Nokia 4.2, 3.2, 1 Plus and 210 hands-on review

Nokia 210 hands-on

The Nokia 210 isn't a resurrection of a legacy Nokia feature phone. Rather, HMD decided to create a brand new feature phone to appeal to those who are still actually using feature or flip phones in emerging markets or for the old-fashioned folks who prefer a more simple communication device.

The handset itself has a sleek and minimal design that keeps up with the modern times. The unit we spent some time with had a soft grey finish all the way around and the 2.4" inch QVGA display blends well with the black bezels.

Like older Nokia phones, the whole back cover wraps around the back, and sides of the phone. This back cover is easily snapped back on. At the top is a microUSB port for easy charging and a headphone/microphone jack. On the back is a VGA (0.3MP) camera with single LED flash.

You won't be getting any award-winning photos with this camera, but what more could you expect from a phone that only retails for $35? (I think I've spent more than that eating out for dinner.) The Nokia 210 doesn't run Android, but it does offer an Opera Mini Browser, Facebook, and Classic Snake pre-installed. There's also a Mobile Store to download more applications.

Bear in mind, this is not a smartphone. It's based on the S30+ platform and as such, your app options will be limited.

Wrap-up

HMD has shown incredibly quick growth in the past two years as a "startup" company. It revived the Nokia brand but that alone wasn't why the company has seen such immense demand and growth. Nokia has proved that even midrange and entry-level devices need a little something extra to set themselves apart.

You can see this with all the new mid-rangers that Nokia is announcing today. Each one offers something different than the last. The 1 Plus brings us back to the days of removable style covers and hot-swappable batteries while the Nokia 3.2 and 4.2 offer a dedicated Google Assistant key, Android One, and a pulsing notification light around the power key. These are all differentiating factors that you don't really see in this price range.

Android One (and Android Go on the 1 Plus) has its advantages for consumers. Nokia understands that lower end phones are often forgotten by manufacturers when it comes to software updates and has even touted that it is the manufacturer with the majority of its entire portfolio (which includes many mid and low-end phones) updated to Android Pie. You can expect these to be updated to one or (hopefully) two major Android version updates down the line.

Nokia is an iconic brand that strikes a chord with many cellphone adopters long before smartphones became so commonplace. At this rate, we can certainly see Nokia play in the big leagues against the likes of the Google Pixel and maybe even the iPhone as soon as the next couple of years.

We really like what HMD is doing with the Nokia brand in both the middle and higher range and we applaud the company for its grit and dedication that it takes to be successful in this business. Keep it up, HMD - just be cautious, because rapid growth is a double edged sword.