 to be a gem, offering a few exciting features here and there.
For all its worth, I find the NUU N20 to be a decent inexpensive phone, it’s not perfect, and it doesn’t attempt to be. The display isn’t the brightest for my lining, the viewing angles are a little off, the face unlock is mushy, and the cameras are mediocre at best. But it does get a few other things right – the 5000mAh battery is a win, it gets a 90Hz refresh rate and it does have a microSD card slot for expanded storage alongside a dual SIM capability. If this will be your first phone and on a strict two-figure budget, then you’ll love it.
What We Like
A fairly good design and build quality
Most budget phones in the sub-$100 price point tend to look gaudy, but NUU spices up things with a nice design and a premium feel on his budget phone. The NUU N20 arrives in a smoke-colored TPU case that feels firm on your hand and protects your device. It also comes with a screen protector pre-installed, which is a great addition for a phone this inexpensive.
The build quality is solid, not metallic, but the plastic is strong enough not to crack randomly, and the front is, of course, glass. On the back, there’s a NUU logo, two cameras, and a flash. Otherwise, the design is pretty understated and simple, with a SIM and microSD card trail on the left rail; speakers, and headphone jack on the top, while the USB-C charging port is located at the bottom with a speaker. Along the right rail are a power/fingerprint button/sensor and a volume rocker.
Overall, the NUU N20 feels more premium than it costs, and is, surprisingly well made than most budget phones I’ve seen at this price. The construction is unmistakably cheap, but it is far from bad-looking or cheap feeling on hand.
Decent performance and screen
The NUU N20 is powered by a 1.66Hz Octa-Core processor with 6GB RAM 6GB of extended RAM, and 128GB internal storage. Touch and gestures work well, but the former is a little bit of a mixed bag – it sometimes works, but not always. I expected better with the 90Hz refresh rate, but this is expected of a budget phone. While its performance isn’t the smoothest around, it does perform like a budget phone. Don’t expect any bells and whistles here – you’re just getting what you pay for.
The 6.6” HD+ 1600 X 720 display is fairly bright, but it doesn’t get as, let’s say, an OLED display on the latest Samsung S24 Ultra. The colors are muted and not vibrant, and the blacks don’t get particularly deep for my liking. If you’re coming from a midrange phone, you’ll notice the contrast, but if this is your first phone, you won’t pick the differences. After all, this display feels pretty budget and performs as such.
The pre-installed Android 14 is impressive, it doesn’t come with any bloatware, and that’s a good thing. Usually, budget phones come with lots of bloatware that’s a pain to uninstall. This is impressive. The 5000mAh makes up for any shortcomings on this phone – it’s not always that you get such on a budget phone.
What We Don’t Like
Cameras and speakers would be better
As expected, budget phones will only produce budget photos. With the NUU N20, that premise holds– the rear cameras (16MP + 8MP) and front camera (5MP) produce passable images. You can be the judge from the samples below – but at least the N20 gets two legit cameras.
Many budget phones just plaster two lenses on the body but only one has the camera. This one has a main shooter and a wide-angle shooter. I just wish the cameras were better, but again, this is a budget phone.
Like all budget phones, there’s nothing much to say about the NUU N20 speakers. They’re thin, without much leverage, and an uninspired soundstage. But that’s common even with midrange phones; that can be remedied with a cool pair of headphones, and if you have a headphone jack, it’s a win after all.
NUU N20 Review: Should I buy it?
The NUU N20 is a decent option among sun-$100 smartphones and a perfect fit for anyone looking at the N20 as a first smartphone or an option for those on a strict budget. Of course, NUU offers other models with better features if your budget is flexible, but this is the most affordable way to enter the Android ecosystem, and the Android 14 is feature-packed and well-supported – it’s rendered without bloatware on the N20.
That said, the N20 isn’t without issues, but most of those are from a person who is used to flagship smartphones. The display isn’t as bright to compete with my Samsung S24 Ultra, the cameras are basic at best, but they perform better than most budget phones out there. If you’re buying this as a first phone, or coming from another budget phone, you’ll find real value here. But if you’re coming from anything higher-end, I just insist you should look elsewhere.