Microsoft has a new Nokia phone in store, as the company has just announced the Nokia 215 as its "most affordable Internet-ready phone yet."
While Microsoft has officially ditched the "Nokia" moniker from the flagship Lumia lineup, the Nokia brand continues to live on in the mobile space nonetheless. The launch of the Nokia 215 on Monday, Jan. 5, is living proof of that, so here's what you need to know about the latest handset.
The Nokia 215 is a dirt-cheap phone priced at just $29, targeting emerging markets. The phone will hit the Middle East, Africa, and Asia later this year, and a European launch is in the cards as well.
"With a price tag of just $29 before taxes and subsidies, Nokia 215 is our most affordable Internet-ready entry-level phone yet, perfectly suited for first-time mobile phone buyers or as a secondary phone for just about anyone," Microsoft touts in its announcement on the Lumia Conversations blog.
As the price tag suggests, the Nokia 215 is a lower-end feature phone with entry-level specs all around. On the software side, the handset will run Nokia's Series 30 operating system, but it will allow users to access many popular applications such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as the Opera Mini browser. Compared to the $25 Nokia 130 phone Microsoft launched in August, the new Nokia 215 is notably better, as it at least has Internet connectivity. The Nokia 215 also comes in a dual-SIM variant.
As expected from a feature phone, the Nokia 215 will also deliver a long battery life, lasting for 29 or 21 days on standby for the single-SIM and dual-SIM models, respectively, and 20 hours of talk time.
The long battery life, coupled with the microSD support that allows for up to 32GB of external storage, will also allow the Nokia 215 to serve as an MP3 player, which is a notable plus.
The new Nokia 215 will be available in three color options - Bright Green, Black, and White - and will start shipping in the first quarter of this year. In the meantime, check out the video below to learn more about the device and see it in action.
