Nokia has returned to the smartphone market not with an exciting flagship product, but with a rather uninteresting entry-level Android device designed for the Chinese market. This new device is called the Nokia 6, and it'll be available in China in just a few weeks.
The Nokia 6 is the first Nokia device from HMD Global, the Finnish company that acquired exclusive rights to produce smartphones under the Nokia brand last year. Manufacturing will be handled by FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn also included in the deal. Together, HMD Global and FIH Mobile own the entirety of Nokia's mobile phone business, which was previously part of Microsoft after they acquired it in 2014.
The first Android phone from Nokia isn't anything to get excited about, unless entry-level Chinese handsets tickle your fancy. The Nokia 6 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, and packs 4GB of RAM alongside 64GB of internal storage, which is more than most budget phones. This device is also equipped with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a 3,000 mAh battery, and a 16-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 lens.
Android 7.0 is included on the Nokia 6 out of the box, complete with a custom skin and localized features for China. Like many entry-level devices from Chinese OEMs, the Nokia 6 packs a metal chassis that takes 55 minutes to machine from a block of 6000 series aluminium. The display is protected by "2.5D" Gorilla Glass, and along the edges you'll find slots for a microSD card and two nano-SIM cards.
You'll be able to purchase a Nokia 6 in China in a few weeks through JD.com for ¥1,699, which is approximately US$245.