In addition to the photography powerhouse that’s the Nokia 9 PureView, HMD introduced a handful of entry-level and mid-range smartphones, from the Nokia 1 Plus to the 4.2. Here are our thoughts.
The Nokia family got a few new members at this year’s Mobile World Congress, and while we’ve already shared our thoughts on the impressive Nokia 9 PureView, we also went hands-on with the more affordable offerings from HMD Global. These are the Nokia 1 Plus, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 4.2, and here’s what we thought of them.
Nokia 1 Plus
Starting off at the lowest end, we have the Nokia 1 Plus, the latest member of the lineup to be powered by the Go edition of Android. Running the lightweight version of Android means we’re looking at the same 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, though there’s a 16GB variant as well. The chipset has seen a slight improvement, too, moving from the MediaTek MT6737 to the MT6739.
The big change from the Nokia 1 is the display size, which is now 5.45 inches instead of the 4.5-inch panel on the original, and there’s also a bigger 2,500 mAh battery.
What stands out the most about this phone from the rest of the Nokia lineup is the cover plate on the back. Usually, Nokia phones have had soft-touch backs or glass covers, but the Nokia 1 Plus has a very «grippy» texture that makes it much easier to hold on to, and I was surprised at how it felt in my hand. There’s also a new black cover model in addition to the red and blue ones, and the red one has thankfully been toned down so it’s a little less likely to burn your eyes than the original Nokia 1.