All future Nokia smartphones (Nokia 3 and above) are going to be a part of the Android One initiative – which means they will not only run a 100 percent stock build of Android but receive software updates directly from Google. Here is a quick breakdown of all the devices.
HMD Global – the small Finnish company which brought Nokia Mobile back from the dead last year – has just unveiled five new devices in its continued bid to strengthen Nokia’s presence in the market and bring the brand back to its glory days. The devices in question include a modernised version of
HMD Global – the small Finnish company which brought Nokia Mobile back from the dead last year – has just unveiled five new devices in its continued bid to strengthen Nokia’s presence in the market and bring the brand back to its glory days. The devices in question include a modernised version of the Nokia 8110 ‘banana phone’ which was featured in the Matrix trilogy, the Android Go powered Nokia 1, the second generation Nokia 6, the mid-range Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8 Sirocco.
Another interesting announcement made at the MWC event pertains to software – rather than hardware. All future Nokia smartphones (Nokia 3 and above) are going to be a part of the Android One initiative – which means they will not only run a 100 percent stock build of Android but receive software updates directly from Google.
Here is a quick breakdown of all the devices:
The biggest highlight of the Nokia 1 is the fact that it runs on Android Oreo Go – a platform developed specifically by Google for budget smartphones with low-end processors and less than 1 GB of RAM. In a nutshell, Android Go is a re-packaged version of Android One with a stripped down set of apps and features. It also comes with a reworked version of Google Assistant.
Aside from the software, the Nokia 1 is powered by the MediaTek MT6737M processor paired with 1GB of RAM and a 2,150mAh battery. It has 8GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card, a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP selfie shooter and a 4.5-inch IPS display. HMD Global has also re-introduced the iconic Xpress-on covers with the Nokia 1 – which allow users to change the back plate on the fly.
Once again, HMD Global has relaunched an icon of the past in order to evoke nostalgia and pull at people’s heartstrings. Last year it was the Nokia 3310 and now it is the turn of the Nokia 8110 – or the banana phone as it was better known as. Popularised by Keanu Reeves in the Matrix trilogy, the Nokia 8110 is arguably one of the most well known feature phones in the world and the refresh brings back the slider design whilst adding modern touched like app support and 4G.
The Nokia 8110 4G has a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 2MP rear camera, a 1500mAh battery good for 25 hours of standby time and supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and 4G LTE. It is powered by the Qualcomm 205 mobile platform and runs on Nokia’s new Smart Feature OS (based on KaiOS) which supports apps like Facebook and Google Maps.
With the Nokia 7 Plus, HMD Global has finally embraced the bezel-less mania that has swept the smartphone industry as of late. The mid-range smartphone has a 6-inch FullHD+ display that has an aspect ratio of 18:9 and flows from edge-to-edge (mostly). It is made from a single block of Series 6000 aluminium and has minimal bezels up front.
The Nokia 7 Plus is powered by the Snapdragon 660 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and a 3,800mAh battery. The smartphone has a few nifty features up its sleeve such as face unlock, 360 degree audio recording capabilities, dual -sight capture (Bothie) and AI imaging features like the ability to add masks to selfies and modify lighting conditions.
On the imaging front, the Nokia 7 Plus has a ZEISS powered dual camera setup at the rear – a 12MP primary sensor paired with a 13MP secondary sensor that allows for 2X optical zoom and the capture of bokeh shots. There is a 16MP sensor at the front also made in conjunction with ZEISS.
The Nokia 6 (2018) is not really a new smartphone per se. It was actually launched a few weeks ago and is already on sale in China. However, the global variant – which HMD Global announced at MWC – differs from the Chinese variant in terms of software. While its Chinese counterpart runs on Nokia’s own Android skin, the global version is a part of the Android one initiative.
The Nokia 6 (2018) is powered by the Snapdragon 630 processor paired with either 3 or 4GB of RAM and a 3,000mAh battery. It is made from a single block of Series 6000 aluminium and has a 5.5-inch FullHD LCD display with a 16:9 resolution and 32/64GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card.
On the imaging front, the Nokia 6 (2018) comes with a ZEISS powered 16MP rear camera alongside an 8MP selfie shooter. Just like the Nokia 7 Plus, it has the ability to capture 360 degree audio and shoot images/video from the front and rear camera simultaneously (Bothie).
Nokia’s latest flagship looks to be HMD Global’s most impressive offering to date – especially on the design front. The Nokia 8 Sirocco, which is just 7.5mm thin, has glass on the front on the back mated to a stainless steel frame. The front glass panel is not only curved at the sides but also slightly curved at the top and bottom.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a curved 55.5-inch Quad HD pOLED display which flows from edge-to-edge and has an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 6GB of RAM and a 3,250mAh battery with fast charging support. It has 128GB of internal storage (non expandable) and supports wireless charging thanks to its glass back.
On the imaging front, the Nokia 8 Sirocco has a 12+13MP ZEISS powered dual camera setup at the rear with 2X optical zoom and the ability to shoot images with depth of field effects. There is a 5MP sensor at the front. The Nokia 8 Sirocco is IP67 dust and water resistant and comes with OZO Audio and Bothie – both of which were introduced in last year’s Nokia 8.
The Nokia 7 Plus has been priced at 399 Euros (roughly Rs 31,700), the Nokia 6 (2018) at 279 Euros (roughly Rs 22,200), the Nokia 8 Sirocco at 749 Euros (roughly Rs 59,600), the Nokia 1 at 85 dollars (roughly Rs 5,500) and the Nokia 8110 4G at 79 Euros (roughly Rs 6,300).
