It's not long since I reviewed the Nokia 225 4G (2020); a dumbphone which, on balance, I ended up really liking. So I was keen to try out its 2024 predecessor and find out how much Nokia has improved on it.

The short version is that Nokia 225 4G (2024) represents a thoughtful evolution of this model, addressing some key pain points while maintaining the core simplicity that made its predecessor appealing. 

The most significant improvement is the battery upgrade from 1150mAh to 1450mAh: a substantial 26% increase. Combined with the switch from micro-USB to USB-C charging, these changes bring the phone more in line with modern expectations while preserving its fundamental character as one of the best dumbphones.

Perhaps most importantly, the 2024 model introduces the Cloud Apps portal, which brings news, weather updates, and even YouTube Shorts to the device. This represents a major step forward in functionality compared to the 2020 version, which relied solely on basic web browsing for online content.

In short, I found the Nokia 225 4G (2024) to be everything the original was, but better. The familiar T9 keypad and straightforward interface remain unchanged, but the enhanced battery life and new content options make it significantly more useful as both a primary phone for digital detoxers and a reliable backup device.

Now let's dive into some of the detail...

Nokia 225 4G (2024): Specifications

Nokia 225 4G (2024): Pricing and availability

The Nokia 225 4G (2024) retails for around $59 / £54, representing a modest price increase over the 2020 model's $45 / £37.50. This makes it slightly more expensive than its predecessor, and an expensive choice as a burner phone, but the improvements – particularly the battery upgrade and Cloud Apps functionality – provide tangible value for the extra cost.

Nokia 225 4G (2024): Build and handling

The Nokia 225 4G (2024) has the same lightweight, durable plastic construction as its predecessor, but with subtle refinements. The dimensions have changed slightly to 121.5 x 52 x 11.63mm compared to the 2020 model's 124.7 x 51 x 13.7mm – making it marginally shorter and wider but slightly thinner. The weight remains similar at around 90g, preserving that "almost too light" feeling.

One immediately noticeable change, though, is the switch from micro-USB to USB-C charging. This brings the phone in line with modern standards and eliminates the frustration of hunting for the right cable. The port feels solid and well-integrated into the design.

The familiar T9 keypad remains unchanged, offering the same satisfying tactile feedback that made the 2020 model pleasant to use. The 2.4-inch display is identical, too, still providing adequate visibility for the phone's basic functions while remaining readable in most lighting conditions.

The removable back panel continues to provide easy access to the battery, dual SIM slots, and microSD card slot; a feature that feels increasingly premium as modern smartphones move away from user-replaceable components. The polycarbonate shell maintains Nokia's reputation for durability, designed to withstand the everyday knocks that would worry flagship smartphone users.

One area that sadly remains unchanged is the lack of a hardware volume rocker, which still requires menu-based volume adjustment during calls. The 3.5mm headphone jack returns, and the built-in speaker maintains the same surprisingly loud output for such a compact device.

Nokia 225 4G (2024): Performance

The Nokia 225 4G (2024) delivers the same reliable call quality as its predecessor, with clear audio and HD Voice support on compatible networks. The new Unisoc T107 processor, meanwhile, provides adequate (though not spectacular) performance for the phone's basic functions.

One real performance improvement, though, comes from the enhanced battery life. The 1450mAh battery represents a significant upgrade from the 2020 model's 1150mAh, translating to longer talk time and extended standby periods. In my testing, this meant genuinely multi-day usage even with regular calling and the occasional use of Cloud Apps features.

Oh yeah, did I not mention the Cloud Apps? This is the biggest functional upgrade in the new phone, bringing together news, weather updates and YouTube Shorts in a single, easy-to-navigate portal. While it won't excite anyone used to a smartphone, it's a game-changer compared to the 2020 model's much clunkier web browser experience. The content loads reasonably quickly over 4G and is formatted appropriately for the small screen too.

The enhanced storage specification – 128MB internal storage with 64MB RAM – provides better performance than the basic configuration of the 2020 model, though the differences are subtle in everyday use. The music player, FM radio, and classic games (including Snake) perform identically to the earlier version.

The phone still lacks Wi-Fi and mobile hotspot functionality, maintaining the same limitations as the 2020 model. However, the improved 4G integration does make the available data connectivity feel more responsive, at least.

Nokia 225 4G (2024): Photography

This dumbphone does have a camera, but only just. The system remains based on the same 0.3MP VGA sensor as the 2020 model, producing identically grainy, low-resolution images reminiscent of early 2000s camera phones. Image quality is, then, unchanged – heavily saturated with limited detail, suitable only for basic reference shots, nostalgia or offbeat art projects.

Similarly, the camera continues to perform adequately for photographing text, such as bus timetables or notices. While the results are still only just readable when zoomed in, they serve their purpose for quick reference captures. Video recording capability remains equally basic and low-resolution.

Sharing options are identical to the 2020 model, with Bluetooth being the most reliable method for transferring images, as MMS remains clunky and unreliable.

Nokia 225 4G (2024): Verdict

The Nokia 225 4G (2024) successfully improves upon the 2020 model in a small number of meaningful ways. Most importantly, the larger 1450mAh battery addresses one of the main limitations of the earlier model, while the USB-C port brings modern convenience. Plus the Cloud Apps portal transforms the phone's internet capabilities, making it genuinely useful for staying informed without the distractions of a full smartphone.

The price increase over the 2020 model is reasonable given these improvements. While the camera remains basic and Wi-Fi is still absent, these limitations are consistent with the phone's positioning as a simple communication device.

So if you hadn't guessed, I'd recommend the 2024 model over its 2020 predecessor for anyone considering a Nokia 225 4G. It's no smartphone, but it remains an excellent choice for digital detox seekers, as a reliable backup phone, or for those who just prefer the simplicity of a feature phone.

The Nokia 225 4G (2024) proves that even basic devices can benefit from thoughtful evolution, delivering exactly what users wanted from the original while addressing its most significant limitations. 

In a world when some people think nothing of dropping more than a grand on a phone, it's amazing what you buy for less than the cost of a takeaway meal. I recently reviewed the Nokia 225 4G: a modern take on the dumbphone with a price tag of less than $50 in the US, which also happens to include a camera.

Before you get too excited, though, note that this is a very low-res camera, offering just 0.3MP, so you're never going to take professional-grade shots. But actually, I've found that's kind of a good thing. Bear with me, and I'll explain.

Yes, at first glance, the low resolution of this phone's image sensor feels more like a joke than a feature. But once I got over the initial shock, something unexpected happened. I started using it and, more surprisingly, I started liking it.

This tiny – and let's say it, terrible – camera pushed me to fundamentally rethink how I take photos.

Seduced by software

Just think about it. With a modern smartphone, you just have to raise it to eye level, turn on the camera app, and whatever you're pointing at, you pretty much have an attractive image already.

In fact, I've often seen people taking iPhone photos and done a double-take – because what's on their screen looks brighter, more colorful and more attractive than what I could see with my actual eyes.

Even if that isn't the case, the software is now so good that it's tempting not even to worry about composition, lighting… anything really. I'll crop it later, you think. Or I'll press a button and some AI tool will magically improve it.

It's similar to how some young movie directors sometimes say (and I have this on good authority; no names mentioned), "That shot doesn't look great in camera but we'll just fix it in post." That kind of thinking is awful, it's lazy, but we all, I suspect, occasionally succumb to it, at some level.

Getting back to basics

If any of this is ringing true with you, then here's my suggestion: get one of the best dumbphones and reacquaint yourself with the raw art of taking a picture – without any help from tech.

Because when you’re forced to work with extreme constraints – no autofocus, no zoom, no filters, barely any pixels – you stop trying to get the perfect shot and start asking more interesting questions. Such as, how do I compose something that tells a story with barely any detail?

In my case, with my cheap and cheerful Nokia, I started focusing more on light, shadow and shape. I played with silhouettes. I embraced blur. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. The results weren’t always technically good, but they often had more 'feeling' than the perfectly exposed shots I take with my big fancy smartphone.

