At some point, many of us owned a Nokia phone. Before the age of smartphones and phablets, Nokia reigned supreme. There was a reason for this. The phone was simple and did what was needed. It was well made and the battery lasted forever.
HMD Global who now owns the Nokia brand have struggled to make waves in the smartphone space for awhile but they seem to have hit gold with their latest offering: an entry level no fuss smartphone in the form of the Nokia 2.3.
Back to basics
This is an entry level device. It costs less than R2000. That right there is possibly the best part about the Nokia 2.3, because at that price point it does hit above its weight. It’s super affordable while still delivering on more than you’d expect. Reminding me of the Nokia of yesteryear – the phone is simple and straight to the point. In the box you’ll get the phone, a nifty plastic colour and the Micro USB charger. The phone is available in black, turquoise and sand. It’s a bulky device with a 6.2″ 1520 x 720 pixel HD+ display. I realise most folks like them chunky these days.
Nokia wins
Here’s where the Nokia 2.3 shines.
The price is phenomenal.
The battery will last you up to 2 days with reasonably hard usage. Which is damn decent if you ask me.
It’s an Android 10 ready and comes with stock standard Android. No bloatware. It’s a simple straight forward phone and I love it for it.
There’s a dedicated Google Assistant button I never use.
The phone allows for 2 nano sims and a microSD. There’s 32B of storage and basic facial recognition that works fairly well. For a 2k phone I wasn’t expecting much camera wise but was pleasantly surprised. The phone is full of these rad features including “Recommended Shots” that utilises AI to help you take the best shots. There’s a 15MP camera with a 2MP depth sensor and you’ll get decent pictures. The 5MP selfie cam also has a wide angle lens which I really liked.
Final thoughts
As far as entry level devices go this is a goodie. Nokia has figured out the right mix of low price point but useful features. The simplicity of the phone is a breathe of fresh air in a world of bloating. It’s a (not so) little work horse that will keep you happy and get the job done. And at the price it’s a winner. Plain and simple (the way I love my Nokias).
Disclosure: I was sent a Nokia 2.3 to review. Not to keep. It is returned now.
