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HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, caught the eye of the world at the Mobile World Congress 2018 by announcing five new phones including a reimagined feature phone that was made famous in the The Matrix movies.

With the new announcement, the Finnish company adds the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, New Nokia 6, and Nokia 1, to its growing portfolio of Android smartphones.

These smartphones promise its users durability, reliability, and the purest, secure and up-to-date Android experience.

Nokia 8110

However, the phone that caught everyone’s imagination was the new incarnation of the iconic Nokia 8110. The slider phone runs on a Qualcomm 205 mobile platform and features 4G connectivity and apps including Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Search, Facebook, and Twitter.

Its now synonymous curve and colour have earned the new Nokia 8110 the moniker “the banana phone”. Although it is a feature phone, the 8110 will have access to an app store. It can also send and receive emails or import your contacts and sync your calendar with Outlook and Gmail.

No official release date and price for the Nokia 8110 in Malaysia has been announced. However, it is expected to hit store shelves in May for €79.

Android One Family

Nokia touted the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, and the New Nokia 6 as a part of the Android One family which offers a high-quality software experience designed by Google.

Each phone will have the latest AI-powered innovations to the highest grade of security from Google. The phones will have a pure Android installation with no unnecessary UI changes or hidden processes that would eat up battery life or slow down the phones over time.

Each of the new phones will also come with a limited number of pre-installed apps to free up more resources and increase efficiency.

Nokia 8 Sirocco

On paper, the Nokia 8 Sirocco looks like what the Nokia 8 that was released last year should have been. It runs on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.

However, this time, it has a larger curved OLED 2K 5.5in display, a tougher stainless steel frame, a Gorilla Glass 5 front and back, and is IP67 certified.

Because of the glass back, it also supports wireless charging for its larger 3260mAh battery.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco also has a dual camera setup that uses Carl Zeiss optics. This time the system is made up of a larger 12MP and 13MP sensor with dual pixel phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom.

On the other side, the front-facing camera is demoted to a 5MP sensor that is physically larger than the one of the Nokia 8.

Of course, the Nokia 8 Sirocco still retains the bothie feature where it lets users take videos and photos using both front and rear cameras at the same time.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available from early April; the Nokia 8 Sirocco will retail for a global average retail price of €749, excluding taxes and subsidies. Local pricing and product availability in Malaysia will be announced at a later date.

Nokia 7 Plus

Touted as the flagship hero for everyone, the Nokia 7 Plus looks to be a mid-range phone with premium like features. Its screen is a 6in 2:1 Full HD+ display and its dual camera system is made up of a 12MP sensor with a wide-angle lens and a 13Mp sensor with 2x optical zoom. On the front is a 16MP camera.

Of course, the cameras also use Zeiss optics and are capable of taking bothie videos and photos. This is paired with three built-in microphones to improve noise reduction.

Inside the phone is a 3800 mAh battery powering a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with 6GB of RAM.

The Nokia 7 Plus will be available in black and copper or white and copper. It is slated to go on sale from early April and will retail for a global average retail price of €399, excluding taxes and subsidies. Local pricing and product availability in Malaysia will be announced at a later date.

The New Nokia 6

Building on the success of its predecessor, the New Nokia 6 packs more performance and features. It now offers enhanced Dual-Sight, Zeiss optics, USB-C fast-charging, a more compact screen-to-body ratio, Nokia spatial audio, and Android Oreo.

The New Nokia 6 combines a unibody, made from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium, with an 11-hour two-tone anodising and polishing process. By using a sculpted 2.5D display with damage-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, the New Nokia 6’s compact and refined body is built to last.

The brains of the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor.

Available in three colour blends: Black and Copper, White and Iron, or Blue and Gold, the New Nokia 6 is also available in two configurations of 3GB RAM/32GB ROM, which will be available in early April, or a 4GB RAM/64GB ROM model coming later.

The 3GB/32GB New Nokia 6 will retail for a global average retail price of €279 excluding taxes and subsidies. Local pricing and product availability in Malaysia will be announced at a later date.

Nokia 1

Designed as the most accessible essential smartphone in their portfolio, the Nokia 1 comes with Android Oreo (Go edition), a version of Android optimised for devices with 1GB RAM or less. With it, users will still have full access to the Google Play.

The Nokia 1 is also very customizable. Using the Xpress-on interchangeable polycarbonate covers, you could not only make the Nokia 1 uniquely yours, but it will also protect your phone from scrapes and bumps.

Available from early April in Warm Red and Dark Blue to fans around the world, the Nokia 1 will retail for a global average retail price of US$85, excluding taxes and subsidies. Xpress-on covers, sold separately, are available from US$7.99 in Azure, Grey, Yellow and Pink. Local pricing and product availability in Malaysia will be announced at a later date. / The SUN Daily Posted on 26 February 2018 – 06:25pm