Yes, you read that right. Telecommunication giants Nokia, who had been out of the picture for so far long that I for one grew completely oblivious of their existence. Honestly. But Nokia decided to remind me or for that matter, all of us that they’re still alive and kicking by scheduling the launch of several new Mobile Phones in 2017, all apparently running Android.
Why is so obvious you ask?
We all remember the failure that was Windows Phone don’t we? Well, to be honest, they weren’t a complete failure, but the lack of apps and compatibility rendered the phones rather useless towards the end of their time. Now Android is super popular in today’s market. We all know that. Yes, there is a lot of iPhones around, but the universal consensus crowns Android as the more popular one amongst the two. But for Nokia to come back and reign supreme like the good old days where even iPhone cameras would fail to outperform the good old Symbian ones, and even the Android’s couldn’t overclock.
So then what happened?
Microsoft.
That’s what happened.
Financial experts link the downfall of Nokia to the time with their tie-up with Microsoft and the launch of the Nokia Lumia. Although the phones got extremely popular right at the start of their release (I guess their low prices had something to do with it along with the cameras. Oh those cameras) the Nokia Lumia never actually took it off to the next level to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple at the helm of the smartphone pyramid.
Soon Nokia announced that they were selling their Devices and Services division to Microsoft. Which, of course, marked the end of the company’s long drawn reign.
The Finnish company’s unwillingness to embrace drastic change when it was required the most was probably the biggest reason that brought the mobile giant down. The company took way too long to embrace the smartphone revolution, and when it finally did, it made way too many errors in its strategy. First, Nokia tried to compete by simply adding touch to the legacy Symbian – a patch that failed to deliver the fluid user experience of its rivals at the time. Then the switch to Windows Phone was announced way before there was actual hardware ready but ended up mostly killing Symbian sales seven months before Nokia had an alternative to offer. Two mistakes of that magnitude, combined with the considerable delay in jumping to touchscreen were enough to cost the company’s dominant position in the quickly moving market.
And they’re back now?
Yes, sir, they are. The non-compete clause that Nokia previously signed with Microsoft after their sale expires in 2017, thereby giving Nokia a much-needed opening to slide back into the market, But they’re not doing this silently. Oh hell no.
Nokia have announced the release of 10 new phones. Including the revamped classic Nokia 3310 to the market. The phones would have released by the time you’re reading this article but hey!
So here’s a short summary on all the phones Nokia plans to release this year along with a table marking all the expected release dates.
What to expect
Below is a list of the phones Nokia has announced along with their rumored price and release date.
| Mobile Name | Exp. Price | Exp. Release Date |
| Nokia 3 | $150 | 26th Feb 2017 |
| Nokia 5 | $195 | 26th Feb 2017 |
| Nokia 3310 | $53 | 26th Feb 2017 |
| Nokia 6 | $255 | 26th Feb 2017 |
| Nokia D1C | $225 | 2nd March 2017 |
| Nokia E1 | $375 | 2nd March 2017 |
| Nokia EDGE | $675 | 2nd March 2017 |
| Nokia C1 | $300 | 2nd March 2017 |
| Nokia P1 | $525 | 2nd March 2017 |
| Nokia 3310 Dual SIM | $53 | 26th Feb 2017 |
Nokia D1C
The Nokia D1C, set to be released on the 2nd of March 2017 is Nokia’s fresh new hit in the Android market. Rumoured to be running Android Nougat 7.0, Nokia D1C comes in with 3 gigs of RAM and 32GB internal storage. Which seems to be the meta for smartphones these days.
Now the D1C is priced at around $200, so well technically speaking you can term it as a mid budget phones aimed at the masses to try and give a feel of what the new Nokia experience is all about.
Rumored to be available in Gold, Black and White D1C is said to feature a fingerprint sensor, but only in the gold variant.
The release date of D1C has been said to be somewhere around the duration of the Mobile World Congress which will start from the 27th of February and end on the 2nd of March, so expect an announcement around that time.
