what you should Know
- HMD announced three new phones: Nokia X30 5G, G60 5G and C31.
- The company claims the X30 5G is its most “eco-friendly” phone, made from 100% recycled aluminum and 65% recycled plastic.
- The Nokia T21 tablet comes with a 10.4-inch LCD display at a price of 130 euros.
- The trio of phones will be available for purchase later in September.
HMD Global has announced three new smartphones, one of which is its “greenest” Nokia X30 5G, along with the new Nokia T21 tablet.
Environmental monitoring is something that technology companies are getting into more and more. HMD Global’s latest version of Nokia is no different. The company announced the Nokia X30 5G, G60 5G and C31 smartphones. While these phones are built with sustainability in mind, the X30 5G is claimed to be the company’s greenest phone yet.
According to HMD Global, the new Nokia X30 5G is made with a 100% recycled aluminum frame and its back panel is made from 65% recycled plastic. The device is also said to come in a box made from 70% recycled paper.
The Nokia X30 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 695 chipset that powers many of the best budget Android phones. The device has two configurations: 6/128GB and 8/256GB version. The phone features a 6.43-inch 1080p, FHD+ AMOLED PureDisplay. The main shooter of the device is a 50MP lens, a 13MP ultra-wide lens and a 16MP selfie camera. The phone will be available later in September for €529/£399. The company also plans to support the phone with three years of operating system upgrades and monthly security updates.
In addition to the X30 5G, HMD Global also launched the Nokia G60 5G. This phone is also powered by the Snapdragon 695 chipset and packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. Like the X30 5G, the G60 5G is made from 100% recycled plastic on the back with a 60% recycled plastic frame, has a 50MP main camera and a 120Hz display. It will retail for €319/£249.
Many companies like Samsung tout green approaches to making their phones, but Nokia’s strategy sounds similar to Fairphone and its latest Fairphone 4, a device that focuses on long-term support and repairability. Fairphone explained that for every phone it sells, it will recycle and restore another unused phone.
However, the similarities are really with HMD Global’s new subscription service, ‘Circular’. Customers can purchase a new device with monthly fees while receiving additional incentives. The longer a phone is kept, the more points customers receive, which can be used for donations to charitable causes. Customers can also benefit from fast replacement of broken or lost devices, the ability to change subscriptions and more. Old devices will also be recycled or donated as part of the program.
This somewhat mirrors Fairphone’s new subscription service, which similarly allows customers to buy a phone subscription and rewards them the longer they keep their devices, especially if the phone remains unbroken.
The Circular is only available in the UK and Germany, but HMD Global is planning a global launch soon. With the service, UK customers can pick up the Nokia X30 5G for £25 per month with an upfront fee of £30 via Circular. Meanwhile, the Nokia G60 5G will be available on a Circular subscription for £12.50 per month with a £30 set-up fee.
The latest phone announced on Thursday is the Nokia C31, which HMD claims offers three days of battery life thanks to its 5,050mAh battery. This phone is powered by Unisoc 9863A1 chip with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage or 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone features a 6.7-inch 720p display with a 13MP primary lens on its back. Unfortunately, it will miss out on major Android updates with only two years of security updates.
Those across Europe will be able to purchase the phone for €129.
HMD Global also announced a new Android tablet, the Nokia T21, which looks to bring some improvements over the relatively average Nokia T20 we reviewed earlier this year. The Nokia T21 tablet features a 10.4-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2000×1200. The device also supports an active stylus such as Wacom WGP or Wacom Active ES 2.0 and can even be used as a second screen while using your computer.
The T21 runs Android 12 with guaranteed OS updates for the next two years and security updates for the next three. The T21 is powered by a Unisoc T612 chip and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage, so it’s likely to be just as nondescript as its predecessor.
Fortunately, users have the option of 4G connectivity for calls and texts. The Nokia T21 tablet comes with an 8MP selfie camera and an 8MP lens on its back. An 8,200mAh battery is hidden inside and can be charged at 18W using USB-C 2.0.
The Nokia T21 retails in Europe for €130.