Nokia's four new handsets were revealed at MWC, which began today and continues until Thursday. This morning the Finnish firm opened the 2013 Mobile World Congress which has caused all of the leading and lesser known smartphone makers from around the world to descend upon Barcelona.
Nokia has famously fallen behind in the smartphone race over the past few years but made a crucial return to profit in the last quarter of 2012 (pre-tax profit for the quarter was €375m, compared to a €974m loss last year) and we’re guessing these new releases are part of the plan to increase that even further this year. Clever, aren’t we!?
They’re really attacking the market with all guns blazing; there are four of these little beauties to choose from and they all offer something different. But which Juan would you prefer? Let’s get comparing pronto mi amigo so you can get a-buying! ¡hurra!
Lumia 720
The new Nokia Lumia 720 is a mid-range smartphone which offers some of the most innovative technologies around. Due to its reasonable price-tag, this sleek handset brings advanced features, usually reserved for flagship mobiles and therefore those with cash to splash, to a wider audience. Well done Nokia – you are now crowned the people’s champions!
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the phone is its 6.7megapixel, auto-focus camera. With its f/1.9 aperture and Carl Zeiss optics, it thumps most high end phones in this department (a big aperture simply means that more light gets into the camera, improving the brightness and sharpness of low-light snaps). Running on the Windows 8 operating system with 516MB of RAM, this little beauty offers 8GB of storage and has a microSD slot which can cater for cards of up to 64GB. Some of the most high end phones don’t have this capability, so it’s another win for Nokia here, too. It has a super sensitive 4.3” touchscreen, which is protected behind clear black Gorilla Glass helping boost visibility. The display is also improved by its enhanced sunlight readability. Some other great features include Nokia Music – which offers free, unlimited streaming of playlists – HERE location services and a brilliant snap-on wireless charging cover.
The phone certainly looks the part, too and wouldn’t seem out of place surrounded by the new HTC One, Samsung’s Galaxy or of course the iPhone 5. The polycarbonate body is smooth and gives the phone a seamless quality. It comes in red, white, cyan, black and yellow offering some great alternatives to the usual blacks and greys. It weighs a light 128g.
This phone succeeds in fulfilling Nokia’s aim of creating a lower end model that can compete with the higher end handsets and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing how it goes down with the masses.
Size: 127.9x67.5x9mm
Price: €249 (available from March onwards)
Lumia 520
The Lumia 520 is even better value than the 720. Also operating on Windows 8 and with 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage (almost double that of most smartphones in his price-range) and a microSD card slot; there’s not too much to differentiate the two. One can only assume the 720 is quicker and more efficient (it certainly has a larger battery, 2000mAh compared to the 520’s 1430mAh) and slightly more snazzy looking than this cheaper option.
The camera on this is a little lower spec than the 720’s; at only 5megapixels. However, it benefits from all the other great camera features that make the Lumia range leaders in this field. Like the 720, the 520’s auto-focus camera benefits from Nokia’s digital lenses Cinemagraph – which brings pictures to life with animations and offers easy sharing channels – and SmartShoot – which takes multiple group snaps with a single click allowing you to find the perfect shot (you can even delete people all-together from a shot with this feature; harsh, but a great asset).
It also has the same super sensitive touchscreen technology of the Lumia 920 and 820 and the Nokia Music feature of the 720. This feature is easily upgradable to Nokia Music+ for $3.99 a month which will give you unlimited downloads – as opposed to streaming. It also comes with HERE Drive, Maps and Transit.
Like the other handsets in the Lumia range, the colours are wide-ranging, from cyan to black. On this handset the shells are also changeable which means you can alter the colour depending on your mood. Great for all of you funky characters out there!
Lead Project Manager Mikko Kahlos defines Nokia’s aim with these two Lumia phones: “to give people more value without compromising quality”. Sounds good to us :)
Size: 119.9x64x9.9mm
Price: €139 (release dates TBC)
Nokia 301
The Nokia 301 has been dubbed “the future of the feature phone”. This lower-end handset combines the traditional and much loved ‘candybar’ structure with the design approach of the Lumia smartphone range; available in a variety of colours (including magenta and yellow) and sporting clean lines which give it a modern feel.
This handy little phone comes with a full range of social apps including Facebook, eBuddy, WhatsApp, Twitter and email; an Xpress Browser supporting 3.5G of internet and a 3.2megapixel camera. In true Nokia style, the camera is still pretty nifty offering features such as a self-timer which is useful for taking pics of yourself and your chums, a self-portrait feature which uses voice prompts to help you position the phone for the perfect snap and a panoramic feature. The phone also gives you the option of applying effects and then sharing your snaps on social media. Very modern!
Product Manager Vivian Chan said of this handset: “The Nokia 301 has all the features you want, with 3.5G performance and it will never let you down.” Great for people who don’t want to spend much on a handset, but do want something a little other than just calling and messaging capabilities.
Overall, a smashing little run-around phone.
Price: €65
Nokia 105
Now, we are simply loving the new Nokia 105 for its pure simplicity.
There are an estimated 2.7 billion people in the world who still do not own a smartphone – pretty much because of financial reasons. Nokia are hoping to reduce this figure with this chunky little monkey which is selling for an accessible €15 – the most affordable mobile in Nokia’s current range.
It’s available in cyan and black and comes with a colour screen – wowzers. But let’s not mock, dear readers; this phone does exactly what it says on the tin – and that’s a lot more than many of the more flashy phones around can say. Its main feature is durability; the battery lasts for 12.5 hours talk time and 35 days on standby and the keypad is both dust and splash proof; so it’s great for all you workmen and sportsmen out there.
Although it’s cheap the hardware and software are both tried and tested – there is no drop in quality here. Although it’s a pretty simple phone, it does come with a few extras such as a speaking clock, some pre-loaded games, FM radio and a flashlight.
So, this mobile is for the pretty cash-strapped among us, or for those of us who want a phone that doesn’t need to be wrapped in cotton wool; or for those who simply do not give a damn about the latest specs and features and just want a mobile that makes calls and can send and receive messages, thank you very much. I can’t imagine there are many of you reading this, but if you are – greetings strange peoples!
Price: €15
So, here at OnRecycle we applaud dearly beloved Nokia. They have created a lower priced range of phones that cater for every need; for those of us who want a snazzy and sleek smartphone for social media, snaps and all things high-tech, to those who just want the most basic and good value handset around.
If you do decide to treat yourself to one of these then don’t forget you should recycle your old mobile here with us; it can earn you some quick and easy cash while also saving the environment from all of the horrible toxins contained in your old mobile. Like us on Facebook if you are happy with our services, too.
