Nokia has continued its ambitious assault on the affordable end of the Android market, announcing three handset updates. The existing Nokia 2,3 and 5
Nokia has continued its ambitious assault on the affordable end of the Android market, announcing three handset updates. The existing Nokia 2,3 and 5 have all been updated for 2018, gaining a.1 after their name.
The new Nokia 2.1 is an entry-level proposition, but gives you a lot for your money. It is a phone designed to give you long life, with a 4000mAh capacity battery rammed in. And yes, that massive battery supports fast charging. 1/10 Pocket-lint
Paired with twin front-firing speakers and a 5.5-inch display, this may be a fairly basic handset, but for those who want to spend hours watching movies on the move, it’s a great offering.
The Nokia 2.1 is aimed mostly at emerging markets, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 and will be available globally for around $115 (local prices are still to be confirmed). And yes, that massive battery supports fast charging too.
Nokia 2.1 will be an Android Go handset, the version of Oreo designed for lower powered devices and accordingly you’ll be able to access those lighter versions of Google’s core apps. It will be available from July 2018.1/9 Pocket-lint
The Nokia 3 is HMD Global’s most successful device for far, selling the greatest volume since the 2017 comeback began. Updated in its Nokia 3.1 guise, this phone gets an aluminium core and polycarbonate back, but still carries some attractive design features.
It sits on an octo-core MediaTek chip, but makes the move to an 18:9 display with a 720p resolution across the 5.2-inches.
With Nokia throwing in its hat with Android One, this is the most affordable Android One device that it will offer, bringing with it the promise of 3-years of monthly security updates and 2-years of platform updates – as such, this phone is Android P ready and we’d expect that update to come thick and fast.
There will be two different configurations of this handset, a 2GB/16GB option for €139 or a 3GB/32GB option for €169. Don’t worry about the low storage because these phones all support microSD. It will be available in June 2018.
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Finally, HMD Global is updating one of its more serious affordable handsets, the Nokia 5. Now in its Nokia 5.1 guise it offers a full metal body, carved from a block of 6000 series aluminium to make it solid.
There’s a 5.5-inch 18:9 display sitting on the front and all the hallmarks of quality design and build, with 2.5D Gorilla Glass and subtly integrated antenna lines on the ends. That display is Full HD+ too, so it’s sharper and better looking than the other new models.
A rear fingerprint scanner offers a degree of biometric convenience, while there’s again an octo-core MediaTek processor to give you plenty of power. There will be a 2/16GB option or 3/32GB option (with microSD on both), available for €189 or €219 respectively.
The Nokia 5.1 is the model that might be considered as an alternative to the Moto G6 or Honor 7 models, but across these three models, there are choices for those looking for a pure Android phone for not a lot of money.
