HMD Global Unveils Affordable Nokia 5.1, 3.1, and 2.1 with Improved Specs

HMD Global continues to expand their Nokia smartphone offerings as they announce that the Nokia 5.1, 3.1 and 2.1 will arrive with updated specifications and budget-friendly price tags.

The company announced their upcoming low-cost smartphones on Tuesday with the promise of providing the latest Google features (like Google Assistant) and hardware specifications. However, on the outside, reports note that the new devices look strikingly similar to their respective predecessors.

Nokia 5.1

While designs of the new Nokia smartphones do not have great differences from earlier models, HMD confirmed that the Nokia 5.1 sports a screen that is bigger by .3 inch than Nokia 5's. Its display has also been improved with a higher 2,160x1,080 resolution and supports 18:9 aspect ratio.

HMD further builds up the expectation, promising that the Nokia 5.1 will perform 40 percent faster than its predecessor, thanks to its octa-core MediaTek Helio P18 chip clocked at 2.0 GHz. The device will be sold with options of 2GB RAM with 16GB storage and 3GB RAM with 32GB internal memory.

Nokia 5.1 will have a fingerprint scanner and a pair of 16MP and 8MP cameras on the rear and front, respectively. This device will be packed with a 2,970-mAh battery.

Nokia 3.1

Even though Nokia 3.1 comes with a smaller, 5.2-inch screen, its display features are the same as Nokia 5.1 including the HD+ feature and 18:9 aspect ratio. Nokia 3.1 is powered by the eight-core MediaTek MT6750 clocked at up to 1.5 GHz. The chip is expected to bring 50 percent higher processing speeds compared to the Nokia 3.

This smartphone is also built with a fingerprint sensor and an 8MP front camera and a 13MP camera on the rear. Meanwhile, Nokia 3.1 will also become available in variants with the same memory options as Nokia 5.1.

Nokia 2.1

Like Nokia 5.1, Nokia 2.1 comes with a 5.5-inch display, although its resolution is limited to 1280x720 HD and 16:9 aspect ratio. This device is the only model running on a Qualcomm-made chip, specifically the quad-core Snapdragon 425, clocked at 1.4 GHz.

Nokia 2.1 comes with only one single variant in terms of memory specs, with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage capacity. However, it sports the biggest battery in this lineup with 4,000 mAh capacity, which HMD claims can power the device for up to two days. It was not clear, though, if that time was measured when the device is on standby or when in use.

All devices will run the Android Oreo operating system. Nokia 3.1 arrives earlier in June and will cost around $160. Meanwhile, both Nokia 5.1 and 2.1 are slated to launch in July with prices starting at around $218 and $115, respectively.