HMD Global, the exclusive licensee of the iconic Nokia brand for phones and tablets, has announced its latest lineup of smartphones in the Philippines — comprised of the Nokia 2.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 8.1.

All three handsets will be available in the country from July 19. You can buy the Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 8.1 from Shopee and Lazada, respectively. The Nokia 2.2, on the other hand, won’t be online-exclusive, though it will also go on sale online. It will be offered at official Nokia stores, kiosks, and pop-up retail sites nationwide.

SEE ALSO: These smartphones, including the Nokia 8.1, can already install Android Q

Locally, Nokia 2.2 is priced at P5,990, or around $118 converted. The only color variant on offer here is black, but you’ll be able to get additional Xpress-on covers in pink and blue to customize your device.

The Nokia 3.2 retails at P7,990 ($157) and comes in one color variant — black that has a slight bluish tint — with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. Every purchase of the phone comes with a P1,000 ($20) discount voucher, bringing the price down to P6,990 ($137) upon checkout.

The Nokia 8.1 also ships in one colorway and configuration — Iron Steel mated to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage — for P19,990 ($393). The first 700 customers who buy the handset from Lazada will receive a Philippine Airlines travel voucher worth P1,000 ($20) valid for local flights, on top of extended after-sales support with VIP services.

Let’s do a quick dive into each device.

Nokia 2.2

Announced just last month, the Nokia 2.2 is HMD Global’s newest entry-level offering. The Philippine variant retains the same specs as other versions of the phone, including a quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage; a 5.71-inch, 720p display with a tiny notch at the top; and 13- and 5-megapixel rear and front cameras.

Interestingly, the Nokia 2.2 has a removable 3,000mAh battery. As with all modern Nokia devices, this unit will ship with Android 9.0 Pie and receive OS updates for the next two years.

The phone itself feels solid, like a drop from a significant height wouldn’t be the end of it, and sits nicely in the hand. The decent hardware inside means it can run most apps and casual games without stuttering and freezing issues.

Nokia 2.2. specs:

• 5.71-inch LCD display, 1,520 x 720 resolution (19:9)
• Quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 processor
• PowerVR GE8320 graphics
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB expandable storage
• 13MP, f/2.2 rear camera with LED flash
• 5MP front camera
• 3,000mAh removable battery
• Android 9.0 Pie with 2 years of guaranteed software updates

Nokia 3.2

Coming from the Nokia 2.2, the Nokia 3.2 upgrades the user experience with a bigger 6.26-inch LCD, a longer-lasting 4,000mAh battery, and a fingerprint sensor on the back to activate the device more quickly and easily. Instead of a MediaTek silicon, the Nokia 3.2 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 under the hood; it’s still a quad-core phone, though.

That said, if you have to choose between the Nokia 2.2 and Nokia 3.2, you may want to opt for the unit with a bigger screen and non-removable battery backup and a fingerprint reader that makes unlocking a breeze.

Nokia 3.2 specs:

• 6.26-inch LCD display, 1,520 x 720 resolution (19:9)
• Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor
• Adreno 504 graphics
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB expandable storage
• 13MP, f/2.2 rear camera with LED flash
• 5MP front camera
• Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
• 4,000mAh removable battery
• Android 9.0 Pie with 2 years of guaranteed software updates

Nokia 8.1

The Nokia 8.1, a much more expensive unit compared with the other two, has the looks and feel to match its price tag. It features a metal frame and a glass front and rear. The LCD screen is 6.18 inches, with an iPhone-style notch at the top, something we haven’t seen in a while, to accommodate the single 20-megapixel camera. The back of the phone gets dual cameras with Zeiss optics.

The rest of the hardware is pretty standard fare for a 2019 midranger: Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, 3,500mAh battery backup with support for fast charging, fingerprint sensor on the back, USB-C, and Android 9.0 Pie.

Nokia 8.1 specs:

• 6.18-inch LCD display, 2,280 x 1,080 resolution (19:9)
• Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor
• 6GB RAM
• 128GB expandable storage
• Dual 12MP, f/1.8 and 13MP rear cameras with Zeiss optics and LED flash
• 20MP, f/2.0 front camera
• Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
• 3,500mAh removable battery with 18-watt USB-C fast charging
• Android 9.0 Pie with 2 years of guaranteed software updates

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