Nokia’s phone naming convention is becoming more and more obscure.
What you need to know
- During CES 2022, HMD Global released four new smartphones: Nokia G400 (US$239), Nokia G100 (US$149), Nokia C200 (US$119) and Nokia C100 (US$99).
- G400 is the only 5G model with an amazing 120Hz refresh rate and 6GB of memory.
- It also plans to release a new flip phone, the 2760 Flip priced at $79.
- All these new phones will be released in the first half of 2022.
- In an interview with Android Authority, the company acknowledged its failure in launching Android 11.
Most recent Nokia phones fall into the category of $300 or less, offering simple software and competent specifications at an affordable entry point. Mobile phones such as Nokia G20 and Nokia X100 have left a good impression.
By 2022, HMD Global seems to be doubling down on the budget smartphone category, releasing phones that almost anyone can afford, and cooperating with more operators. At CES 2022, HMD Global announced two new mid-range “G” phones and two ultra-cheap “C” phones.
Breaking down Nokia’s lineup in early 2022
The most promising model is the $239 Nokia G400. It will be equipped with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display and 120Hz refresh rate, which many mid-range phones and basically all cheap phones lack. With a 48MP main sensor, a solid 5,000mAh battery, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage space, it is completely respectable in this price range.
It will also support 5G connectivity-a bit rare for this price point-and in addition to HMD’s usual partners (T-Mobile and TracFone), it will also work with some new operators (Dish Wireless and Consumer Cellular) . And it may come with Android 12 out of the box.
Nokia G20
We don’t yet know what chip it will be equipped with, but the G400 sounds very similar in specifications to the X100, which is another $250 phone. G400 is 40 dollars more expensive than G20, cheaper than G50, and the price is about the same as X100. G400 shows how complicated Nokia’s naming scheme has become. Nevertheless, it is still an interesting phone we look forward to testing.
At the same time, the US$149 Nokia G100 will be downgraded to a 6.5-inch HD+ screen and 4G connection, but retain the same 5,000mAh battery. We have no other specifications, but at this price point, it may only have 4GB of RAM and a slower refresh rate. Both G400 and G100 will be released sometime in the first half of 2022.
Nokia also released the C200 at $119 and the C100 at $99. Of the two, C100 seems to be more attractive, thanks to the 5.45-inch compact screen for those who like small phones. It will have real budget specifications, from an 8MP main camera to a 3,000mAh battery, but when it launches in the first quarter of 2022, it will easily rank among the best Android phones under $100.
As for the C200, it will be equipped with a 6.1-inch display and a 4,000 mAh battery, making it a more traditional-sized cheap phone.
We don’t yet know how many updates these phones will receive or which chipsets will use, but we are cautiously optimistic about them. Recent Nokia phones tend to include popular perks such as expandable storage, 3.5mm headphone jack, Google Assistant button and dual SIM card support. Discovering these features at such a low price will be a privilege that many Android users will like.
Nokia will also release a new feature phone, the 2760 Flip, in the first quarter of 2021, mainly for the elderly.
Admit past mistakes
In an interview with Android Authority, HMD CMO Stephan Taylor admitted that it did not perform well in handling Android 11 updates last year.
As one of the slowest original equipment manufacturers to update mobile phones, Nokia Mobile often lags behind its promised update roadmap and fails to provide promised updates to Nokia 9 Pureview.
“We have not been so successful with the launch of Android 11, and I think we have learned a lesson from it,” Taylor said.
According to Android Authority, Taylor attributed its slow launch to Nokia “not part of the Android 11 beta program” and its “broad device portfolio.” It is fair to say that Nokia released a large number of mobile phones in 2020 and 2021, which may make it difficult to provide updates to all phones quickly.
Compared with previous years, the phones released by Nokia belong to the budget category, and most other companies rarely provide timely updates. This reduces the time constraints of HMD, and at the same time makes it easier to create software that works on all phones at the same time.
“As we move forward, of course from a global perspective, our equipment level is more concentrated, and we are already in the Android 12 beta plan,” Taylor said. Given that we have seen stable versions of Android 12 for X20, X10 and G50, it can be said that the launch of HMD this year has been much smoother.
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