Feeling liberated

This is the magic of limitations: they break your habits. We’re so used to convenience that it’s easy to forget creativity thrives under pressure.

So yes, a dumbphone limits you, but it also liberates you, by forcing you into new ways of seeing. I found myself framing moments more deliberately; shooting with intention rather than snapping a hundred shots and picking the best.

In short, the Nokia 225 4G’s camera isn’t impressive, but it is inspiring – if you let it be. No, you won’t be shooting your next photo exhibition on this thing (unless you’re trying to make a point). But it will change how you think about photography. And in an age of infinite megapixels and AI-enhanced perfection, that’s more valuable than it might seem.

Plus, don't forget that you're getting an actual working phone into the bargain!

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For similarly priced dumbphones, also check out my Nokia 110 4G review and Nokia 6310 review.

Remember when phones were just for calls and texts? Those were simpler times. Now our smartphones have become digital leashes, dragging us into a constant cycle of notifications, emails and social media updates that never stop demanding our attention. 

Photographers are especially vulnerable: your creative work demands focus and presence, but your phone keeps pulling you away from the moment. And believe me, I've been there. Standing in gorgeous, golden-hour light, surrounded by potential shots, only to find myself instinctively breaking off to check an unwanted notification. Sound familiar?

That's why I've embraced a two-phone solution that has genuinely changed my life and creative work. Here's why I think you should consider it too.

The problem with smartphones

First, though, I need to establish that I'm no hater. Smartphones are incredible. They can edit photos, manage client communications, talk to you, organize your schedule, and their cameras are getting better all the time. But you can't deny they can also become attention vampires; keeping us hooked with dopamine-triggering notifications and endless scrolling.

Studies have shown that constant smartphone use correlates with higher anxiety, poorer sleep, and reduced creative thinking; all things that directly impact our work as photographers. And frankly, we all knew that already. Yet going completely smartphone-free just isn't realistic for most of us.

The solution? Keep your smartphone but add a basic feature phone, aka dumbphone, as your everyday carry. These retro-style phones offer just enough connectivity for essential communication without all the distractions.

In my recent review of the Nokia 110 4G, I found that for just $40/£30, you can get a phone with battery life measured in days (not hours), crystal clear call quality, simple texting functionality, basic 4G connectivity and virtually indestructible build quality.

Yes, the 0.3MP camera is limited to say the least. But that's actually part of the charm. This isn't about replacing your professional gear or even your smartphone's camera: it's about giving yourself permission to disconnect, while still being reachable.

How it works for me

Here's the setup that works for me. Morning through afternoon, I carry only my Nokia dumbphone. I'm reachable for calls and texts but completely free from social media, emails and other digital distractions. This is when I do my best creative work – or even just thinking without constant interruption.

Then in the evening, I check my smartphone for a dedicated period (usually an hour) to respond to emails, check social media, and handle any non-urgent matters that accumulated during the day. Since switching to this schedule, the difference has been transformative. 

My mental clarity has improved. I'm more present while working. And I've rediscovered the joy of being creative. All without feeling the constant urge to immediately share everything online.

How to afford it

"But I can't afford two phones!" I hear you say. Well actually, you probably can. Feature phones are incredibly affordable: £30-60 ($40-80) gets you a solid device that will last years. Yes, you can spend a lot more, on a sophisticated device such as the Punkt MP02. But I really don't think you need to.

Many carriers offer multi-SIM plans where you can share your existing data plan across devices. Or if you prefer separate plans, basic talk/text plans for feature phones often cost less than $15 (£10) monthly. The productivity boost from reduced distraction will likely pay for itself many times over.

And consider this: how many hours of billable work or creative projects do you lose to mindless phone use? Even reclaiming one hour per day could translate to thousands in additional income or personal projects completed.

There are practical benefits too. A second phone is a reliable backup when your main one fails. More broadly, you'll save your smartphone's battery for when you really need its features. Plus you'll get the opportunity to separate work and personal life, by using different numbers for different purposes. 

Most fundamentally, you'll doubtless sleep better at night... and honestly, you can't put a price on that.

Check out all our recommendations for the best burner phones, and the best dumphones currently on the market

The feature phone market continues to thrive despite the rise of the smartphone. The Nokia 225 4G (2020) is a popular choice in this category, offering essential communication features without the distractions of a modern smartphone. In that light, it could be a good option if you're considering a digital detox, need a secondary emergency phone, or simply want a cheap option for basic calling and texting.

The Nokia brand has long had a reputation for reliable, no-nonsense phones, and the 225 4G continues this tradition, providing 4G connectivity at the lowest possible price point. That makes it a good choice for users seeking simplicity, reliability and affordability.

In my testing, I found the Nokia 225 4G to be precisely what it claims to be: a basic communication device with a few extra frills. Its classic design evokes nostalgia for the pre-smartphone era, and its straightforward interface makes it accessible to people who find touchscreen technology difficult to use.

Please note, that here I've reviewed the 2020 version of the Nokia 225 4G, which is the one you're most likely to find on retail websites and in phone shops. There's also a newer 2024 version, which is more expensive. The main differences are a bigger battery (1450Mah to 1150 mAh) and a USB-C port rather than a micro-USB port in the 2020 iteration.

Nokia 110 4G: Specifications

Nokia 225 4G: Pricing and availability

The Nokia 225 4G retails for around $59.99 in the US, £35 in the UK, and AU$110 in Australia. This makes it one of the most affordable 4G feature phones on the market, and offers good value for those wanting voice calls, texting and basic internet connectivity.

At the same, spending a bit more might get you significantly more functionality. Yet for some people (ie those seeking to avoid distraction), less functionality might actually preferable, so 'value' is really in the eye of the beholder here.

Nokia 225 4G: Build and handling

The Nokia 225 4G has a plastic build that feels light in the hand, almost like you've picked up the dummy version from the shop shelf rather than the real thing. To be precise, it weighs a tiny 90.1g, which is a huge amount lighter than, say, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 227g.

The phone's compact dimensions (124.7 x 51 x 13.7mm) make it significantly smaller than most modern smartphones, which I also found refreshing after years of increasingly large devices.

For anyone who used a phone in the early 2000s, this device's retro design will feel instantly familiar, with its traditional T9 keypad and navigation buttons offering satisfying tactile feedback. Its 2.4-inch display is tiny by modern standards but bigger than, for example, the 1.8-inch on the Nokia 110 4G, and it's all you really need for the phone's limited functions. I found it a bit difficult to read in direct sunlight on occasions, but it's fine in most conditions.

One thing that's slightly irritating is the lack of a hardware volume rocker, requiring you to adjust volume during calls. On the whole, though, the keypad is well-spaced and comfortable to use, as long as you're used to old-style T9 keyboards. (I found it was like riding a bike, although youngsters who grew up with smartphones and have never used a T9 may well be baffled.)

Pleasingly, the removable back panel gives access to the replaceable battery, SIM slots and microSD card slot; a feature increasingly rare in modern phones. I loved the fact that it was easy to remove: just pop the bottom of the panel with your fingernail, no tools needed.

There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack, which you can use to listen to MP3s and the in-built FM radio, though actually the built-in speaker is quite loud for such a small device, so I didn't always need to.

Nokia 225 4G: Performance

I found the call quality on the Nokia 225 4G to be good, with clear audio and a decent level of volume. The phone supports HD Voice on compatible networks, which noticeably improves call clarity. During my testing, I experienced no dropped calls or connection issues.

Battery life is excellent, with the 1150mAh battery offering over six hours of talk time and several days of standby. This is significantly better than most smartphones, but less than some older feature phones due to the power demands of 4G VoLTE calling, so there's a compromise to be made there.

