I switched to a $129 Android phone from my Pixel 9 Pro for a week – and didn't mind it

Are you tired of the soaring cost of phones? If you have a family of four, you could easily spend $4,000 on four flagship devices, and that could happen regularly.

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Some families simply cannot afford the cost of Pixels, Galaxies, iPhones, etc., so they have to turn to more budget-friendly devices. So what if you could have four phones for close to $500, no long-term contracts or sketchy agreements required?

That’s the goal with the Nuu N20 phone, which currently runs for $125 on Amazon.

Before I continue, please keep in mind the price point of this phone. If you expect flagship looks and performance at $125, I would love to join that dream you’re having because it certainly isn’t reality.

That being said, the Nuu N20 performs remarkably well, given how inexpensive it is, especially when you find out it includes a fingerprint scanner and face unlock. (Keep in mind that I’m coming from a Google Pixel 9 Pro.) 

Yes, it has the bare minimum RAM (6GB) for running Android, the CPU is a 1.6 Ghz, and the OS is a version behind (Android 14), but it makes the most out of those specs and performs well enough to be a viable device for several types of users (especially kids).

But how does the N20 stand up? Let’s find out.

My experience

First, onboarding any Android phone has become so easy these days. Insert your SIM (or connect it to Wi-Fi when prompted), add your Google account, and finish the setup. Within about two minutes of unboxing, I had the N20 up and running and ready to test.

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The first thing I noticed was the material used for the phone’s back side. Although the frame is zinc alloy, I’m not 100% certain what was used, as it feels a bit like cardboard. It’s not cardboard, but if that texture bothers you, you’ll definitely want to attach the included clear case (a smart move regardless).

The N20 (with the case attached) weighs roughly the same as my Pixel 9 Pro (242 grams for the N20 and 239 grams for the Pixel). The phone is also slightly taller than the Pixel 9 Pro, but it doesn’t feel awkward in the hand.

But what about performance? After all, a $125 smartphone is certainly not going to beat a $1,000 phone. That being said, the N20 performs pretty well. Although animations aren’t nearly as smooth as those on my Pixel 9 Pro, they aren’t as janky as you might think. 

I’ve certainly experienced Android phones in the $300-$400 range that were worse. It helps that the N20 ships with very little bloatware. There’s an FM Radio app and a Nuu Help app, but other than that, it’s stock Android. The home screen launcher is Quickstep, but you can install a different launcher from the Google Play Store. I will say that Quickstep does resemble the Pixel Launcher (which is a good thing).

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I found YouTube videos played well, and the phone’s sound was beefy enough (albeit pretty tinny) for me to hear everything. The display is surprisingly crisp (even outside in the sun). The display refresh rate is 90Hz, so it’s fairly capable.

One thing to keep in mind with the base RAM (6GB) is that you can add 4GB more via extended RAM. Once you’ve enabled Extended RAM (from within Settings > Extended RAM), you’ll have to reboot for the change to take effect.

After adding the max 4GB of extended virtual RAM, I did notice a slight speed increase in animations, but they still had a slight choppiness to them (although they were smoother than before the change). Remember, this isn’t the same as more physical RAM.

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As far as the camera is concerned, it’s serviceable; good enough to capture the “what” in a picture but not necessarily enough to tell a full story. You won’t be winning any awards or impressing your friends with this camera, but it easily takes photos and even offers a Pro mode so that you can configure everything from white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and more.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Ultimately, I came away with the impression that the N20 phone is quite impressive for its price. This is an Android phone I wouldn’t hesitate to hand over to a kid (making sure to choose the child option during setup) or someone on a tight budget who needs a reliable phone that isn’t stuffed with bloatware or weighs four tons.

The Nuu N20 phone is nowhere near a flagship-level device, but it doesn’t pretend to be one. This is a basic smartphone at a reasonable price.

The specs

• 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 (on my device, the Extended RAM only went up to 4GB)
• Storage – 128GB
• External Storage – microSD (up to 128GB)
• Dimensions – H 6.48 in x W 2.97 in x L 0.35 in
• Networks – 4G B2/4/5/12/25/26/41/66/71 3G B2/4/5 2G 850/900/1800/1900
• Connectivity – WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz) Bluetooth 5.0 GPS with A-GPS Support Ports – USB Type-C 2.0 Dual SIM Dual Standby 3.5mm Headset Jack
• Sensor Type – Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Compass, Fingerprint ID, Proximity