Nokia‘s big push towards regaining market share has to be done in the affordable segment of the market. They’ve proven that their high-end phones still need a lot of polishing before they can realistically compete with the rest of Android’s elite.
And Nokia knows that too, which is why today they launch their most affordable device yet. Meet the Nokia 2 — it’s got a big feature up its sleeve.
Nokia’s new smartphone is unabashedly entry-level. It’s got a 5-inch HD 720p IPS display that pushes a resolution of 1280×720 pixels with Gorilla Glass 3 on top, giving it resistance to scratches. Inside, it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 quad-core processor mated to 1GB of RAM and a paltry 8GB of internal storage. Sure, it’s an entry-level device, but even then 8GB seems a little too small for 2017, right? Good news is that you can expand it via microSD for up to 128GB of extra space.
For photos, the smartphone has an 8MP primary camera and 5MP selfie camera. There’s no mention of a Bothie feature, however. Nokia also claims that you will get unlimited photo and video uploads to Google Photos (as long as your photo is under 16MP).
Now, while the on-paper performance specs don’t turn heads, the Nokia 2 excels in two big aspects: Build and performance. Despite the entry-level nature of the handset, Nokia says that the device’s metal frame is machined from a single block of aluminium — much like their more expensive devices. However, while the frame is aluminium, the back of the device is plastic — or, as Nokia calls it, “sculpted polycarbonate”.
To keep your device running, Nokia has equipped the Nokia 2 with a large 4,100 mAh battery. According to the company, this means that the smartphone can get 2 days of battery life with a single charge. Now, they’re not the first company to publish such claims, so take it with a grain of salt. Battery life, after all, is heavily dependent on your usage.
On the software side of things, the new 2 is decidedly Nokia. It comes running Android 7.1.1 Nougat that’s about as stock as this OS comes. This also means that the Nokia 2 will have the Google Assistant built-in. In HMD Global’s release, the company says that this device is “Android Oreo ready”, which sounds like the handset will receive the Android Oreo update. Nokia has confirmed that it will receive monthly security updates, however.
Other features include Cat 4 LTE, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1 and there will also be a dedicated Dual-SIM variant. It’s also got a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it only has a single speaker. Unfortunately, it does come with a microUSB port instead of USB-C.
But now, we get to the most crucial thing about this entry-level device — its price. Right now, the smartphone will come in two colours — Pewter/Black and Pewter/White — and is priced at EUR99 (around RM487). There is no information on what it will be priced at in Malaysia, but you can expect it to be below the Nokia 3’s RM599. It’s also worth noting that European prices tend to be more expensive. Considering how the local prices for the Nokia 3, 5 and 6 are separated by RM200, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect Nokia 2 — if it launches here — to be around RM399.
What do you guys think of the Nokia 2? Let me know in the comments below.