In terms of basic features, the Nokia 225 4G performs… okay. The web browser is functional but frustrating to use with the small screen and T9 keypad. The included games, including the classic Snake, are fun but very basic, and mainly seemed designed to induce nostalgia for simpler times. The music player and FM radio work well, though as you'd expect, audio quality through the in-built speaker is tinny. Alternatively, you could always use Bluetooth to connect to a decent speaker.

One thing this phone doesn't have, though, is Wi-Fi. And while you can use 4G via your mobile carrier, it doesn't offer tethering so you can't use it as a mobile hotspot. On the plus side, I also appreciated the fact it has a bunch of extras including a small torch, a voice recorder (which worked pretty well), 10 simple games (including Snake), a calculator, and a calendar.

Nokia 225 4G: Photography

As you might expect, the 0.3MP VGA camera on this device is extremely basic, producing grainy, low-resolution images reminiscent of early 2000s camera phones. That said, they were both bigger and better than the shots I took with the Nokia 110 4G, which were significantly more distorted.

On the whole, though, this camera's photos are heavily saturated and lack detail, making it useful only for the most basic needs reference shots. Or maybe you purposely want that effect for an art project or quirky social media post. In which case, knock yourself out!

The one thing people use their smartphones a lot for these days is photographing text for reference, such as a bus timetable. While many feature phones, such as the Nokia 110 4G and Nokia 3310, are useless at this task, the Nokia 225 4G did an okay job. Text was readable, just, when I zoomed in both on the phone itself and when uploaded to my laptop. Only just, though.

You can also shoot very basic, low-res video with the same camera. I can't think of any reason you'd want to, but maybe you can.

Nokia 225 4G: Verdict

The Nokia 225 4G is exactly what it sets out to be: a simple feature phone at a budget-friendly price. I liked the size and shape, found the keyboard easy to use, and found the 2.4-inch screen a nice size for a feature phone.

It's slightly more expensive than the Nokia 110 4G, but the screen is nicer and the photos slightly better. It's broadly on a par with the Nokia 6310, which has a slightly nicer keyboard but on the downside, can't take video unless you insert a memory card.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone seeking a simple phone to help you digitally detox, or a backup phone to your main smartphone. Its excellent battery life, lightweight are standout features, although be aware there's no WiFi, you can't use it as a mobile hotspot, and the 0.3MP camera is only good for the most basic reference shots.

Check out our guides to the best burners phones and the best dumbphones for alternatives to the Nokia 224 4G

Feature phones are like the phones most people used to have in the early 2000s. They can access the internet, and may even be able to run specific apps like Facebook… but their online use is very limited. They're primarily designed for making phone calls and sending texts. 

The Nokia 110 4G is one of the cheapest around, offering a modern take on the classic feature phone at a very affordable price.

As a company, Nokia sold off its phone division years ago. HMD Global has continued to make Nokia-branded phones, though, and the 110 4G is one of many on the market today. It serves several distinct audiences: digital minimalists attempting to reduce screen time, elderly users who prefer physical buttons to touchscreens, and those wanting a cheap backup phone.  

After spending a few weeks with the Nokia 110 4G, I've got a clear understanding of its strengths and limitations. Read on to find out what I learned.

Nokia 110 4G: Specifications

Nokia 110 4G: Pricing and availability

The Nokia 110 4G retails for approximately $40 USD / £30 GB / AU$60, making it very cheap, even compared with other feature phones. At the same time, the price feels appropriate given its limited capabilities.

Nokia 110 4G: Build and handling

This small and basic phone immediately impressed me with its solid construction and rectangular design, which is quite distinctively retro. It's very small (121.5 x 50 x 14.4mm) and very light (94.5g), making it hugely portable and able to fit into the slimmest of pockets. This phone felt good in the hand. The textured plastic back provides excellent grip, and while plasticky, its overall design feels sturdy enough to withstand daily wear and tear.

To be frank, I wasn't so keen on the tiny 1.8-inch screen, which is significantly less nice to use than the 2.8-inch screens of the Nokia 225 4G and Nokia 3310. Then again, if you're digital detoxing and want to spend less time staring at a screen, perhaps the smaller and nastier, the better.

I found the physical keypad well-designed, with decent sized, nicely spaced buttons offering satisfying tactile feedback. The T9 predictive text input works efficiently, and the navigation experience felt intuitive. The direction pad is responsive, and the menu system is straightforward to navigate. Like most feature phones, though, the buttons are quite small and fiddly, so I wouldn't recommend this handset for a frail and elderly family member.

There's also a charging port (micro USB) on the bottom, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, both of which did their jobs well.

Nokia 110 4G: Performance

In real-world usage, I found voices calls to be very good quality, with clear audio and good volume levels. The HD voice support makes a noticeable difference on compatible networks, and the speaker is surprisingly loud and clear for such a small, cheap device. 

As is typical for a feature phone, I found battery life to be exceptional, easily lasting three to four days with regular use for calls and texts. With minimal usage, it stretched to nearly a week between charges; a refreshing change from modern smartphones.

The 4G connectivity allowed for basic tasks like sending MMS messages and light web browsing. Text messaging works reliably, though the lack of conversation threading (organising messages by contact) feels outdated. The Opera Mini browser handles simple websites, but complex modern sites can be very challenging to navigate on the small screen. 

As expected, though, more involved stuff like streaming video on YouTube, ordering stuff on Uber or Just Eat, using GPS, or even scanning a QR code, isn't possible on this device. Another limitation is the absence of Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, which would have been useful for occasional tethering to other devices. Again, though, if you want a dumbphone in order to digitally detox, you'll consider these restrictions a bug, not a feature. 

One thing you can do is listen to music, in a couple of ways. The included FM radio functions well, with the ability to work without headphones connected (though reception improves with them). The MP3 player is basic but functional, supporting playback from microSD storage. Note, though, that there are no physical volume controls, so you have to do that within the interface, which I found fiddly and awkward.  You also get a lot of little in-built apps including a voice recorder, some simple games, including Snake, a calculator, a calendar and a small torch.

Nokia 110 4G: Photography

The camera on this phone is extremely limited. It doesn't offer video, and with stills, the picture quality is as poor as you'd expect from a 0.3MP sensor. It's even bad for a cheap feature phone. The shots I captured were noticeably smaller and grubbier than those of the Nokia 225 4G and Nokia 6310, for example. 

Those cameras aren't great either, but they are a tiny bit better so you can at least use them for reference photos. With the Nokia 110 4G, though, photos I took of text such as the one below were unreadable. Also, unlike said rivals, this phone doesn't let you shoot video at all.

Another thing I hadn't really anticipated was how difficult it is to share pictures I'd taken with other people. That's something that didn't really bother me when I used a dumbphone back in the late 90s, but nowadays it's something we're so used to doing on our smartphones, it really hurts. Then again, the pictures are so bad, then you probably won't want to.

Nokia 110 4G: Verdict

The Nokia 110 4G succeeds admirably at its core purpose: providing reliable voice and text messaging in a simple, durable and light phone... all at a very low price. For those seeking a digital detox, or anyone wanting a dependable backup phone, it offers excellent value. 

Just don't expect anything more, and especially don't expect the camera to take usable photos. For a little more money, you can get a Nokia 225 4G or a Nokia 6310, both of which offer slightly nicer screens, slightly better photos and the ability to shoot low-res video.

Check out our guides to the best burners phones and the best dumbphones for alternatives to the Nokia 110 4G

In a world dominated by smartphones, feature phones still serve a purpose for those seeking simplicity and digital detox options. The Nokia 6310 is HMD Global's 2021 reinterpretation of the iconic 2001 model, marketed as a reliable device for basic communication needs. For those exploring basic phone options, this model stands out for its exceptional battery life and accessibility features.

It's the 2021 model that I've tested for this review, and the one you're most likely to find in stores and on third-party sites. However, note that there is also a 2024 model, with a larger 1,450 mAh battery (up from 1,150 mAh) and a USB-C port for simpler charging. (This one has a more old-fashioned Micro-USB slot).

