Nokia’s big day has come and gone, and we finally have full visibility on how HMD Global is bringing Nokia back in the garb of Android. A total of four models were launched at MWC 2017 yesterday, and this is what we know about them.
“Pure” Android is a term you’ll now find bandied around after the launch of three Nokia smartphones: Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3. The word “Pure” in this case refers to the stripped-down version of Android’s UI presented in a clean, clear, uncluttered way.
As soon as you see the Nokia smartphones for the first time, what strikes you is the simplicity of the home screen and general user interface. You won’t find a dozen apps on the home page. There’s just one folder with all the basic Google apps, a shortcut for Chrome, a clock and an app drawer.
But the biggest addition is Google Assistant, which, until now, has only been available to Google Pixel, has come to Nokia’s Android phones.
Any of these phones running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or higher will now come with GA as standard.
If that sounds like HMD and Google have been working together to get this done, you’d be right in assuming that. Google is, in fact, “working closely with Android” on Pure, which could be part of Google’s attempt to bring some standardization to Android phones in terms of monthly security updates and so on. This was mentioned by none other than Google’s Jamie Rosenberg at the Nokia launch event at MWC 2017.
Other specs for Nokia’s three smartphones were pretty much spot on when they were leaked. The top-end Nokia 6 is already released to the Chinese market, but will make its appearance on the global stage later this year.
The Nokia 3 and 5 are basically your low-to-mid-range Android smartphones with modest specs.
The phones themselves have a fairly robust design, with specs varying based on the model number. The Nokia 6, for example, has a 5.5-inch screen (IPS LCD) with 440ppi resolution, 64GB of internal storage and a 16MP rear camera. The 5 comes with a 5.2-inch screen and a 13MP rear cam. The 3 has 8MP camera sensors on both sides.
HMD also unveiled the promised reincarnation of Nokia 3310, but it comes with Symbian 30, surprisingly. Arriving in vibrant new colors and a color screen slightly larger than the older monochrome display, this is not going to replace your smartphone. It’s a nostalgic phone, no more, and HMD didn’t give too much of its time at the event for this phone.
The company is clearly after a large chunk of market share once again, and is vocally expressing this objective. Says Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer of HMD Global:
“We are aiming to be one of the top smartphone players in the industry, globally.”
Sarvikas also emphasized the fact that the UI is doing to represent “simplicity, ease of use, quality, and a human touch.”
Nokia isn’t going to storm the smartphone world and flood it with three smartphones and a Symbian memory-jogger this year or next year, but the company behind it now has its sights on a market position near the top of the smartphone world.
Let’s see if the brand name still has enough steam to help propel its new-generation communications devices to the former glory of their predecessors.
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