CheckMag | 5 great Nokia phones made by HMD Global including the Nokia 9 PureView

HMD Global has a large portfolio of Nokia phones, but some have left a bigger mark than others.

When HMD Global took on the job of producing Nokia-branded phones, it wasn’t limited to just smartphones. The Finnish company also capitalized on the powerful effect of nostalgia by remaking some of the old classic Nokia feature phones. The Nokia 3310 was the first of such classic phones to be resurrected.

Brandishing a new and modern design, the Nokia 3310 (2017) had little in common with the original released in the year 2000. It had a color display, a 2 MP rear camera, a MicroSD card slot, optional dual SIM, Bluetooth, and a bigger battery capacity to drive all of these modern features. HMD Global also released a 4G variant in 2018 that could also connect to the internet and be used as a portable hotspot. The Nokia 3310 did retain the alphanumeric keypad common to most feature phones and also came preloaded with a modern version of the classic Snake Xenzia game.

The Nokia 8 was the first flagship smartphone launched by HMD Global. Released in August 2017, the Nokia 8 hit market shelves with a Snapdragon 835 processor, the same chip that powered two of its biggest rivals, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel 2. The Nokia 8 also had a sharp 5.3-inch QHD+ LCD panel, dual rear cameras with Zeiss optics, a front-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3090 mAh battery, and support for 18 W fast charging.

The Nokia 8 had some pretty interesting features. One of them is OZO 3D Audio, which allows users to record high-quality video audio. Another notable feature is ‘Dual Sight’ which lets users record a video or take a photo using both the front and rear camera at the same time.

The Nokia 8 was a good first attempt at an Android flagship, still, it faced tough competition from the Galaxy S8, and Pixel 2, and the OnePlus 5T.

The Nokia 9 PureView might as well be the pinnacle of HMD Global’s release on one hand, and on the other hand, is also the device that highlighted the shortcomings of HMD Global. Before its launch in March 2019, the Nokia 9 PureView was already receiving a lot of attention when rumors of its penta-camera system first surfaced.

When it did launch, it was a mixed bag. It had five 12MP rear cameras, three of which were monochrome and two which were RGB sensors. It also had a sixth 3D ToF camera and a 20MP front-facing camera. There was no ultrawide angle camera nor did it have a telephoto camera. It also couldn’t record 4K videos at 60 fps and lacked optical image stabilization when recording.

Among the other issues that plagued the Nokia 9 PureView, a major one was its in-display fingerprint scanner which initially didn’t work well. Following an update that was supposed to fix it, it got worse and could be unlocked not only with unregistered fingerprints but unusual objects such as a packet of chewing gum. The Nokia 9 PureView also suffered from poor software support. For a flagship phone that launched with Android 9 Pie, the Nokia 9 only received one OS upgrade (to Android 10).

The Nokia XR20 launched as HMD Global’s first rugged smartphone, but unlike a lot of rugged phones, this is actually good-looking and not too bulky. As expected for a rugged phone, the Nokia XR20 launched with an IP68 dust- and water resistance rating. It also had a Gorilla Glass Victus-protected display, a feature that was found on flagships, but was available on the mid-range Nokia XR20. It was also scratch-resistant, shockproof, could withstand extreme temperatures, and could be easily cleaned with soap and water.

The Nokia XR20 wasn’t just designed to take a beating, HMD Global also promised better software support for it than its other phones. The Nokia XR20 launched with Android 11 with the promise of 3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates. Other notable features include wireless charging, a programmable top button, and a loop for a lanyard.

If you are on the search for a rugged phone that looks stylish, then you should check out the Nokia XR21 (curr. $499 on Amazon), a successor to the Nokia XR20. It has a bit smaller form factor, a better build, a more powerful chipset, a 120Hz display, a bigger battery capacity, and faster charging.

The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio is the only other feature phone that makes this list. While it isn’t technically a remodel of a specific classic Nokia phone, the design of the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio pays homage to the Nokia XpressMusic series of phones of the old Nokia era with its playback and volume buttons that flank each side of its screen.

However, what made the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio stand out from its peers is the in-built earbuds. Hidden behind a slider on the back, the earbuds could not only be used with the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio but could be paired with other devices. When not in use, owners can simply store them in the rear compartment where they’d recharge and be available for use again.