Nokia is back with a bang. The Finnish company, which was founded back in 1865, is jumping on the Android ship, and we're all glad to see one of the most well-known smartphone manufacturers back in the market. Its 2011 move to produce only Windows Phone products was a decision that ultimately killed the brand, as it didn't entice users to buy into the ecosystem.
Nokia ending up selling its entire mobile business to Microsoft in 2014, until HMD Global, a company set up by veteran Nokia members, bought the rights to use the Nokia brand in May 2016 until 2024. This move and split, allows the brand to remain in consumer minds, while it also opens to avenues into the Android world.
It's poised for Nokia is set to bring the Nokia 3, 5, 6, 8 and a retro 3310 to the market in 2017.
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Nokia 3 UK release date and price: How much will the Nokia 3 cost?
The Nokia 3 will be announced in Barcelona at MWC 2017, which takes place on 27 February till 2 March 2017. The Nokia press conference will be held on the Sunday 26 February at 15:30 GMT UK time (16:30 in Barcelona).
Following an announcement at MWC 2017, we'd expect either it in early March or an immediate release on the 26th.
It's rumoured that the Nokia 3 will be launched at €149 (~£127), meaning we could see an interesting shake-up in the budget smartphone market.
Nokia 3 specs: Rumoured specifications of the Nokia 3
Aimed at budget consumers, the rumoured specs of the smartphone look impressive. We'll be sure to update the specs once they've been confirmed, but here's our take on what to expect from the £130 smartphone:
- Dual-SIM 4G
- 5.2in, 720 x 1,280 IPS display
- Android 7 Nougat
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset
- 1.4GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 processor
- Adreno 308 GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB internal storage with expandable storage
- 13-megapixel back and 5-megapixel front camera
- Micro-USB charging port with a 3.5mm headphone jack
- Non-removable 2540 mAh battery
In comparison to other budget smartphones in the market today, such as the Lenovo Moto G4 and Vodafone Smart Prime 7, the Nokia 3 will have some stiff competition.
It's currently up for debate whether we'll see a 720p or 1080p display and similarly whether expandable storage will be an option. Given its competitors, we'd like to see the Nokia 3 come with a 1080p screen and up to 32-64GB of expandable storage.
Android 7 Nougat is relatively new but, nevertheless, we'd be surprised to see a new 2017 smartphone launched with the older Android 6 Marshmallow operating system. This will, of course, be the headline feature as it will be Nokia's venture into Android's ecosystem. We're keeping our fingers crossed for a fluid experience and a stock Android operating system.
Nokia phones were always known to be great for taking pictures; in 2013, the Nokia Lumia 1020 had a huge 41-megapixel camera. We don't expect this focus to change in Nokia's line-up, and very respectable 13-megapixel back and 5-megapixel front cameras are rumoured to be included.
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However, don't expect to do much gaming on the Nokia 3, as a Snapdragon 425 chipset is rumoured to come with the phone. This is likely to be coupled with a 1.4GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 processor and an Adreno 308 GPU – a perfect combination for browsing the web and watching videos.
Its looks and design are up for debate, but YouTuber "Concept creator" has created a fantastic concept video, showcasing the suggested design, colours and looks of the Nokia 3. Credits to the YouTube content creator for the images.
If the smartphone turns out as good as the one showcased in the concept video showcases, we're in for a treat. With a flush design, that's reminiscent of the Microsoft-era and its sides determining the colours of the smartphone, the Nokia 3 will be an eye-catching budget smartphone. We'd expect to see a few colours on show, with a white, yellow, blue, red and black design on the cards.
We're not sure whether we'll see capacitative buttons or an onscreen button layout, which would allow for most customisation.
We also expect to see a dual-SIM design with 4G capabilities, a micro-USB charging port, a headphone jack and a non-removable battery.