Nokia, the iconic brand that was synonymous with the birth of the mobile phone industry, has re-entered the market with a range of attractive and affordably priced new smartphones.
And for the first time the devices will be running the latest Android operating system.
There will be three products that will make up the Nokia smartphone range the Nokia 3, the Nokia 5 and the Nokia 6 which will all be available from JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman in late July.
The new Nokia smartphones will be available in two colours – matte black and silver.
Each of the devices were hewn from a single block of 6000 series aluminium so not only are they strong they look good as well.
When the iPhone was released 10 years ago, Nokia was flying high as the runaway leader of the mobile phone market.
As Apple took a stronger foothold in the category and Android emerged, Nokia’s market share began to slip.
Nokia’s decision to stick with its Symbian operating system rather than adopting Android has been seen by many as the start of the brand’s decline.
At that time, Nokia was wary that one major manufacturer would dominate the Android market because the Finnish company was late to the party.
Not long after, in 2010, talks began with Microsoft to partner with Nokia to produce a new range of devices running the Windows operating system.
That partnership came to an end before HMD Global, also a Finnish company, decided to bring Nokia home.
And its first order of business was creating a range of typically high-quality Nokia products running the Android operating system
HMD Global CEO Arto Nummela says the company has a unique approach to Android which will reflect the brand promise of Nokia.
“Nokia is known for reliability, ease-of-use, simplicity, quality and a kind of human touch,” he told Tech Guide.
“And now that were taking the phone to Android, the phone has to perform better than any other phone.
“We are taking the approach now with Google to offer the best of Android. We are providing the purest form of Android that Google intended.”
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ARTO MUMMELA IN TECH GUIDE EPISODE 255
Nokia has always had a reputation for manufacturing excellent products, something Numella says will continue while still offering customers great value.
“We are willing to invest in premium materials but at a price point you’ve never seen,” he said.
And who exactly will these new Nokia devices appeal to?
“Our target customers are young millennials,” Nummela said.
“They are a unique group of people – they love to share, they love to consume and are all the time with their phones.
“These consumers are expecting the same things that Nokia has been known for. They value reliability and simplicity and ease of use. We have found a good match.”
A recent analysis of sales of Nokia devices in China revealed that 76 per cent of buyers were millennials that had never owned Nokia before.
But would millennial in Australia even remember the Nokia brand?
“There must be something about Nokia that goes through the breast milk of mothers,” Nummela said.
“We are getting a mind-blowing amount of contact from our Australian consumers through our website and social media.
“Australians absolutely love Nokia. There are such fond memories about the brand and we can’t wait to bring these devices to the market.”
Here are the new Nokia Android devices:
NOKIA 3 – $249
The Nokia 3 has a 5-inch display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass along with a precision machined aluminium frame that gives it a slick look as well as strength and protection.
It has a polarised screen which means greater clarity when viewing the device even in bright sunlight.
Also on board is an 8-megapixel wide aperture camera on the front and back.
SPECIFICATIONS:
– OS: Android Nougat
– CPU: MTK 6737, Quad-core 1.3Ghz
– RAM: 2 GB LPPDDR 3
– Storage: 16 GB internal user memory with MicroSD card slot (support up to 128 GB support)
– Display: 5.0” IPS LCD HD (1280 x 720, 16:9), sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass, Polariser, 450 nits
– Camera: Primary camera: 8MP AF, 1.12um, f/2, flash, Front facing camera: 8MP AF, 1.12um, f/2, FOV 84 ̊ display flash
– Connectivity & Sensors: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, BT 4.2, GPS/AGPS, FM/RDS, NFC, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, Gyroscope, Micro USB (USB 2.0), OTG, 3.5mm ADJ
– Battery: Integrated 2630 mAh battery
– Dimensions: 143.4 x 71.4 x 8.48 mm (camera bump: 8.68mm)
NOKIA 5 – $329
The Nokia 5 has a larger 5.2-inch screen and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 mobile platform.
The device promises excellent battery life along with improved graphics performance for viewing content and playing games on the move.
It also has an 84-degree wide-angle front facing 8-megapixel camera so you can fit even more into your selfie.
SPECIFICATIONS:
– Available in single SIM and dual SIM variants
– OS: Android Nougat
– Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon 430 mobile platform
– RAM: 2 GB LPPDDR 3
– Storage: 16 GB internal user memory with MicroSD card slot (support up to 128 GB support)
– Display: 5.2” IPS LCD HD (1280 x 720, 16:9), sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass, laminated, sunlight readability, polariser 500 nits
– Camera: Primary camera: 13MP PDAF, 1.12um, f/2, dual tone flash; Front facing camera: 8MP AF, 1.12um, f/2, FOV 84 ̊
– Connectivity & Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, BT 4.1, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, FM/RDS, NFC for sharing, ANT+, Micro USB (USB 2.0), OTG, 3.5mm ADJ
– Battery: Integrated 3000 mAh battery
– Dimensions: 149.7 x 72.5 x 8.05 mm (camera bump: 8.55mm)
NOKIA 6 – $399
At the top of the line is the Nokia 6 which has a 5.5-inch high definition display with an eye-catching unibody design.
Apart from its excellent screen, the Nokia 6 also delivers on the audio front with dual speakers that provides impressive clarity and bass along with Dolby Atmos sound.
SPECIFICATIONS:
– OS: Android Nougat
– Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon 430 mobile platform
– RAM: 3 GB LPPDDR 3
– Storage: 32 GB internal user memory with MicroSD card slot (support up to 128 GB support)
– Display: 5.5” IPS LCD full HD (1920 x 1080, 16:9), sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass, 403 ppi pixel density, sunlight readability, 450 nits, laminated
– Camera: Primary camera: 16MP PDAF, 1.0um, f/2, dual tone flash; Front facing camera: 8MP AF, 1.12um, f/2, FOV 84 ̊
– Connectivity & Sensors: Micro USB (USB 2.0), OTG, 3.5mm ADJ Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, BT 4.1, ANT+, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, FM/RDS.
– Battery: Integrated 3000 mAh battery
– Audio: Dual Speakers with Smart Amplifier (TFA9891) with Dolby Atmos
– Dimensions: 154 x 75.8 x 7.85 mm (camera bump: 8.4mm)
