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The latest Nokia Android handsets are easy on the wallet

The latest Nokia Android handsets are easy on the wallet

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A mid-range refresh

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Nokia 5.1
Nokia 5.1
Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

HMD Global, the Finnish company that licensed the rights to produce Nokia phones, originally launched a trio of Android-powered Nokia handsets last year. Sales seem to be going in the right direction, and now HMD is updating its Nokia-branded mid-range and budget smartphones today, with a trio of handsets that are designed to bring some of the more premium phone aspects down to more affordable price points.

Nokia 5.1

The Nokia 5 from last year was one of the more impressive out of the mid-range offerings from HMD, and this year is no different. The updated Nokia 5.1 now includes a slightly larger 5.5-inch HD+ display (18:9 and 443ppi), and HMD has moved the fingerprint sensor to the rear. Inside there’s a 2GHz Mediatek octa-core processor, 2GB or 3GB of RAM, and 16GB or 32GB of storage.

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HMD is introducing a new copper color option, alongside the usual blue and black matte finishes. The Nokia 5.1 feels and looks like a subtle upgrade from last year’s model, and it maintains the aluminum and curved glass aesthetics. HMD has also moved the antennas to the top and bottom of the phone to improve need for giant ugly antenna lines. At the rear there’s now an improved 16-megapixel camera, along with an 8-megapixel wide angle front-facing camera.

The Nokia 5.1 will be available in July, priced at 189 euros ($218) for the 2GB RAM / 16GB storage variant, or 219 euros ($252) for the 3GB of RAM / 32GB storage version.

Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1

Alongside the Nokia 5.1, HMD is also refreshing the Nokia 3 and Nokia 2. The Nokia 3 has been the “most successful model in our smartphone lineup to date” according to HMD marketing chief Neil Broadley. The new Nokia 3.1 update includes a 5.2-inch HD display (18:9), with a 1.5GHz Mediatek octa-core processor, 2GB or 3GB of RAM, and 16GB or 32GB of storage.

While the original Nokia 3 had an 8-megapixel camera, HMD is increasing this to 13-megapixels at the rear and an 8-megapixel wide angle front-facing camera. Just like the Nokia 5.1, the Nokia 3.1 is also an Android One device so it will get monthly security updates for three years. The Nokia 3.1 will be available in June priced at 139 euros ($160) for the 2GB of RAM / 16GB of storage model, and 169 euros ($195) for the 3GB of RAM / 32GB of storage variant.

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HMD’s final refreshed device is the Nokia 2.1. Much like the original Nokia 2, it still includes a large 4,000 mAh battery to provide a claim of two-day battery life. HMD has also increased the screen size by 20 percent to a 5.5-inch HD display, and inside there’s a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage. While there’s only 4GB of usable storage, the Nokia 2.1 is running Android Oreo Go so the built-in Google apps will take up less space. There’s also support for microSD cards, if you inevitably need some additional storage. The Nokia 2.1 will be available in July priced at $115, and will be primarily available in emerging markets.