Feature Set
| Nokia D1C Features | Nokia Android Phone Specifications |
| Display Screen | 5.5 Inch |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Internal Memory [ROM] | 32GB |
| Rear Camera | 13MP |
| Front Camera | 8MP |
| Processor | 1.4 Ghz Snapdragon 430 + Adreno 505 GPU |
| Color Variants | Gold, Black & White |
| Sensor | Built-in Fingerprint (Only in Gold Variant) |
| Body | Metallic |
The Verdict
While the phones has decent specs, the one major let down will be the Snapdragon 430 processor. You can quite easily get a phone with a better processor for around the same price range, the Moto G4+ or the Redmi Note 4 just to name a few.
My gut instinct is not to expect a lot from the camera either, as the D1C is basically a rebrand the HMD Global who are the original manufacturers of the D1C and don’t quite have the capabilities of the original Nokia phones.
All said and done the D1C isn’t really a huge game changer. Sure, you can go out and pick it up if you’re a massive Nokia fan and want to check out what the new phones have to offer. But you’re again more likely to end up discarding it in a year or two.
Not a great future for this one.
Rating: 6.9/10
Nokia E1
The Nokia E1 is said to be an upgrade on the D1C but honestly, I fail to see how.
With 2 gigs of RAM and just 16GB of Internal storage the phone looks more like a downgrade than an upgrade. But it definitely is one where the processor is concerned. The E1 comes with a Snapdragon 425 which is a bit better that the 430 in the D1C but not a super significant update. The camera too isn’t much of an upgrade coming in with 13MP back camera and a 5MP front camera, which in fact again is worse than the 8MP the D1C has.
The price of the phone is completely unjustified.
Feature Set
| Nokia E1 Specs | Details |
| Display Screen Size | 5.2 / 5.3-inch |
| Processor | 1.4 GHz
Snapdragon 425 Adreno 308 GPU |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Memory | 16GB |
| Front Selfie Camera | 5MP |
| Rear Primary Camera | 13MP |
| Battery Power | 2700 mAh |
| OS | Android Nougat 7.0 |
| SIM | 2G / 3G / 4G (Dual Nano) |
| Price | $395 (Expected) |
The Verdict
Below average.
That’s what this is.
For the price you pay for this phone you can genuinely guy two other which will perform much better and come in with a truckload of more feature. I have no clue where Nokia are heading with this one. The specs are of the D1C trump the E1 in all but a few positions, wonder what was going on in the heads of the marketing team over at Nokia with the pricing way off.
Rating: 4.0
Nokia EDGE
Nokia EDGE is the rumored “flagship” phone Nokia will be putting out to compete with the likes of Apple’s iPhone 7, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and the Google Pixel.
Touted a premium handset the EDGE does actually come in with some of the more premium features. The one problem again, will be the RAM with EDGE giving users just 4 gigs, whereas phones like the OnePlus 3 have already implemented 6GB RAM into their system. The phone comes with a 23MP rear camera which is sure to go down well with the photography lovers. The specs do well enough to compete with the like of S7 EDGE but how the phone performs in the market we will have to wait and see.
Feature Set
| Nokia EDGE Specification | Features & Details |
| Screen resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Display Type | IPS LCD |
| Screen size | 5.5 inches |
| CPU | Octa Core 2.3 GHz |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB |
| Camera | 23/8 Mega Pixels |
| Camera Features | Geo Tagging |
The Verdict
Nokia EDGE looks like a safe bet to do well in the market with a premium feature to match up with the top notch phones. However, as said before the one disappointing thing is the 4GB RAM. I mean sure, even the S7 EDGE comes in with 4GB of RAM, but I wanted to see more there from a “premium” phone. Otherwise, the phone will go down well with the consumer base.
Side Note: The phone looks LIT with it’s rounded off screen coming onto the back of the phone, will be looking forward to this one for sure.
