Nokia debuts 2.1, 3.1 and 5.1 budget smartphones

Nokia on Tuesday unveiled three new phones to compete in the mid-range segment.

They’re all names you’ve heard before, but are differentiated from their older counterparts by a “x.1” moniker.

The cheapest of the lot, the Nokia 2.1 debuts with the Go version of Android 8.1 Oreo, a 5.5-inch 1280×720 screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and 1GB of RAM. There’s also only 8GB of internal storage, but there’s an SD card expansion slot.

In terms of cameras, the rear gets a single 8MP snapper with autofocus, while up front selfies are handled by a 5MP camera.

Battery life could be this device’s standout feature. It houses a 4000mAh reservoir, but comes at the cost of weight. The Nokia 2.1 weighs in at 174 grams.

Next in line is the Nokia 3.1, which is quite a steal at a price of around US$160.

It features a 5.2-inch 1440×720 18:9 screen, a MediaTek MT6750 chipset with 3GB or 2GB of RAM. And depending on your choice above, you’ll either receive 32GB or 16GB of storage in tow.

There is room for an SD card though, and you may need it for storing media. The rear camera is a 13MP snapper hidden behind an f/2.0 lens, while up front you’ll have 8MP to play around with.

This seems to be Nokia’s bid to entice those looking for a smaller, lighter phone. Weighing just 138 grams, the phone only has a 2990mAh battery.

Finally, the Nokia 5.1 is the flag-bearer of this particular range.

It features a 5.5-inch 2160×1080 screen, a MediaTek Helio P18 chipset with again a choice of 32GB of storage/3GB of RAM or 16GB of storage/2GB of RAM.

At the rear there’s a single 16MP camera with phase detection autofocus, and up front there’s an 8MP selfie camera.

It also has the smallest battery of the range at 2970mAh, and is available in three colours, namely Copper, Tempered Blue and Black.

It’ll be priced around US$230.

It’s not clear whether these Nokia phones will be arriving in South Africa, but we can expect a worldwide release closer to July.

Feature image: Nokia