- HMD has four new Nokia-branded phones
- They follow on from previous Nokia feature phones
- There is also an AI button on these handsets
Nokia parent company HMD has four new phones for your consideration – but they seem to be striking an awkward balance between eschewing and embracing the trappings that come with the best modern handsets.
Smartphones (via Notebookcheck) are labeled as feature phones, so you wouldn’t expect the traditional plethora of apps here. It is specifically Nokia 210 4G, Nokia 215 4G 2nd Edition, Nokia 235 4G 2nd Edition and Nokia 200 4G.
These appear to be a step up from the similar Nokia-branded phones launched over the past few years, but they still offer legacy features from previous smartphone eras: a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card support and (on all but the Nokia 200 4G) an FM radio.
So far, Nokia looks from yesteryear, but there’s one interesting feature you’ll notice right in the middle of the front of the device: an AI button. Apparently powered by an app called Sikey AI, this lets you perform basic tasks on the phone – like making calls or turning on the flashlight – rather than using advanced generative AI models.
Free to try
Details on how the built-in AI actually works are pretty thin on the ground, but according to Nokia you can use it to set alarms, open the camera and add reminders. It can also answer basic questions: the examples Nokia gives are making simple recipes or giving example sentences in a foreign language.
That suggests access to a limited AI model, at least perhaps through the cloud connectivity that Nokia is also adding with these phones. However, it looks like the AI assistant is only free for 180 days – it’s not clear how much it will cost you after that.
Video calling and voice messaging are possible through the Xpress Chat platform, so as feature phones go, it’s pretty advanced. What we don’t yet know is how much these phones will cost or where they’ll be available.
The combination of the phone’s basic features plus a bit of AI hasn’t exactly gone down well on Reddit: posters describe the addition of an AI button as “stupid”, “out of touch” and “useless” for users who would be interested in feature phones.
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