Rating: 7.5
Nokia C1
Nokia C1 is another mid-range phones Nokia plan to release come the 2nd of March 2017. The one key feature of this phones is the the Snapdragon 652 it comes encrusted with. That’s the same as the Nokia EDGE a phone that’s rumored to cost more than twice the price of this one which is said to be priced at around $200. The phone comes with a camera that fits the meta today (i.e. 13MP/5MP) but as seen with many of these new phones the RAM provided is pretty much lower compared to the phones in/below the price category, the C1 comes in with just 2GB of RAM which is surprisingly low for a phone you’re supposed to pay 200 bucks for.
Feature Set
| Nokia C1 Specification | Features & Details |
| Screen resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Display Type | IPS LCD |
| Screen size | 5.5 inches |
| CPU | Octa Core 2.3 GHz |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB |
| Camera | 13/5 MP |
| Camera Features | Geo Tagging |
The Verdict
Not worth it.
As has been the case with so many other of these phones the price doesn’t warrant the quality of the product that’s being given to the consumer. The C1 would’ve a pretty good budget phone if not for the lacking RAM. Don’t get me wrong, 2GB is good enough for the average user but not good enough given the price one is expected to pay. Not really expecting a lot from C1.
Rating: 5.7
Nokia P1
This is for the real hardcore Nokia fans, the ones who want to see the brand fighting its way back up to the top. The Nokia P1 is Nokia’s top drawer launch this March. With 6GB (Yes, finally!) , a Snapdragon 835 and a whopping 24MP camera the P1 is genuinely one of the top phones which will be out this summer. The specs match and/or beat those of the current market leaders a.k.a Pixel/S7 but so does the price tag. For consumers not worried about shelling out the $800 the phone is the premium experience you’ve been craving.
Feature Set
| Nokia P1 Specs | Features |
| Display Screen | 5.3 Inch |
| Rear Primary Camera | 24 MP |
| Front Selfie Camera | 8 MP |
| Processor | Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540 GPU |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Connectivity | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE |
| Internal Memory | 128 GB
256 GB |
| Battery | 3500 mAh |
| OS | Android 7.0 |
| Price | $800 |
The Verdict
The P1 is the best phone Nokia plan to release this summer and boy has it got me salivating. Once you get past the price tag you’re sure to discover a phone that can quite literally compete with everything you’ve ever seen. The 24MP camera seems like a complimentary feature looking at the specs you see with the P1. The sales of this phone, in my opinion will determine how well Nokia does with this re-release.
Really looking forward to the P1.
Rating: 8.4
Nokia 3
Nokia 3 is Nokia’s jibe at the “low-end” market. The phone, priced at around $150 is “aimed to provide a premium experience for a minimal price”. While not the premium experience one is looking for, the Nokia 3 is a semi-average phone which again, in my opinion has been overpriced by Nokia. The phone comes with 2GB of RAM and a Mediatek MTK6737 processor along with a 8/8 camera. Again look around well enough and you can find a phone which will give you better specs at a lower/ the same price. The Redmi Note 4 being one coming right off the top of my head. Another phone whose price doesn’t justify the contents. What’s up Nokia?
Full specifications
| Nokia 3 Specs | Features |
| Display | 5.0″ IPS LCD |
| OS | Android Nougat |
| Processor | MTK 6737 |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Memory | 16 GB |
| Front Selfie Camera | 8 MP |
| Rear Camera | 8 MP |
| Battery Power | 2650 mAh |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, 3G, 2G |
| Colors | Silver White
Matte Black Tempered Blue Copper White |
The Verdict
As mentioned before the price does not at all justify the specifications of the phone. Considering the market at this time one can get a phone which works performs better than the Nokia 3. Something that doesn’t speak volumes regarding the pricing that Nokia have come out with during the launch. The Mediatek processor, although not the worst, isn’t the best and that will end up showing with times with the buyers.
Rating: 4.2
Nokia 5
The Nokia 5 comes in with specs not too dissimilar to that of the Nokia 3. But the difference of course being the Snapdragon 430 processor that it comes in with. The phone has 2 gigs of RAM and 16GB of internal storage and comes with a 16/8 MP camera which could well be considered one of the standout features of the Nokia 5. Not much is there to be gushing about. So don’t be expecting a lot from this one. Again Nokia seem to have overpriced a lot of their phones this launch.
