Ever since purchasing the Nokia license, HMD has launched numerous devices, including both smartphones and feature phones. The brand is back with three new feature phones that are upgraded versions of Nokia classics.
New HMD feature phones
The Nokia 6310, 5310, and 230 are among the most popular feature phones from Nokia. They were released in 2021, 2020, and 2015, respectively. Now, HMD has released the 2024 variants of these phones, with some new features.
The new Nokia 6310 (2024) comes with the same classic design as its predecessor. It features a 2.8″ LCD display in the front and a VGA camera with a flash at the back. However, the new model comes with a larger 1450mAh battery, and you also get USB-C support. In terms of connectivity, you get dual SIM support, along with an additional slot for your microSD card.
The 2024 variant of the Nokia 5310 has a larger screen than its predecessor. It now features a 2.8″ LCD screen, which used to be 2.4″ in the 2020 variant. HMD has also increased the battery capacity from 1200 mAh to 1450mAh. The Nokia 5310 (2024) is powered by the Unisoc 6531F chipset, which used to be the Mediatek MT6260A in previous models. Along with these features, you get USB-C support. Other than these, everything is the same as in the previous model.
Lastly, the Nokia 230 (2024) also has a 1450mAh battery, USB-C support, and Bluetooth 5. Other than these, all the features are the same as in its 2015 model, including a 2.8″ TFT display, 65K colors, 16MB RAM, and 2MP front and back cameras with LED flash support.
HMD is yet to announce the pricing of these feature phones, and there is no news on their availability as well.
Do these phones make sense in 2024?
It’s great to see that HMD is releasing these nostalgic phones again. But the main question that arises here is whether the features that these phones offer make any sense in 2024.
All of these phones are offering below-par cameras, which is really surprising to see, especially considering today’s scenario where the world is all about posting beautiful pictures on social media.
Sure, you may manage with the poor camera for a while, but what about connectivity? All of these phones are limited to 2G. With many countries permanently shutting down 2G networks, it will be impossible to use these phones in those countries.
It would have been great if HMD had provided at least 4G connectivity support in these smartphones, along with the ability to connect to Wi-Fi.