Bear in mind, that both of these are 2G phones, in a world that's rapidly phasing out 2G in favour of 3G, 4G and 5G. If you're not bothered about using the web and just want to make calls and send texts, that won't be a problem. If you are, you should check first whether 2G is even available in your region, as all the major US carriers have already switched off or are in the process of shutting down their 2G networks.

Nokia 6310: Specifications

Nokia 6310: Price and availability

The Nokia 6310 (2021) retails for $49.99/£39.00/AU$69.95, which is pretty standard for a feature phone. Given its long battery life and durable construction, I'd say it offers fair value. There are cheaper feature phones from Nokia and others there, but they're generally less good.

Nokia 6310: Build and handling

The Nokia 6310's polycarbonate shell feels surprisingly premium for a budget device, with a satisfying heft and matte finish that resists fingerprints. While it's very light, at 98g, it does feel solid, and like it could survive several drops.

I found the physical T9 keypad offered excellent tactile feedback, with clicky, responsive buttons that I found pleasantly nostalgic after years of touchscreen typing. The 2.8-inch screen is small compared to a smartphone, for a feature phone it actually feels nice and roomy. Certainly, it's a lot nicer to use than the 1.8 screen of the (admittedly cheaper) Nokia 110 4G.

In use, I found navigating the 6110's menu system easier and more intuitive than any feature phone I've tried before, thanks to the prominent directional pad and clear menu structure. I also appreciated the accessibility features, including a mode that enlarges fonts and maximizes volume – perfect for older users or those with visual impairments. It was perhaps surprising that voice description of menu items was turned on by default, but this didn't bother me and was pretty easy to turn off in settings once I'd tired of it.

Finally, it was nice to see the back cover was easy to remove (revealing the battery, dual SIM slots, and microSD card slot). No tools were required; just a fingernail. Nice.

Nokia 6310: Performance

In daily use, I found the Nokia 6310 excelled at its core functions. Calls were clear with excellent reception, and text messaging was straightforward with the physical keyboard. The Series 30+ operating system was responsive and quick when navigating menus.

On the plus side, the wireless FM radio delivered surprisingly clear audio through the front-facing speaker, making it a genuinely useful feature for news and entertainment. Those of a certain age will also find the pre-installed Snake game wonderfully nostalgic with its classic 90-degree movement pattern preserved intact.

The standout feature, though, is unquestionably battery life. During my testing, the phone lasted nearly three weeks with light use, making it ideal for emergency use or travel. The 2G-only internet connection is painfully slow by modern standards, but hey, if you're on a digital detox, that'll just help encourage you not to hit the web.

Nokia 6310: Photography

Like virtually all feature phones, you shouldn't expect to take useable photos with the Nokia 6310. With only a flimsy 0.3MP sensor, it produces predictably grainy images with poor detail and color accuracy. Admittedly in good lighting, you can capture okay-ish reference images like these below, taken on a fabulously sunny day.

In low-light, though, you just get murk. And worse still, even in good lighting, there's little point in taking reference images of documents because there doesn't seem to be a way to zoom in on them on the small screen. So you won't be able to read the text back unless you export it to a laptop or smartphone. Even then, it's pretty touch and go whether text will be legible.

The camera on the Nokia 3310 also lets you shoot video. Given how low-res, grainy and jerky this is, I honestly don't see the point of it, but I guess it's better to have than not. Also be aware that you can't shoot video at all unless you insert a microSD card. Even if you have one lying around, it'll have to be 32GB or less; anything with more memory, annoyingly, won't work.

Nokia 6310: Verdict

The Nokia 6310 successfully delivers on its promise of simplicity, reliability and extended battery life. It's camera did a better job than the cheaper Nokia 110 4G, and a slightly better job than the Nokia 225 4G. On the downside, it doesn't actually offer 4G like those phones, so if 2G is switched off in your region, it's a bit pointless.

There are a couple of other niggles, such as not being able to zoom in one pictures, and not being able to shoot video without inserting a microSD card of 32GB or less. But on the whole, I found this phone to be a refreshing escape from constant notifications and social media distractions. In other words, it's very limited, but that's kind of the point.

While it won't replace your smartphone in the slightest, it serves admirably as a secondary device or digital detox tool. And more broadly, the physical buttons, accessible interface and durable construction make it particularly well-suited for anyone seeking a more mindful relationship with technology.

Check out our guides to the best burners phones and the best dumbphones for alternatives to the Nokia 6310

The Oppo Reno 12 and 12 Pro have been announced for the UK and Europe, packing a boatload of AI features and striking liquid metal design in the hero Nebula Silver color. Perhaps more significant than the phones is what they represent. 

Oppo now has complete freedom to trade in Europe and the UK after a patent dispute with Nokia kept its phones off shelves for over a year. Since the agreement was been reached, Oppo has ramped up European activity, focusing on its Reno line, the Reno 11F, which launched a couple of months back, and now, the Reno 12 series.

The Reno 12 and 12 Pro are the first phones to realize Oppo's AI Phone vision outside China. Both are loaded with handy software features that cover language and imaging, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, but at a much lower price. On paper, though, you can get more camera and performance clout for less money than either the Reno 12 and 12 Pro cost. So are we entering an age in which smart AI features come at the cost of spec-clout?

Oppo Reno 12 AI features

The poster child for AI imaging tools is object removal, and Oppo's Reno 12 series get its second-generation AI Eraser which can automatically identify and remove people, or objects you circle or draw over. At a London event announcing its AI strategy, Oppo stated the feature is used 15 times a day on average by Chinese users, suggesting in China, at least, AI photo editing is already very mainstream.

Another imaging feature, Oppo's AI Clear Face, cleans up group photos of three people or more to keep features sharp, while AI Best Face is Oppo's version of Google's Best Take, so you can switch out faces in group shots ensuring everyone has their eyes open and is looking at the camera. Along with a digital art avatar-generator, AI Studio, Best Face is set to launch in Q3 2024, so it won't be available on launch.

We've had some time with the phones, and other than AI Eraser, the most useful software enhancement is definitely AI Speak and AI Summary. These read out or summarize web pages and worked well in our early tests.

Taking a leaf out of Google and Samsung's books, Oppo has also updated its recording app with AI Recording Summary, so it can summarise audio recordings and create a transcript in the phone's Notes app. Currently, the feature supports English, Hindi, and Chinese, with more languages set to launch in the future.

Reno 12 and 12 Pro: what's the difference?

The main differences between the two Reno 12 phones are the camera specs and storage capacities. While the Reno 12 Pro packs a 47mm telephoto camera and 512GB storage, the vanilla Reno 12 swaps that out for a 2MP macro camera and 256GB storage, and its selfie camera is also lower resolution than that of the Pro. There are other less notable differences: cover glass type, screen curvature, and color options, but given we've spent some time with the Pro model, it will be the focus going forward, and the phone pictured in all hands-on images in this piece.

What's most interesting about the Reno 12 and 12 Pro's hardware is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy powering it. It's the first time we've seen the chip before, and based on the numbers, it's a modest offering for any phone with the word Pro in its name. 

Oppo includes 12GB RAM for both the 12 and 12 Pro, so typical smartphone tasks will be snappy enough. However, neither Reno 12 will be able to handle demanding games or rip through 4K video edits like some other similarly priced alternatives.

The Reno 12 Pro's triple camera system is spearheaded by the new 50MP Sony LYT600, 1/1.95-inch sensor, matched with a 26mm, f/1.8 aperture lens with OIS. The telephoto camera uses a 47mm lens with an f/2.0 aperture matched with a 50MP Samsung JN5 1/2.75-inch sensor. Finally, the 8MP ultra-wide is fixed-focus with an f/2.2 lens and a 16mm focal length.

The phone can capture 4K video at up to 30fps from the front and back, and one area the Reno 12 Pro edges ahead of similarly priced competition is with its selfie camera: a 50MP, autofocusing module with an f/2 lens and a 21mm focal length.

