HMD Global, the company licensing the iconic Nokia marque<\/a>, today announced it\u2019s latest entry-level handset, the Nokia 2.2, which will retail for \u20ac99 (about $110).<\/p>\n The Nokia 2.2 is an interesting duck, as it doesn\u2019t seem overtly compromised. Sure, it\u2019s not exactly blazing fast, but its internals should be eminently able to handle the rigors of daily smartphone-using life.<\/p>\n And, uniquely for a phone in its price bracket, it\u2019s overtly emphasizing low-light photography, which is something phones in its price range traditionally suffer with. But before we get into that, here\u2019s the specs:<\/p>\n The addition of a MediaTek platform isn\u2019t surprising, as they frequently crop up on budget-oriented devices. As a rule of thumb, they tend to be a bit cheaper than Qualcomm\u2019s own chips.<\/p>\n The MediaTek Helio A22, which appears on this particular handset, was released halfway through last year. This is based on ARM\u2019s Cortex-A53 microarchitecture, and uses a 12nm manufacturing process, which should deliver improved performance and battery gains. In addition, the Helio A22 places great emphasis on photography, and comes with hardware- and software-level tweaks designed to improve shots.<\/p>\n That\u2019s helpful, given HMD is selling the Nokia 2.2 primarily on its entry-level photography credentials. As mentioned, it comes with a solitary 12-megapixel rear shooter. It\u2019s not immediately obvious what sensor HMD chose to include with this device. However, it does tout the presence of AI-driven software optimizations that attempt to improve low-light performance by capturing multiple shots of the same subject and then compositing them.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t sound too far removed from Huawei\u2019s night mode, which features on several of its top-line devices, including the P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro. I\u2019d be interested to see how it performs on a far cheaper device. At \u20ac99, the Nokia 2.2 retails at one-tenth of the price of a Huawei P30 Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Nokia 2.2 comes with two options for both RAM and storage. In both situations, you\u2019re going to want to pay extra to max these out. While you could probably manage with 2GB of RAM, it\u2019d likely be a frustrating experience. That extra gigabyte will make all the difference, especially when it comes to browsing and multitasking.<\/p>\n Similarly, you\u2019ll want to double that storage from 16GB to 32GB. Remember, the operating system consumes a fair chunk of that internal storage. You\u2019ll want as much space as possible for apps, photographs, and future operating system updates.<\/p>\n Although the Nokia 2.2 is cheap, it\u2019s also reasonably stylish, and looks far more premium than it is. We appreciate the tiny teardrop notch, which gives users a respectable amount of screen real-estate to work with. This hides the phone\u2019s 5MP front-facing camera, which also supports face unlocking.<\/p>\n The phone comes in two color options: Steel and Tungsten Blue. On the side of the device, you\u2019ll find a dedicated button for Google Assistant. This is a common feature on HMD\u2019s Nokia devices, and can be found on more expensive phones in the lineup, like the Nokia 4.2, which we\u2019re currently in the midst of reviewing.<\/p>\n The Nokia 2.2 runs Android 9 Pie<\/a>. That\u2019s the latest and greatest version of Google\u2019s mobile operating system. This phone is also part of the Android One program (incidentally, it\u2019s also the cheapest device you can buy that\u2019s Android One-certified), so you\u2019re guaranteed to get a steady stream of software updates and patches.<\/p>\n As a recap, Android One certification promises the phone will receive two OS upgrades, plus three years of security updates. That\u2019s more than enough to cover the typical lifespan of the phone itself.<\/p>\n Honestly, for the price, I\u2019m struggling to find fault with this phone. Would I want to use it as my personal daily driver? God no. My tastes are expensive. I walk around with the Huawei P30 Pro, which is the caviar of Android smartphones.<\/p>\n But would I buy this for my tech-averse parents? Absolutely.<\/p>\n It does the job. It\u2019s not too weedy, given the price. On paper, it\u2019s capable of handling ordinary tasks. And, thanks to its Android One certification, I won\u2019t have to worry about it being left to rot a few months after purchase when the vendor inevitably loses interest, as is the case with many other devices in the Android ecosystem.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no word on US or UK availability and pricing yet. However, when it goes on sale in Europe, the entry-level model will retail for \u20ac99.<\/p>\n For more gear, gadget, and hardware news and reviews, follow Plugged on \n Published June 6, 2019 \u2014 13:56 UTC\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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