Nokia 105 and 130

Nokia 105 and 130. © HMD Global.

Nokia, or more accurately HMD Global, the company that produces Nokia-branded phones, has unveiled two new phones for emerging markets, the 105 and 130. These are basic devices, with 1.8-inch screens, an LED torch and up to a month’s worth of battery on standby. The Nokia 130 additionally features Bluetooth, a microSD slot and a VGA camera. But the best feature of the devices is their unbeatable price: the 105 costs just CA$18.50 (US$14.50) with one SIM card and an extra $0.50 for a second one, while the 130 comes in at CA$27.00 (US$21.50). Why is Nokia targeting the basic phone market? Simply because there’s a market for the device: 400 million such units were sold in 2016, mostly in Africa and Asia. Samsung is the main contender on the “feature phone” market, Nokia coming in second with sales of 35 million units. “With more than 4 billion people remaining offline and unable to benefit from the social and economic development opportunities of the Internet, simply getting connected by voice and text is still such an important step for many people around the world,” noted HMD Global CEO Arto Nummela.

⇨ VentureBeat, “HMD Global launches 2 Nokia feature phones starting at $14.50.”