As for pricing and availability, you can pick up the Reno 12 Pro for £499 (approximately $635 and AU$940), or €599 from June 28 2024. The Reno 12 will launch in mid-August, and its pricing is expected to be revealed nearer the time.

While the Reno 12 Pro isn't the camera champ Oppo's flagship Find X7 Ultra is, and definitely won't be the best camera phone of 2024, the launch is a good sign for anyone hoping to pick up what could be the Oppo Find X8 Ultra later this year or at the beginning of 2025.

Editorial note: Basil has worked with Oppo's communications agency as a consultant in the past. Having worked with Basil for years, we are confident in his ability to cover Oppo news in an unbiased way.

Smartphone photography is big business, so it's no wonder brands like OnePlus, Huawei, Xiaomi and Vivo have all partnered up with iconic photography brands like Hasselblad, Leica, and Zeiss to boost their imaging cred. 

Smartphone fans consider Vivo something of a darling with its exceptional X Series, despite the fact its phones aren’t always widely available in the West. But for customers who don’t know much about brands like Vivo, Oppo or Xiaomi, an iconic camera brand logo around the back of a phone could add a much-needed trust factor. But are these camera partnerships all empty marketing, or can they really give you confidence that taking the plunge will actually get you better photos? 

In this three-part piece, I will examine the three hottest smartphone brands with camera maker partnerships: Vivo and Zeiss, OnePlus and Hasselblad, and Xiaomi and Leica. I will also outline the scope of the collaborations, discuss critical reception, and cover the phones showcasing the joint camera tech. Finally, I will share my conclusion as to whether the partnership is a bad take or a winning shot.

So strap in as we deep-dive into the partnership between Chinese phone maker Vivo, behind the well-reviewed X100 Pro, and German imaging icon, Zeiss, best known for its quality lenses.

This isn’t Zeiss’s first rodeo

Unlike Xiaomi and Leica, or Hasselblad and BBK Group (OnePlus and Oppo), Vivo and Zeiss seem to have a partially open relationship.

My first trip to Zeiss HQ in Germany wasn’t with Vivo, it was in 2012 with Nokia, testing out the Nokia 808 Pureview, the first phone to use pixel binning, an image processing technique Zeiss actually had a hand in pioneering. This speaks to Zeiss's longstanding involvement in mobile photography.

While the partnership between HMD Global (Nokia’s parent company) and Zeiss ended in 2021, Zeiss branding has adorned Sony Xperia phones for years, with Zeiss’s T* coating featured on high-end models like the Xperia 1 V. This reduces visual imperfections like refraction and reflection.

What’s different about the partnership with Vivo, however, Is how deep the integration is across both hardware and software. I caught up with the Vivo team to get a full more detailed understanding of the collaboration.

Vivo and Zeiss: hardware

While speaking with Vivo’s in-house imaging experts, they shared a cooking analogy that sets the scene for how Vivo sees the collaboration. When you make a dish, you improve your chances of success if you use excellent ingredients. With photography, the ingredient is the raw data that falls on the sensor. Zeiss helps Vivo get the best-quality information to the sensor as a starting point.

According to Keshav Chugh, Vivo's camera R&D product manager, both Zeiss optics and a Zeiss T* coating help the primary camera get the best-quality raw data possible for the flagship Vivo X100 Pro and Vivo X100 Ultra, recently announced in China. You can see some samples from the Vivo X100 Ultra below in Keshav's X post. 

Vivo goes so far as to call its flagship’s primary camera a Zeiss 1-inch Main Camera, and the telephoto camera a Zeiss APO Floating Telephoto Camera, the first apochromatically corrected lens in a smartphone. While tele lenses typically suffer from worse chromatic aberration (purple fringing) than wider lenses, Vivo’s lens system, certified by Zeiss, reduces this effect and performs competitively in my tests.

Vivo and Zeiss: software

Vivo’s photo processing has been making waves over the last couple of years thanks to its impressive photo quality and progressive take on computational photography. When discussing the AI of it all with Vivo, the team was keen to hit home, before you even get to tuning, Vivo and Zeiss’s collaboration focuses on making sure the foundation of the photo is rock solid. In other words, images should pack minimum Delta E (variance between what’s seen, what’s captured, and what’s displayed). This is especially important in portraits, with the X100 Pro featuring six Zeiss-inspired portrait digital lenses.

At 24mm, Vivo’s portrait look emulates Zeiss’s Distagon flare, at 35mm, it’s the Zeiss B-Speed triangular cinematic spot, at 50mm you get a circular flare, or alternatively a Biotar rotary focus flare as a second 50mm option. Punching in further, and an 85mm portrait pulls up Zeiss’s Sonnar cream spot and finally, a tight 100mm portrait creates a Planar dreamy spot paired with soft, low-saturated, platinum tones. When you think some flagship smartphone Portrait Mode options are: on or off, Vivo and Zeiss’s efforts are impressive even before you come to take a portrait photo. Vivo was keen to stress that while many portrait modes are mathematical calculations to create blur, its own version is more bespoke.

Many people, myself included, shy away from portrait mode on smartphones. It can look clunky and overdone. But because Vivo offers such a range of options and you can dial up or down the effect after taking your shot, it's easy to refine the results to a level of subtlety that doesn't detract from the quality of a photo.

As for Vivo’s general photo processing, this is mostly handled by Vivo and certified by Zeiss, and what’s also interesting (if slightly off topic), Vivo applies different photo processing to China-focused devices compared to its global phones. Global devices feature no generative AI (gen AI) to enhance a picture, upscale dynamic range, apply opt-in beautification, etc. Vivo phones launched in China, on the other hand, do feature gen AI, and they also feature opt-out beautification to reflect typical regional user preferences.

Zeiss also lives in two more areas within Vivo phones. The first is in the Zeiss Natural look. This dictates the aesthetic of your photo, with Zeiss Natural being the most balanced of all the looks on offer, while Vivid and Textured, the two alternatives, add more stylistic processing.

Finally, Vivo’s Zeiss co-branded phones enjoy a branded watermark, complete with shooting parameters so you can easily see just how hard the camera (and the processing) have worked to get the shot.

Vivo and Zeiss: a marriage made in…

If Vivo’s recent phones are anything to go by, this partnership is most certainly a marriage made in heaven. Vivo’s X100 Pro is the most reliable camera phone I’ve ever used for point and shoot photography. Its processing isn’t always the most authentic, so Vivo’s phones might not be the top choice for photography purists, especially when zooming in beyond 10x owing to how much it cleans up shots – but as I covered in my feature on the X100 Pro’s processing, it was a crowd pleaser at my family Christmas. After I took a few group shots, everyone loved how the phone’s camera simultaneously flattered and captured the mood of the day.

Vivo phones and where to find them

While you could buy the Vivo X80 Pro and X90 Pro in Europe, the more recent X100 Pro, and the V30 Pro – its upper-midranger – are mainly available in Asian and Middle Eastern markets. This could be owing to a patent dispute with Nokia that has prevented brands like Oppo and Vivo from selling their phones in Europe. With Oppo returning to Western markets with the Reno11 F this year, and Vivo issuing a statement that the dispute has been resolved, there is a chance we could be welcoming Vivo phones back to Europe in the future. 

Until then, anyone who lives somewhere Vivo phones aren’t widely available will have to import one. Having used both the X100 Pro and V30 Pro in the UK and across Europe, I can confirm both phones work well, with full access to the Google Play Store and network bands. However, if you do decide to import a Vivo phone, there are pitfalls, not least of all the limited after-sales support.

Vivo's just revealed that its X Fold 3 Pro will be launching in India in June, making it the first foldable from Vivo to launch outside China. This wider release is a promising sign for anyone enamoured with Vivo's Zeiss imaging and on the market for a foldable for two reasons. The first is that Indian devices run what is termed global software, so they natively support Google services like Android Auto, making them more attractive imports. The India launch could also be the first wave of a wider release plan that includes the West.

