What just happened? In a world of smartphones that cost several hundred, sometimes over a thousand, dollars, it's refreshing to see that there are companies still catering to people who need something simple and low cost. Nokia is one of those firms, having just revealed three new handsets at MWC that range from the equivalent of around $89 to $132.
Nokia's three new C-series phones unveiled in Barcelona are the Nokia C21, the Nokia C21 Plus, and the Nokia C2 2nd Edition. They're all entry-level devices running Android Go, Google's operating system that's a lighter version of Android, designed for emerging markets.
The Nokia C21 Plus is the most expensive model of the three, priced at 119 euros, or about $132. It comes with a 6.5-inch (60Hz) screen and an HD+ resolution, a Unisoc SC9863A octa-core chipset, up to 4GB of RAM, and up to 64GB of storage. There's also a dual (13MP+2MP) rear camera and a 5MP selfie cam.
Buyers get a 4,000 mAh battery (5,050mAh in some regions) that's said to last two days on a single charge, a teardrop notch, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, IP52 water resistance, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to the FM radio.
The standard C21 phone comes with the same display, chipset, and storage as the Plus but drops the RAM to 3GB. The dual rear camera has 8MP + 5MP sensors, and the battery is 3,000 mAh with 5W charging support rather than the 10W found on the Plus variant. It's priced at 99 euros, or around $110.
The final and cheapest of the trio is the Nokia C2 2nd Edition. The follow-on from the 2020 original has a 5.7-inch (480 x 960) screen, a single 5MP camera, and a 2MP selfie camera. There's a 1.5GHz quad-core chipset and a 2,400 mAh battery with 5W charging, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. That's obviously very low-end, but the phone is only 79 euros, or around $88.
Nokia owner HMD Global doesn't plan on giving any of the new C-series phones a US release, but they will be launched in the UK, so its plans could eventually change.