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Microsoft Unveils Nokia 215, a $29 Phone With Internet Access

Posted by samzenpus on from the lowering-the-price dept.

An anonymous reader sends word of the Nokia 215, Microsoft's $29 internet-ready phone. "Smartphones may be more affordable than ever, but, for quite a few people, they are still too expensive. And they offer short battery life, pretty much across the board. It is not a winning combination, especially for those living in developing markets, looking to be connected to the Internet while on the go. Enter Nokia 215, a dirt-cheap Internet-ready phone, which Microsoft announced earlier today. It packs some of the most-important features people want in a smartphone, but without any of the major drawbacks. The software giant calls it its "most affordable Internet-ready entry-level phone yet", costing just $29."

6 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. It may not be for me... by Kokuyo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But I find this pretty awesome.

    1. Re:It may not be for me... by Jhon · · Score: 5, Informative

      I picked up a Nokia 520 (Windows Phone 8.0 -- upgradable to 8.1) brand new for ~$30 on Amazon. You can find it around at that price (for example. Fry's has it for $29 after their "promo code" takes off $10). It's a "prepaid go phone" but just drop an ATT sim in it and you are golden with any type of account.

      I picked it up as a spare in case my iphone 5 dies (son somehow talked me in to giving him my old 4s).

      It's actually a decent phone. Snappy, responsive, light and decent battery life. The interface takes some getting used to, but it's not terrible.

  2. Got Root? by McGruber · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Here is what else you should know about Nokia 215. It has a 2.4-inch display, 0.3 MP camera on the back (which can shoot video), 8 MB of RAM (that is not a typo)

    Well that's one way to keep Android from being ported to it...

    1. Re:Got Root? by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 4, Informative

      Even though the article claims that it is not typo, I find it startling that it would actually pack only 8 MB of RAM. It must be an error?

      I don't think that it is an error. In fact, it is double the RAM that is in the Nokia 108, which was a particularly disgusting phone that had a very limited support for Bluetooth that only allowed transferring contacts and not connecting audio devices! Surely connecting a headset is what people think of when they talk about having a Bluetooth enabled phone! It implemented just enough to tick a feature box, but not enough to be useful.

      The slightly good news is that the 215 at least allows for Bluetooth headsets, although even it misses some (unnamed) features.

  3. Re:without any of the major drawbacks? by UnknowingFool · · Score: 5, Informative

    It runs Series 30 software which isn't Windows and is limited in capability. So technically while it may have Internet, it may not have many apps. So it's not a replacement for a smartphone for many people.

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    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  4. Re:I don't get "smartphones are too expensive" by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 4, Interesting

    what exactly is the point of this?

    In some countries, people only earn a couple of dollars a day. They still want access to the internet, but paying hundreds of dollars (hell, even a hundred dollars) to do it on their phone is madness. A $29 phone is precisely what they want (and even at this price, I imagine a few people might have to give this investment some serious thought first).

    Both Microsoft and Google (read: Android phone manufacturers) have moved to the emerging markets as they can see its potential. I have no idea why Apple aren't tapping into this, maybe they know their customers will blindly buy their next phone regardless of its features or price.

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