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MWC19 | Nokia introduces three new budget phones: Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus

All images via HMD Global and Nokia
All images via HMD Global and Nokia
Nokia announced three new budget phones at MWC. The Nokia 1 Plus, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 4.2 are decidedly low-end but are priced accordingly, coming in at US $99, $140, and $170, respectively. The phones will all ship with Android 9.0 Pie and will be a part of the Android One initiative, meaning they will receive software and security updates for at least two years.

Nokia has released some impressive Android handsets over the best year, and the company seems to have a device to fit every budget. Nokia has particularly targeted on the budget and mid-range segments of the market, and the company looks to continue that focus in 2019 with the Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus.

Here are the specifications of the phones:

Nokia 1 Plus (GHz) Nokia 3.2 Nokia 4.2
Display 5.45 in, 480x960 (18:9), 197 ppi 6.26 in, 720x1520 (19:9), 269 ppi 5.71 in, 720x1520 (19:9), 295 ppi
Dimensions 5.71 x 2.77 x 0.34 in (145 x 70.4 x 8.6 mm) 6.28 x 3 x 0.34 in (159.4 x 76.2 x 8.6 mm) 5.87 x 2.81 x 0.33 in (149 x 71.3 x 8.4 mm)
SoC (CPU/GPU) MediaTek MT6739WW (4x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.5 GHz), PowerVR GE8100 Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 (4x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.8 GHz), Adreno 504 Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 (2x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 2.0 GHz, 6x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.45 GHz), Adreno 505
RAM 1 GB 2 or 3 GB 2 or 3 GB
Storage 8 or 16 GB (microSD up to 128 GB) 16 or 32 GB (microSD up to 400 GB) 16 or 32 GB (microSD up to 400 GB)
Camera Rear: 8 MP AF, Front: 5 MP Rear: 13 MP f/2.2 AF, Front: 5 MP f/2.2 wide (27 mm) Rear: 13 MP f/2.2 DPAF & 2 MP depth sensor, Front: 8 MP f/2.0
Battery 2500 mAh Li-Ion (removable) 4000 mAh Li-Ion 3000 mAh Li-Ion
Connectivity microUSB, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack microUSB, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack microUSB, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack
OS Android 9.0 Pie Go Edition Android 9.0 Pie Android 9.0 Pie
Price (in USD) $99 $140 $170

The trio of phones are decidedly budget handsets, and Nokia isn’t shying away from that fact. All three have microUSB charging ports rather than USB Type-C. The switch back to USB Type-C is somewhat curious as many other budget phones (including some from Nokia) have switched over to the newer Type-C standard.

The Nokia 4.2 and 3.2 have dedicated hardware buttons that bring up the Google Assistant when pressed, similar to Samsung’s Bixby button. Otherwise, the handsets are fairly straightforward budget phones, although they do carry on Nokia’s new design language and feature teardrop notches rather than the blocky chunks of yesteryear.

The Nokia 1 Plus is the cheapest of the lot, and it certainly looks like a bottom-tier phone on paper. With only 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of onboard storage (not to mention the weak MediaTek MT6739WW SoC), the phone won’t be winning any performance awards. However, it is running Android Go, which is an ultra-lightweight version of Google’s mobile OS specifically designed for low-specced, low-priced phones like the Nokia 1 Plus.

While the prices listed above are in USD, there’s no confirmation from HMD (Nokia’s parent company) about availability. HMD has a habit of limited releases that vary by nation, so whether or not these three budget phones will make it stateside is anyone’s guess at this point.

Nokia's new trio of budget phones
Nokia's new trio of budget phones
Nokia 1 Plus
Nokia 1 Plus
Nokia 3.2
Nokia 3.2
Nokia 3.2
Nokia 3.2
Nokia 4.2
Nokia 4.2
Nokia 4.2
Nokia 4.2

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2019 02 > Nokia introduces three new budget phones: Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus
Sam Medley, 2019-02-27 (Update: 2019-02-28)