Nokia showcases three new Android smartphones, brings back 3310
Finish start up HMD Global, licensed distributors of Nokia phones are set to launch three new Android-based smartphones and a newly revamped famous Nokia 3310 feature phone in the second quarter of this year.
All four phones, the Nokia 3, 5 and 6 smartphones and the new Nokia 3310 is on display at the ongoing Mobile World Congress.
At a time when most phone manufacturers adopted the Android operating system, Nokia kept on shipping feature phones and later chose the Microsoft Windows operating system for its Lumia, but that did not win the game for Nokia.
The introduction of the affordable Android-based Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6, which come in toe version, Nokia is expected to take back its place of pride in the handset space.
The 5 inch Nokia 3 handset is black in color and comes with a 8 megapixel rare and front cameras, 2GB RAM (operating memory) and 16GB ROM (storage memory), and can take an additional 16GB SD card. It has a price tag of €139 (GH¢667)
The Nokia 5 has an aluminum cover, a 5.2 inch touchscreen designed to give clear display in sunlight, and comes with a 13 megapixel rare camera and 8 megapixel selfie camera, plus 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM and a fingerprint reader. It is valued at €189 (GH¢907)
Meanwhile, the Nokia 6 regular is also metallic, with a 5.5 touchscreen display, a 16 megapixel rare camera and 8 megapixel front camera. It also comes with a 3GB of RAM and 32GB or onboard memory, expandable to 64GB, plus the fingerprint reader. The price is pegged at €229 (GH¢1,100).
But there is a special version of the Nokia 6, which has everything else the regular has but with a 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM, going for €299 (GH¢1,435).
Nokia 3310
Meanwhile, the new Nokia 3310 has been redesigned to look smaller and in various colours with a coloured screen and a stronger battery than the original one which was debuted nearly 17 years ago.
The original iconic Nokia 3310 saw more than 126 million being produced and shipped in its hay days, before it was phased out in 2005.
Pundits believe the reintroduction of the repackaged 3310 is a smart move by HMD to bring the Nokia brand back to the centre stage of the handheld industry, and they are confident it will sell in significant volumes.
HMD Global Executive in Charge of Sales in Africa, Patrick Henchie told Adom News all four handsets would be released simultaneously across the globe, including Africa.
He said the strategy is to continue in the Nokia tradition of bring quality products and the best technology at affordable rates for all levels of consumers.
By Samuel Dowuona