In the age of the smartphone, hardware manufacturers have been racing to create more complex, and thus, more expensive handsets. Apple’s iPhone X is the latest example, costing a staggering $999 at launch. There’s obviously no shortage of people willing to pay a high price for the latest and greatest handheld tech, but there’s an even larger market out there that simply wants a sturdy, feature-rich phone that won’t break the bank.

Inexpensive and Tough


Enter the Nokia 2 from HMD. Anyone that’s familiar with Nokia knows that the brand has a long reputation for making quality, near-indestructible cell phones. As the latest product that’s licensed to use the Nokia name, the Nokia 2 doesn’t disappoint. The case is crafted from a seamless block of aluminum and the screen is made with Gorilla Glass 3. It’s a solidly built unit that will stand up to some abuse when compared to many of today’s high-end phones.

Decent Performance at A Reasonable Price

The Nokia 2 isn’t going to set any records in terms of performance, but it isn’t designed to. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 Processor and a modest 1GB of system RAM, so it’s far from the cutting edge in mobile processing. It does come equipped with forward and rear-facing cameras, as well as a microSD expansion slot that can handle memory cards with up to an extra 128GB of storage, so it’s not missing any of the features you’d expect in a modern smartphone.

Where the Nokia 2 does stand out from the crowd is in battery life and price. It packs a 4,100mAh battery that HMD claims will yield up to two days of battery life on a single charge, which is far longer than most current smartphones. It ships with a stock version of Android Nougat, so there’s no extra bloat or bells and whistles to drag the phone down. The suggested retail price at launch is about $115, which could position the Nokia 2 as the phone to beat in the economy smartphone space.

Ready to Launch

When it becomes available through retailers, the Nokia 2 will come in three color schemes, Pewter/Black, Pewter/White and Copper/Black. HMD is hoping to score a hit with the new handset, and further cement the Nokia name in the minds of cost-conscious buyers. From the looks of it, they may have come up with a phone befitting of the Nokia heritage and that will sell well worldwide in a crowded mobile marketplace.