HMD Global today announced five new Nokia-branded handsets, spanning from feature phone to flagship. These include a new flagship with five-rear facing cameras, a cheapo feature phone, and new budget devices with a couple of unique features.
Once again, every Nokia smartphone runs Android One, a pure version of Android that guarantees monthly security updates and at least two years of major operating system updates.
Here's a quick rundown of the new devices:
Nokia 210
It might not be a fun throwback to a time long gone, but the Nokia 210 is set to be HMD's most affordable internet connected feature phone to date. It won't be sold in Australia, but the Nokia 210 will only cost USD$35 when it launches next month in the rest of the world.
While the device is quite basic, it comes preloaded with apps including Opera, Facebook, and Snake (obviously). There's also an app store, but who knows what you'll find on it.
Key specifications for the Nokia 210 include a 2.4-inch QVGA, 16MB of expandable storage, a 0.3MP rear-facing camera, an FM radio, and a 1,020mAh battery. You'll be able to get it in black, red, or white.
Nokia 1 Plus
The Nokia 1 Plus is a new entry-level smartphone powered by Android Pie Go Edition. Android Go is a version of Android tuned for faster and smoother performance on entry-level hardware. Apps start faster, the operating system takes up less storage, and Google has redesigned many of its apps to be lighter and less data-intensive.
HMD says there's a big focus on toughness with the Nokia 1 Plus - it's meant to deliver "Nokia quality" at an accessible price. Despite this, it's 12% slimmer than its predecessor, last year's Nokia 1.
Key specifications include a 5.45-inch 480p+ display, a MediaTek MT6739WW quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, either 8GB or 16GB of storage, an 8MP rear-facing camera, and a 2,500mAh battery.
Internationally, it will launch in mid-March at USD$99 in a choice of red, blue, or black. Local pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.
Nokia 3.2
The Nokia 3.2 might be one of the HMD's more affordable handsets, but it introduces a number of new features set to be included in Nokia phones going forward. These include facial recognition, a dedicated Google Assistant button, and a power button notification light.
While the Nokia 3.2 doesn't have the same kind of 3D facial recognition you'll find in the iPhone X family or the Huawei Mate 20 Pro - there's only a single camera in its teardrop notch - HMD says the phone uses artificial intelligence to make its face unlock technology more secure. For example, the Nokia 3.2 differentiates between a face and a photo, and won't unlock your device if your eyes are closed. Unlocking the Nokia 3.2 with facial recognition should only take about two seconds.
The Nokia 3.2 has a dedicated Google Assistant button opposite its power button. A single press will fire up Google Assistant, a double tap will show you a snapshot of your day, and holding it down will start "walkie talkie" mode where you can have a back-and-forth conversation.
Lastly, the Nokia 3.2's power button is surrounded by a notification light. If you've got unread notifications, the light will pulse gently. While this is quite simple, we think it's quite an elegant solution - the light is visible whether your phone is face up or face down.
Other key specifications for the Nokia 3.2 include a 6.2-inch 720p+ display, a Snapdragon 429 processor, 2GB or 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of expandable storage, a 13MP rear-facing camera, and a 4,000mAh battery said to last up to two days. It will come in a choice of black or steel.
It runs Android One based on Pie.
Internationally, the Nokia 3.2 will launch in May at USD$139. The Nokia 3.2 will be sold in Australia, but local pricing and availability has yet to be confirmed.
Nokia 4.2
The Nokia 4.2 is a slightly fancier version of the Nokia 3.2, featuring a faster processor and a glass back.
As with the Nokia 3.2, the Nokia 4.2 has facial recognition, a power button notification light, and a dedicated Google Assistant Button. Facial recognition, however, won't be available out of the box. Instead, the functionality will be delivered as a software update sometime after launch.
Key specifications for the Nokia 4.2 include a 5.71-inch 720p+ display, a Snapdragon 439 processor, 2GB or 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, a 12MP + 2MP rear-facing camera, and a 3,000mAh battery.
It runs Android One based on Pie.
The Nokia 4.2 will launch internationally in April, and retail for USD$169. You'll be able to get it in a choice of pink sand or black. The Nokia 4.2 is coming to Australia, but local pricing and availability has yet to be confirmed.
Nokia 9 PureView
The Nokia 9 PureView is a smartphone with five rear-facing cameras: three monochrome 12MP lenses, and two colour 12MP lenses. While most other multi-camera smartphones use their additional lenses to add functionality such as zoom, HMD has taken a different approach with the Nokia 9 PureView. The lenses are purely used to capture more information.
When you take a photo, these lenses all fire simultaneously, shooting at different exposure levels, for a photo with greater levels of detail and depth.
Key specifications for the Nokia 9 PureView include a 5.99-inch 1080p+ display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of non-expandable storage, IP68 water-resistance, an in-screen fingerprint reader, and a 3,320mAh battery. It runs Android One based on Pie.
The Nokia 9 PureView is coming to Australia "soon", although pricing has yet to be confirming. Internationally, it will be priced at USD$699.
Read more about the Nokia 9 PureView here.
Alex Choros
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