At IFA this year, HMD Global have announced a new set of Nokia phones, as well as a new tablet and a subscription service aimed at improving sustainability – though it’s only launching in limited markets – and a new range of accessories.
HMD Global are pushing for sustainability on their devices, with a 3-3-3 approach – 3 years warranty – 3 Years OS Updates – 3 years security updates. In the hopes of incentivising users to hold onto their devices longer, they’ve launched a new subscription service called Circular, offering eco-friendly rewards.
For a monthly fee, users will be able to change devices with the Circular program redistributing devices when customers do eventually upgrade them, with the older phones and tablets being either recycled, refurbished, re-subscribed or offered to charitable organisations. The subscription service will also cover accidental damage, loss, or theft, with a quick replacement arranged if necessary.
Florian Seiche, CEO, HMD Global, said of the Circular launch
“At HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, we want people to keep their phones for longer and this can be seen across three areas. We have introduced Circular, a truly circular subscription model that rewards people who extend the lifecycle of their phones. We build our devices with more recycled materials and continue to boost our longevity heritage with software and security updates. And we are working hard to live this approach as a company, with our business-wide sustainability pledges that shows our commitment to continue to work harder to protect tomorrow.”
The subscription service will only launch in the UK and Germany at this stage, and there’s no information on whether it will eventually launch here in Australia, but if it goes well in Europe, it could find its way here.
Starting at the top, the Nokia X30 is the flagship release as their most eco-friendly smartphone yet with HMD Global maintaining that this has created ‘no compromise on performance’ – to promote customers keeping their phones longer, they’re offering a 3-year warranty and 3 years of updates including both security and OS updates as well.
The phone itself offers Nokia’s best ever Pureview Camera, says HMD Global, with a dual-camera array with a 50MP main sensor with OIS and paired with a 13MP Ultra-Wide sensor and a 16MP front-facing camera.
There’s a big 6.43” FHD+ AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate on the front and underneath it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC with 5G support. The phone will offer all-day battery with a 4,200mAh battery which has been rated for up to 800 charging cycles without diminishing and supports QuickCharge 3.0 with 33W fast-charging support.
HMD Global will make the Nokia X30 available in Cloudy Blue and Ice White starting from $799 AUD in two configurations, either 6GB/128GB storage or 8GB with 256GB of storage.
The phone is manufactured from 100% recycled aluminium and 94% recycled plastic, with ‘more responsible packaging’ which is more compact in size, the packaging uses 100% FSC-certified and 70% recycled paper box so they have a good claim in that department.
For those wanting a more affordable option, which is still sustainably crafted and comes with a long life, the Nokia G60 Sustainably crafted with industry leading longevity promises supporting their ‘3-3-3’ promise offering three years of Android OS upgrades, three years of monthly security updates and an extended three-year warranty at no extra cost.
The Nokia G60 has a large 6.58” display FHD+ resolution, 120Hz display on the front – though it’s not an AMOLED panel like the X30. There’s a triple rear camera setup on the rear also with a 50MP main sensor, but with a 5MP Ultra-wide camera and 2MP depth sensor and there’s also an 8MP front-facing camera.
The phone will be powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G SoC as the X30, and come with 6GB RAM and 128GB of on-board storage for $549. The Nokia G60 will come with a 4500mAh battery also rated at 800 charging cycles and supports QuickCharge 2.0 with 20W fast charging support.
At the budget end of the range, the Nokia C31 also delivers on durability with a long-lasting three-day battery life and comes with a 2-year warranty with 2 years of security updates.
The phone includes a large 6.7” HD+ resolution panel on the front, with a triple rear camera setup on the rear featuring a 13MP main sensor with 2MP ultrawide and 2MP depth sensor, and 5MP front camera – all of which use ‘Camera from Google’ for better image quality.
The Nokia C31 is powered by a Unisoc 9863A1 SoC and has been announced in a range of memory options including both 3GB/4GB RAM and 32/64/128GB of on-board storage, though HMD Global haven’t announced the local specifics as yet – but we’ll hear more when it arrives later this year.
The phone is powered by a 5050mAh battery and supports 10W charging.
The Nokia C31 is IP52 certified, so it can take a little splash if needs be and will come in three colour options: Mint, Charcoal and Cyan.
Moving to tablets, the Nokia T21 takes up where the T20 – announced last year – leaves off, offering a reliable tablet for the whole family.
The tablet has included a number of requested features including HD video streaming, voice calling and NFC payment capability – letting you scan NFC tags or take NFC payments on the go. There’s also Active Stylus support – though there’s no Nokia branded stylus coming, but it will support 3rd party USI active pens.
Manufactured from Aluminium there’s a Unisoc T612 processor and has been announced with 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of on-board storage with microSD card (up to 512GB) for expanding storage. It will also be available in both 4G and Wifi models.
The Nokia T21 includes a large 10.4” 2K resolution display and can be paired with a PC as a secondary display to expand your workspace.
The tablet includes an 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera and comes with a large 8200mAh battery which also supports up to 800 recharging cycles without degradation. The tablet can be charged with an 18W Fast Charging with support for PD3.0.
Launching with Android 12, the Nokia T21 tablet will receive two years of Android OS software upgrades to make sure it remains fresh and up to three years of monthly security updates.
HMD Global have confirmed the Nokia T21 will make its way down under in Q4 in a Charcoal Gray colour, but haven’t announced pricing at this stage.
Nokia likes you to be able to pair your new phone and tablet with some nice accessories, so they’ve announced a new portable speaker and set of wireless earbuds as well this year. Both devices are made of High levels of recycled materials, building out Nokia’s commitment to sustainability.
The Nokia Portable Wireless Speaker 2 offers big sound, using 45mm/5W drivers and up to 22 hours of battery life thanks to the 1200mAh battery and can be charged via USB-C.
The speaker is IPX7 waterproof, making it perfect for hitting the beach or lounging around the pool or even working outside.
Weighing in at just 225grams, and measuring just 90x90x74mm, the Nokia Wireless speaker is compact enough to fit easily into a bag so you can pull it out when you need it.
The Nokia Portable WIreless Speaker 2 will arrive later this year in Cloudy Blue for $129.
Next, the Nokia Clairy Earbuds 2 Pro are a set of Totally Wireless Stereo earbuds.
The Clarity Earbuds 2 Pro offer both Active and Environmental Noise Cancellation (ANC + ENC), and come with 13mm Neodymium drivers for excellent quality sound and IPx4 water resistance so you can sweat in the gym or walk through the rain while wearing them without worrying.
The buds have up to 7 hours of battery life with up to 28 hours when paired with the included charging case which keeps them protected (and charged) when not in use.
The Clarity Earbuds 2 Pro will be available in both black and white colour options later this year and we’ll get information on pricing when they arrive.
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