Nokia presents three new smartphones and relaunches the Nokia 5310
HMD Global presented three new smartphones and a feature phone via livestream. While the Nokia 8.3 5G is supposed to have fast Internet worldwide, the Nokia 5.3 and Nokia 1.3 are significantly cheaper. The Nokia 5310 is the next new edition of a classic.
After the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was cancelled, HMD Global - the company behind the Nokia smartphones - was actually planning to present its new smartphones at smaller events. These have also been cancelled due to the current developments. Therefore, instead of a first personal impression, here are just the most important facts about the devices.
Nokia 8.3 5G: 5G all over the world
According to the manufacturer, the special thing about the Nokia 8.3 5G is that it covers all 5G bands in the world. No other model offers this yet, making it the first 5G smartphone that can be used worldwide. The whole thing is packaged in a housing with an aluminium inner frame and a back made of Gorilla Glass. The colour design is reminiscent of Nokia's Finnish roots and is intended to evoke the Northern Lights.
At the front, you are looking at a 6.81-inch display with a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. In the top left corner of the touchscreen is a hole for the front camera with a resolution of 24 megapixels. Behind the screen is the Snapdragon 765G and eight gigabytes of RAM inside the Nokia 8.3 5G. The internal memory is 128 gigabytes and you can expand it with a microSD card.
The operating system used is Android 10 and the Nokia 8.3 5G, like all current Nokia smartphones, is part of the Android One programme. This means that the smartphone runs Android in its original version, without any additional pre-installed apps. In addition to a tidy user interface after switching on, this means above all comparatively fast and guaranteed software updates. Security updates are available for three years and updates to the operating system for two years. In this case, Android 11 and Android 12.
There are four cameras on the back of the Nokia 8.3 5G. These are a main camera with a resolution of 64 megapixels and an ultra-wide-angle camera with 12 megapixels. There is also a depth of field camera and a macro camera with two megapixels each. HDM Global hopes to score points here with its software and has given the smartphone an action camera mode and "Cinematic Effects". You should be able to colour grade videos after recording.
Other features of the Nokia 8.3 5G include a battery with a large capacity of 4500 mAh, which you can charge via a USB-C port. There is also a 3.5 mm connection for headphones, a fingerprint sensor and a button for launching the Google Assistant.
HMD Global plans to sell the Nokia 8.3 5G from the summer. The recommended retail price in Germany is 649 euros and 599 francs in Switzerland.
Nokia 5.3: mid-range smartphone with large battery
HMD Global is renewing its mid-range smartphone with the Nokia 5.3. It also runs Android 10 in its original form without any additional pre-installed apps. The Snapdragon 665 and four gigabytes of RAM await you under the bonnet. Not exciting, but this should usually be enough computing power for everyday use. You can expand the 64 gigabyte internal memory with a microSD card if required. At first glance, the display could be the sticking point. With a diagonal of 6.55 inches, it only has an HD+ resolution of 1600×720 pixels.
There are four cameras on the back of the Nokia 5.3: main camera (13 megapixels), ultra-wide-angle camera (5 megapixels), macro camera (2 megapixels) and a camera for depth of field for portrait shots with bokeh. The front camera in the cut-out in the display takes selfies with 8 megapixels.
The battery of the Nokia 5.3 has a capacity of 4000 mAh and you charge it via a USB-C port. A fingerprint sensor and a 3.5 mm connection for headphones are also available and there is an extra button to start the Google Assistant.
The Nokia 5.3 will be available at the beginning of May. The recommended retail prices are 209 euros and 199 francs.
Nokia 1.3: Android Go
The Nokia 1.3 is the cheapest of the new smartphones from HMD Global. The "Go Edition" of Android 10 is available especially for such devices with weak hardware. It places fewer demands on performance and takes up less storage space. However, there is already the assurance that the 1.3 will receive the update to Android 11 Go Edition.
The 5.71-inch display of the Nokia 1.3 has an HD+ resolution of 1520×720 pixels. The Snapdragon 215 chipset and one gigabyte of RAM are installed inside. You should be prepared for longer loading times and not want to play any graphically demanding games. However, these are also limited by the internal memory of just 16 gigabytes - even if it can be expanded with a microSD card.
The single camera on the back takes photos with eight megapixels and the front camera takes selfies with five megapixels. The battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh and is charged via a micro USB port. There is no fingerprint sensor, but there is a headphone connection, Bluetooth and GPS. However, you will have to do without NFC. In other words: contactless payment is not possible with the Nokia 1.3.
HMD Global plans to sell the 1.3 from the beginning of April, in Germany for a recommended retail price of 109 euros, in Switzerland for 99 francs.
Nokia 5310: Back from the past
HMD Global is revitalising classic Nokia mobiles with the "Nokia Originals". This time, the choice has fallen on the Nokia 5310, which long ago was a mobile phone with a focus on music with the addition "Xpress Music". Two front speakers and an in-built FM radio should do justice to this in the new edition. However, there is no Spotify or other streaming services with the Nokia S30+ operating system. You can listen to MP3s, but only from a microSD card with a maximum capacity of 32 gigabytes. The internal memory is only 16 megabytes. That's not a typo, it really is megabytes.
The battery only has a capacity of 1200 mAh, but should last 30 days in standby mode. It is charged via a micro USB port and headphones can be connected via a 3.5 mm port or Bluetooth. However, as the Nokia 5310 only supports Bluetooth 3.0, you have to be prepared for poorer sound than with smartphones that support newer standards.
If HMD Global has its way, you will be able to purchase the Nokia 5310 in March. The price was quoted at 39 euros, although the exact details for individual countries were still missing and the other devices presented in Germany and Switzerland were slightly higher. <p
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.