Running down the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro's imaging highlights, it features three cameras, a 50MP main camera with a large 1/1.3-inch sensor, a 64MP periscope camera with a 1/2-inch sensor, and a 50MP ultra-wide with a 1/2.76-inch sensor and PDAF. As you can see in Vivo's tweet, linked above, the camera gets Zeiss portrait highlights, and given how good Vivo is at eking out quality images from mobile hardware, it could be the best foldable camera around when it drops.

Vivo and Zeiss: the future

There's no getting around it, the future of smartphone photography is generative AI. And with Vivo and Zeiss having announced an extension of their partnership in May 2024, we can look forward to both brands taking their next AI-imaging steps together for the foreseeable future.

But why is AI such a silver bullet for smartphone photography? Smartphone sensors and lenses are small, a particular challenge on the telephoto end, and AI looks set to be the weapon of choice for compensating for this inherent limitation. With Vivo at the cusp of incorporating computational photography in its phones, we're guessing it will be pioneering more advanced AI models in its upcoming devices, especially when it comes to zoom.

I touched on how much Vivo cleans up zoomed-in shots in the X100 Pro with its 50MP telephoto camera, and the new Vivo X100 Ultra, with a 200MP telephoto camera, looks set to be the cleanest zoomer the internet has ever seen based on early reports out of China. By instantly bracketing, masterfully pixel-binning, and using object recognition to clean up zoomed-in detail incredibly well, Vivo really is leading the charge, out-performing technically more complex, further-reaching zooms like the 85-170mm continuous zoom on the Sony Xperia 1 VI.

As for where Zeiss fits into Vivo’s imaging story, provided the lens specialist can keep delivering its expertise, lenses and coating, the mutually beneficial partnership should continue to bear fruits for both businesses.

So while Leica appears to be swaying Xiaomi in a very classical direction with its photo processing on the Xiaomi 13T and 14 Ultra, and Hasselblad seems to be meeting OnePlus and Oppo in the middle with measured computational photography on the OnePlus 12 Pro and Open, I’m arguably more excited by what Vivo and Zeiss are on track to do. Sure, the purist photographer in me may die a little when my X100 Pro takes a photo that looks much better than real life, but when you’re taking photos that look this good on a smartphone without labouring too hard over your shot, it’s very hard not to be impressed and excited by the shape of things to come.

Check out the best camera phones in 2024

Arguably a cultural icon, back when the iPhone was still a scribble on Steve Jobs’ notepad, one mobile phone ruled above all else. 

The Nokia 3210 was one of the bestselling phones of all time – and for many millennials and Gen Xers, it was their first mobile phone, and a taste of the tech advances to come. 

If you find yourself pining over a simpler age, we’ve got good news for you. 

The 3210 is back, and it’s still got Snake!

Reacting to the surge in demand for retro designs and simpler devices as part of a global digital detox, Human Mobile Devices (HMD) have relaunched the classic device. 

The modernized 3210 includes a two-megapixel camera, supports 4G, and will still include the classic and well-loved game Snake. 

“The Nokia 3210, a cultural icon, is back at the pinnacle of the global dumbphone boom as consumers look to balance their screen time usage with a digital detox,” Lars Silberbauer, HMD’s chief marketing officer, said.

With its core focus on simplicity, the Nokia 3210 gives consumers a chance to disconnect from the pushes and pulls of the digital world, and engage in some good old fashioned nostalgia, or ‘newstalgia’. 

Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week (May 13 to 19), when a lot of focus turns to the negative effect of modern technology on our mental health. Many people try to combat these effects by engaging with a temporary or permanent ‘digital detox’. This could mean deleting or pausing social media pages, not using your phone in the evenings, or maybe ditching your smartphone altogether. Alternatively, you could choose one of the best dumbphones or best burner phones, to cut out all that doom-scrolling.

Continuing the theme of ‘newstalgia’, HMD says on its website: “We had fewer apps in the noughties. Fewer channels to be present on. But were we any less in touch? Strip away today’s notifications from likes, shares, and comments, and what you’re left with are conversations with people you care about the most.”

Continuing the turn of the century trend, the new 3210 comes in three colors: Y2K gold, grunge black, and scuba blue. 

It’s out now in Europe and retails at £74.99 (approx $90 / AU$142). 

Vinyl, 35mm film cameras, and – unfortunately – low-rise jeans have all made a comeback in recent years, as have numerous feature phone designs which harken back to the nineties and noughties. 

On April 11 manufacturers of Nokia phones HMD revealed they will be releasing three new (or old depending on how you look at it) mobile phone designs dripping in nostalgia. 

Expected to be on the market sometime in May are the Nokia 5310 (2024), the 6310 (2024) and the Nokia 230 (2024). 

Also called 'dumb phones', all the models have a max network speed at 2G, a service that will be completely phased out in the UK by 2033 along with 3G services, while in the US the technology has already been dropped by all major carriers. 

While most people who fondly remember the 2006 release of the original 5300 are possibly now too old to have the urge to blare out music from their phone on the top of deck of a bus, the new model does come with dual front-facing speakers. 

In another revival, the 6310 model now has a clear, curved 2.8-inch screen with an improved 2.8" QVGA IPS display.

All three phones have an enviable battery life of 27 days if kept on standby, have 5.0 Bluetooth connectivity, and – of course – Snake for a pure hit of noughties nostalgia! The 6310 and the 230 also come with FM radio. None of the models are able to connect to Wi-Fi. 

Prices and release dates have not yet been confirmed although previous re-releases have usually been priced under £100 or $125. 

Digital Detox 

In this high-tech age, it's hard to imagine not falling terribly behind and experiencing serious 'FOMO' (fear of missing out) by going back to basics with one of these feature phones.

However, that seems to be the appeal as more people opt for a temporary or permanent 'digital detox'.

This could include setting aside an hour a day to completely remove yourself from screens and technology, or making a lifestyle change to include less tech in your everyday activities.

Excessive screen time has been regularly linked with short attention spans, sleep dysregulation and anxiety as people feel under pressure to keep up with endless content and compare their lives to manufactured and unachievable standards.

“Modern social media is designed in such a way that you stay in the app, and even after that, notifications beep to draw you back into the app,” founder of Dumbphone.dk Arne Bangsgaard Mathiasen told HMD. “Messages, snaps, TikTok videos – they’re all tailored to steal your precious time. My own experience is that I think about everything online – even when I'm not online. I wonder what I'm missing out on. And my experience is that it particularly affects the young people in our society.”

Take a look at our top picks of the best dumb phones on the market, which includes a few other Nokia classics.

A phone made in conjunction with a brewing company? It sounds like a late April Fool's joke, but surprisingly, the collaboration between HMD (Human Mobile Devices - makers of current Nokia phones) and Heineken isn't as ridiculous as it first seems. 

The Boring Phone is a stripped-down dumb phone that ditches internet access, so there's no social media, email, or games. Free from such distractions, the theory is you're then able to more easily engage with the people around you and enjoy real-life socializing... over a beer.

Maybe the beer tie-in is a little contrived, but the underlying philosophy here is interesting. Heineken commissioned a survey of 4000 Gen Z and Millennial smartphone users of legal drinking age to gauge how their smartphone use impacts their real-world social interaction. 90% of the participants confessed to doom scrolling while socializing with friends and family, checking their devices seven times each night out on average. 62% admitted to checking social media while socializing, 36% checked work emails, and 30% confessed to a cheeky gaming sesh instead of engaging with friends and family.

Read more: the best dumbphones

But do young people really want to be so distracted by smartphones, or is this more of a dependency/addiction? Tellingly, the survey also suggests 32% would like to be able to disconnect from their phones when on a night out, and 22% go further and already turn their phone off or leave it at home before a social occasion.