Feature Set
| Nokia 5 Specification | Features |
| Display | 5.2″ IPS LCD |
| OS | Android 7.1.1 |
| Processor | Snapdragon 430 |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 16 GB |
| Front Camera | 8 MP |
| Primary Camera | 16 MP |
| Battery Power | 3000 mAh |
| Network | 4G LTE, 3G , 2G |
| SIM | Single, Dual |
| Colors | Tempered Blue
Silver Matte Black Copper |
The Verdict
Let’s put it this way. The Nokia 5 isn’t a big upgrade on the Nokia 3 but still it’s priced around a 100 dollars more than the Nokia 3. Which really seems to be a trend being followed by Nokia with the launch of their phones. Overpriced phones. Given the options you have in the same price category you could, as I have said I don’t know how many times in this review, get a better phone for much cheaper price.
Not as bad as the Nokia 3 but not a significant upgrade, definitely not worth the extra 100 dollars.
Rating: 6.2
Nokia 6
The hype is real with Nokia 6. The phone has been hyped to the levels where even the dab or the bottle flip seem irrelevant. I’m serious. This is the phone everyone and their mother is talking about. So what’s all the hype all about?
Being touted as the “affordable pixel” is pretty much the base behind all the hype surrounding it.
The phone comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. To celebrate the release of the phone HMD has announced a brand new Arte Black model which features 4GB RAM and 64Gb storage. The phone contains a Snapdragon 430 which clocks in at 1.4GHz. The camera is acually similar to the Nokia 5 with a 16 and 8 MP combination.
Feature Set
- Body: Metal unibody
- Screen: 5.5″ IPS LCD, 1080p, 2.5D Gorilla Glass, 450nits
- Chipset: Snapdragon 430, octa-core Cortex-A53 at 1.4GHz, Adreno 505
- Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB storage; microSD slot; Arte Black model with 4GB/64GB
- OS: Android 7.1 Nougat, clean and untouched
- Camera: 16MP (f/2.0, 1.0µm), Phase detection AF, dual tone flash
- Video: 1080p
- Selfie: 8MP (f/2.0, 1.12µm), 84° FoV
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Misc: Stereo speakers, fingerprint reader, free Google Photos storage (full resolution)
- Price: $230, Arte Black is $300
The Verdict
Is it overhyped? I don’t really think so. Unlike the other models Nokia plans to release this one seems pretty effectively priced. And worth the money, dare I say.
The Arte Black model seems like the deal with a premium feature set at a mid-range price. Do expect the Nokia 6 to do pretty well in the market.
Rating: 7.5
Nokia 3310
Finally, HMD, the new parent company behind Nokia phones, didn’t skip on the opportunity to ride the nostalgia wave and reincarnate the legendary Nokia 3310 for a second go on the 2017 mobile scene. Opinions are sure to be divided with the release of the 3310 but it’s sure to provide one a decent trip down the memory lane.
Whisper it quietly but they say that the snake game has been reinvented. (YAAAAAAYYYY)
Feature Set
Body: Plastic 115.6 x 51 x 12.8 mm; 79.6g
Screen: 2.4-ich 240 x 320 pixel LCD
Memory: 16MB storage; microSD slot
OS: Nokia Series 30+
Camera: 2MP, single LED flash
Battery: 1,200mAh removable
Price: $49
The Verdict
The 3310 is definitely one good trip down memory lane. The decision to release a feature phone in the age of smartphones is quite a risky one by Nokia but it’s definitely not gonna be leading the sales charts. Or is it?
Rating: A 10/10 for effort 😉
In conclusion
As said previously the phones are somewhat overpriced for what they are giving out bar one or two exceptions. Nokia 6 is my choice for frontrunner in sales followed by the P1 which is a phone even I will be looking forward to.
Looking to buy any of the above mentioned phones?
Already bought one and want to let the world know what you think of it?
Comment down below!
Image Credits: Nokia.com