Bottom line: The Nokia 2.3 seems like a pretty sweet deal for the less demanding smartphone user or someone looking to keep a backup phone. The main highlight of the newer model is the inclusion of dual-cameras on the back, while the rest of the hardware continues Nokia's trend of making meaningful compromises aimed at selling to the budget-conscious consumer.
The Nokia 2.3 packs several hardware upgrades over its predecessor, including a bigger 6.2-inch 1570 x 720 display and a more capacious 4,000 mAh battery (now non-removable), resulting in a slightly larger footprint.
The dual-camera setup consists of a 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera, while the remaining specs are mostly unchanged from the previous model. These include the 5MP front camera that's also used for biometric unlock (no fingerprint reader), the same MediaTek Helio A22 chip, the 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.
It also carries over the old micro USB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer, along with the 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, FM radio and the dedicated physical button for activating Google Assistant.
On the software side, HMD guarantees two years of major OS updates and three years of monthly security updates for the Android One phone (based on 9 Pie). A planned Android 10 update will "give fans access to dark theme to save on power usage and improve visibility, as well as enhanced privacy and more," notes the press release.
Released globally over a month ago, the phone is now available for pre-order at Best Buy in the US, with Amazon starting next week. It will also be available on shelves at select Best Buy locations and begin shipping "very soon," according to the company.