So with a growing desire to banish smart tech and return to a simpler life, a device named The Boring Phone starts to make sense. This is a phone deliberately purged of superfluous 'features', instead retaining the bare essentials: it'll make calls, send texts, it has a few simple games, and a basic camera. And we do mean basic - at 0.3 megapixels, you'll be shooting images just 640 x 480 pixels. But hey, that all adds to the retro appeal. The Boring Phone may be boring as far as distractions go, but it does have enough aesthetic appeal to foster a conversation at the bar. The flip-phone form factor is timelessly cool, while the transparent phone casing stands out from the smartphone crowd - it even comes with some stickers.

The timing of The Boring Phone's launch couldn't be better. Noughties tech is now very much in fashion, with Gen Z celebs flaunting cameras and tech from the 2000s. The Boring Phone emulates what we love about mobile phones from that time period - simple functionality, rugged construction, and long battery life - but it packages these benefits in a modern device that'll connect to current mobile networks. To hit the fashion mark, Heineken also consulted with Bodega, a Boston-based conceptual retail space for street culture and contemporary fashion, to ensure the phone's aesthetic appeals to its target demographic.

The Boring Phone will be unveiled on April 18 at a pop-up Bodega at Milan Design Week; the world’s leading festival for design and innovation. The production run will be limited to 5000 units, but if you don't manage to bag a Boring Phone, an app "that will turn smartphones boring" is said to be launching in June that'll emulate the Boring Phone experience on a conventional smartphone.

Back in November 2000, Sharp launched the J-SH04 – the world's first camera phone capable of sending picture messages. Initially it was only available in Japan, boasting a 110,000-pixel CMOS sensor and a 256-image color display. 

Since then the best camera phones have become so advanced that feature films have been recorded on them, they've invented new jobs such as content creation and social media influencing, and high-res photos can be sent around the world in a matter of seconds. The days of old-school camera phones are thankfully long behind us, but at the time they were the sign of exciting things to come. 

When the first camera phone was released, 23 years ago, the iconic Nokia 3310 was all the rage. Other than making calls, sending texts and playing Snake (which to this day remains a nostalgic favorite) there was little else it could do, yet it kicked off the mobile phone revolution for many people. It was as basic as they come, but its popularity resulted in a reimagined model released in 2017 (albeit with a color screen and a more slimline shape).

In the last 24 years, cellular phones have transformed from basic tools of communication to pocket-sized computers. Phones such as the iPhone 15 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can be used to email, browse the web, play games, take and edit photos, schedule diary events, track calories consumed / burned, meditate, manage your bank, listen to music, stream videos and so much more. 

But long before the first iPhone was released in June 2007, Sharo made it possible to take and send photos from a cellphone – albeit it extremely low resolution.

At the time, nobody predicted that texting or picture messaging would take off quite so rapidly, but its popularity was largely down to teenagers who took to this new rapid form of communication. The first-ever text message was sent from a computer to a phone on December 03 1992, simply saying "Merry Christmas". 

Shortly after texting became second nature, people started using shorthand due to the 160-character limit of text messages – and many of these abbreviations such as wuu2 (what you up to) and lol (laugh out loud) are still used today.

SMS is no longer as popular as it used to be, with the likes of Whatsapp, WeChat and Messenger becoming the primary methods of instant messaging. According to SellCell, around 23 billion messages are sent every single day and more than 300 million photos get uploaded to the internet – but it’s almost impossible to work out exactly how many of those are sent via messenger.

There’s no denying that smartphones have completely changed the way we live our day-to-day lives. Whereas once upon a time we would’ve been reliant on a laptop for many personal and business tasks, lots of people can operate almost entirely from a cellphone. And camera phones are so good for both photo and video that creators and influencers no longer need to invest in any other equipment. 

Arguably, many of these new job roles wouldn't exist were it not for the rapid advancement of cellular phones and their ability to take, share, and edit photos and video so efficiently.

Take a look at the best iPhones for photography or, if you're not an Apple user, check out the best Android phones for photography including the best Samsung phones.

In a world of expensive flagship smartphones, it can be soul-crushing to discover that your valuable device needs a new pricey screen repair or parts replacement. Not everyone can afford to fix their smartphones right away, or to buy a whole new device outright, leading to an increase in secondhand tech sales. 

Nokia is aiming to make life just that bit easier for the clumsiest of us, and has partnered with parts retailer and how-to site, iFixit, in the launch of the new Nokia G22 to ensure that parts for this new phone are accessible and affordable. 

• These are the best Nokia phones

Released just last week at MWC 2023, the Nokia G22 is the first Nokia smartphone to offer this kind of device longevity promise, with both consumers and cost in mind. The repairable design of the Nokia G22 definitely sets it apart from other brands of flagship smartphones that have fragile elements to their designs. 

iFixit will be offering step-by-step repair guides and affordable replacement parts for the Nokia G22, should the worst happen and your smartphone ends up in a club toilet or if your handsy toddler gets a hold of it. Gone are the days of the simplistic Nokia brick phones that would damage the concrete if dropped. 

The QuickFix repairability and longevity-first design of the Nokia G22 provide consumers with the ability to replace a broken display, charging port, or phone battery themselves and at home, at an affordable cost. Nokia has also introduced its extended warranty period of three-year cover plus security updates and patches.

The new Nokia G22 smartphone is also on the more budget-friendly and super-affordable price scale, retailing at just $179 / £169 / AU$349 SIM-only. The cost of living crisis has affected a large volume of people, especially in the UK, so affordable smartphones that still retain high performance is like gold dust right now.

Some key specifications of this budget smartphone include a 50-megapixel main camera, Android 12 OS, expandable storage, a headphone jack, and 1080p video recording capabilities. What else could you need in such a cheap device? Some might moan about the fact it doesn't support 5G, but we all survived just fine with 4G. 

Sustainability is another factor that Nokia has considered with the design of the G22, made with a 100% recycled plastic back and frame and with eco-friendly packaging, in a playful two-tone color scheme of Lagoon Blue or Meteor Gray. 

Kyle Wiens, CEO at iFixit, has commented that the: "Nokia G22 is a step in the right direction, and we need more companies to follow their lead and prioritize sustainability in their product design. Battery issues, screen damage, and charging port problems are some of the most common issues that smartphone users face, so having the ability to easily replace these parts can save consumers time and money in the long run.”

Head of Product Marketing at HMD Global (the parent company behind Nokia mobiles), Adam Ferguson, has also shared that "People value sustainable, quality devices and they shouldn’t have to compromise on price to get it. We are continuing our journey towards more sustainable and longer-lasting devices. The new Nokia G22 is purposefully built with a repairable design and is packed with features that improve performance and longevity without extra cost.”

Repairing your own smartphone can't be as daunting as cleaning your own camera sensor for the first time, surely? 

• You may also be interested in the best dumbphones, as well as the best burner phones for those who like their smartphones simple. Take a look at our review of the rugged Nokia XR20 smartphone and it's eco-friendly alternative, the Nokia X30 5G. 

• Protect your phone with one of the best phone cases and best magnetic phone cases on the market right now, as well as the best magnetic smartphone accessories to enhance your phone and your productivity. 

A first-generation iPhone in its original box recently sold for over AU$92,000 by auction house LCG, after starting at AU$3,600 and receiving a total of 27 bids. The 8GB model was owned by tattoo artist Karen Green, who was given the phone as a gift back in 2007 shortly after it launched.

Karen left the iPhone unopened for 16 years. In the original listing from LCG auctions, they describe how she was given the phone by friends, but as she had just bought a new phone herself, she never opened it and a couple of years later she was told that it could be valuable to a collector.

"We are pleased to present an iconic factory-sealed, first-release iPhone in outstanding condition," LCG writes. "Our offering was consigned by the phone’s original owner, Karen Green, and is coupled with a great backstory that was first shared on the Treasure Hunt segment of the syndicated television show The Doctor & The Diva. This is the first original iPhone in acceptable condition to hit the auction block since the record-breaking sale in October."

The auction was open between February 2 and February 19, and in the end, the first-gen iPhone sold for US$63,356.40, more than 105 times its original price.

