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Finnish manufacturer, HMD Global, has now added to its collection with the launch of two new smartphones, Nokia 5.3 and Nokia 8.3 5G. The unveiling is obviously a special one as it comes with Nokia’s first 5G-enabled phone.
The two were also unveiled alongside a new feature phone, the 5310, building upon the old model of the same name. The feature phone is, of course, meant to be an upgrade with new features like an MP3 player (Xpress Music) and FM Radio. The phone also does come in a new reimagined design making it look more compact compared to its predecessor. A back camera is part of the package as well with the 5310.
Image courtesy Cyberocck
Nokia 8.3 5G
This piece is obviously the highlight of the three considering the new 5G network. The phone’s general design does draw inspiration from the Nokia 8 line-up with a few alterations. This, according to HMD Global, is so as to “support multiple and evolving 5G network deployments”.
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The glass back cover houses a circular quad-camera module by ZEISS. The unit includes a 64MP main sensor, a 12MP wide lens, designed with a focus on video recording and low-light performance. The other two lenses may be less exciting- a depth sensor and a macro camera.
Beneath the chassis sits a Snapdragon 765G chipset with 6GB or 8GB RAM. This is together with an integrated 5G modem. It runs on Android 10 and is part of the life-long partnership with Google, the Android One program. Storage is either 64GB or 128GB, depending on the variant you choose with the option of expanding it further.
Powering it all up is a 4500mAh battery, which is quite good news bearing in mind the damaged reputation.
Image courtesy TechSpot
Nokia 5.3
You would refer to this as the budget option, starting off from the specs. Powered by a Snapdragon 665 processor, the phone provides a subtle upgrade to the already existing Nokia 5 family.
This is alongside a 3GB, 4GB or 6GB RAM all with 64GB of storage. The back cover packs four cameras as well- 13MP main, 5MP wide, 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors.
Nothing is particularly special about the phone, being that the display does not offer a full HD resolution. The view is, however, satisfyingly big at 6.55 inches with 20:9 aspect ratio. You will also be able to take your selfies, thanks to the 8MP with f/20 depth that can shoot videos at 1080p.
Image courtesy Nokia
Luckily, one can juice it up via the USB-C port that the future still demands. The battery comes at 4000mAh capacity with 10W charging which is pretty much ordinary.
The 8.3 5G was announced to start at about KES 65,000 ($650), which is a lot to take in, I know. The 5.3 though, won’t cost you as much, standing in at about KES 22,000 ($210). The 5310 feature phone will obviously be the cheapest at an average KES 4,500 ($43). You should note that these prices may vary once they hot shelves in Kenya.
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 | Mediatek MT6260A |
| Network | 5G/GSM/HSPA/LTE | 4G/GSM/HSPA/LTE | GSM |
| Display | IPS LCD, 6.81", 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio | IPS LCD, 6.55", 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 ratio | TFT 2.4", 240 x 320 pixels |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB | 3GB/4GB/6GB | 8MB |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB | 64GB | 16MB |
| Selfie camera | 24MP | 8MP | - |
| Rear Camera | 64 MP, (wide) 12 MP, (ultrawide) 2 MP, (macro) 2 MP, (depth) | 13 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF 5 MP, (ultrawide) 2 MP, (macro) 2 MP, (depth) | VGA |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C | MicroUSB |
| Battery | 4500 mAh | 4000 mAh | 1200 mAh |
| Price | TBC | KES 22,000 | TBC |
Now, it is not known when any of them will launch in the country with the current situation. HMD Global, however, hopes to have the units released and shipped for sale come April.
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