Apple products have always had a certain cult-like following, beloved for their sleek, minimalist design and groundbreaking features. The original iPhone was unveiled by the late Steve Jobs at Macworld, San Francisco, with the well-known phrase "Apple is going to reinvent the phone."

It launched with a 4GB or 8GB capacity, for US$499 and US$599 respectively, and was the combination of a mobile phone and an iPod, with an internet connection. It also had a 2MP camera, which is nothing compared to today's 200MP camera sensors, but was wildly impressive in 2007.

At the time, Nokia was the world's largest phone maker (remember them?), while Blackberry devices were enjoyed by business users. The iPhone was revolutionary in part because it appealed to the public and cut out hardware buttons seen on most phones to replace them with a touchscreen interface.

It's not hyperbole to say that, 16 years after its launch, the iPhone has become the most iconic electronic device ever invented. The best iPhone devices are still considered the best camera phone by many today, with the Apple iPhone 14 Pro leading the way in 2023.

Is it so hard to believe that this pristine iPhone is worth over AU$92,000 dollars? First-generation iPhones have previously sold at around AU$43,000 to blue-chip investors and Apple collectors. And because Karen's phone was in its original sealed packaging, and an 8 GB rather than 4 GB model, its value soared. The phone can't actually be used, as AT&T’s 2.5G Edge network has been shuttered, so its true value lies in the history and the legacy of the device, rather than the material product.

Check out all the iPhone generations to date

A first-generation iPhone in its original box recently sold for over $63,000 by auction house LCG, after starting at $2,500 and receiving a total of 27 bids. The 8GB model was owned by tattoo artist Karen Green, who was given the phone as a gift back in 2007 shortly after it launched.

Karen left the iPhone unopened for 16 years. In the original listing from LCG auctions, they describe how she was given the phone by friends, but as she had just bought a new phone herself, she never opened it and a couple of years later she was told that it could be valuable to a collector.

"We are pleased to present an iconic factory-sealed, first-release iPhone in outstanding condition," LCG writes. "Our offering was consigned by the phone’s original owner, Karen Green, and is coupled with a great backstory that was first shared on the Treasure Hunt segment of the syndicated television show The Doctor & The Diva. This is the first original iPhone in acceptable condition to hit the auction block since the record-breaking sale in October."

The auction was open between February 2 and February 19, and in the end, the first-gen iPhone sold for $63,356.40, more than 105 times its original price.

Apple products have always had a certain cult-like following, beloved for their sleek, minimalist design and groundbreaking features. The original iPhone was unveiled by the late Steve Jobs at Macworld, San Francisco, with the well-known phrase "Apple is going to reinvent the phone."

It launched with a 4GB or 8GB capacity, for $499 and $599 respectively, and was the combination of a mobile phone and an iPod, with an internet connection. It also had a 2MP camera, which is nothing compared to today's 200MP camera sensors, but was wildly impressive in 2007.

At the time, Nokia was the world's largest phone maker (remember them?), while Blackberry devices were enjoyed by business users. The iPhone was revolutionary in part because it appealed to the public and cut out hardware buttons seen on most phones to replace them with a touchscreen interface.

It's not hyperbole to say that, 16 years after its launch, the iPhone has become the most iconic electronic device ever invented. The best iPhone devices are still considered the best camera phone by many today, with the Apple iPhone 14 Pro leading the way in 2023.

Is it so hard to believe that this pristine iPhone is worth over $63,000 dollars? First-generation iPhones have previously sold at around $30,000 to blue-chip investors and Apple collectors. And because Karen's phone was in its original sealed packaging, and an 8 GB rather than 4 GB model, its value soared. The phone can't actually be used, as AT&T’s 2.5G Edge network has been shuttered, so its true value lies in the history and the legacy of the device, rather than the material product.

Check out all the iPhone generations to date

The Nokia XR20 is the latest rugged smartphone offering from Nokia, presented in a relatively lightweight and sleek form compared to the robust and brick-like design features that you might find on a typical rugged phone produced by other manufacturers. 

We recently reviewed the alien-looking  Doogee S98 Pro rugged smartphone, for example, that offers an AI 3-in-1 camera setup with additional night vision as well as thermal imaging cameras, and is an extra 100 grams heavier than the Nokia XR20.

We'll dive into the key features and selling points of this Nokia XR20 smartphone within the sections of this review, but to summarise briefly, it can withstand hefty drops from as high as 1.8 meters (certified drop-proof to military standards) and is also water and dust resistant to IP68 levels, with great battery life. 

We'll save those who prioritize the camera unit above all else when choosing a smartphone the trouble of reading this review, as if you're set on owning one of the best Nokia phones, then we'll direct you straight to our review of another recent mid-range and budget-friendly release with a superb camera, the Nokia X30 5G.

Part of the Android One family of third-party Android smartphones that have been promoted by Google, this device is considered to be mid-range in both performance and price. This Nokia XR20 currently retails for $399.99/ £299 / AU$779 and is a bargain for those wanting a device that can run the latest Android OS and perform all of the basic functions that a modern smartphone with rugged features and appeal should be able to. 

With that said, the XR20 does have a few faults, and we'll go into these in more depth throughout the review. If you're looking for details on a specific area of this device such as the camera unit, image and video samples, or its overall build quality and design, you can jump directly to these sections using the section tabs above. 

Nokia XR20: Specifications

Release Date: July 2021
Rear cameras: 48 MP f/1.8 (wide), 13 MP f/2.4 (ultrawide)
Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0
Display: 6.67 inches, IPS LCD
Resolution: FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels)
Operating System: Android 11, upgradable to Android 12
Chip: Qualcomm SM4350, Snapdragon 480 5G
Max video resolution: 1080p at 30fps
Touch ID: Yes
Face ID: Yes
5G: Yes
Capacity: 64GB/128GB
RAM: 4GB/6GB
Dimensions: 171.6 x 81.5 x 10.6 mm
Weight: 248g
Water resistance: IP68 dust/water resistant
Charger: USB Type-C 3.0, 18W wired fast charging
Battery: 4,630 mAh
3.5mm Headphone port: Yes
What's in the box? The XR20 phone, a charging cable, two instruction manuals in different languages, a SIM pin. (No adapter/plug).

Nokia XR20: Key features

The Nokia XR20 series was released just last year, and while it runs Android 11 on startup, it can very easily be upgraded to android 12 through a system update and your device settings. Speaking of updates, this device will be granted continuous monthly security updates, OS upgrades, and general functionality improvements for at least three years, as part of Nokia's latest 3-3-3 promise to keep your phone up to date until 2025, promoting a greater economy and life expectancy of our devices. 

Nokia believes that using our phones for longer before upgrading is better for the environment, and has taken a relatively eco-friendly approach to not only the packaging of its latest devices but the materials they are made from too. The XR20 also comes with a 1-year free screen replacement and a three-year warranty for peace of mind that it will last the test of time. 

As for the lack of a power plug/adapter included with the XR20, Nokia says it’s part of its efforts to reduce e-waste, and that customers can purchase their own one, and the company will donate the proceeds to environmental causes. 

With super-fast 5G connectivity, the XR20 can keep up with other modern smartphones, with a well-sized 6.67-inch screen that's ideal for browsing and social media, and a design that should be able to withstand pretty much anything you throw at it, being shock-resistant from drops of up to 1.2m.

It's difficult to say whether this smartphone is waterproof, or just water-resistant, as an IP68 rating doesn't take water pressure into account so it's unlikely that you would be able to use this smartphone as an underwater camera for photography or recording purposes, but it's great reassurance that your phone will survive the outdoors should you drop it in a puddle, or even the loo for that matter. 

Nokia XR20: Camera features

As for the camera, the Nokia XR20 has a decent (but not the best) setup that can capture adequate photos, with a 48MP main f/1.8 camera paired with a 13MP f/2.4 ultrawide and 8MP front camera. While these specs don't seem too impressive, the Nokia XR20's camera features are equipped with the aid of Zeiss optics, and AI assistance with pre-applied filters depending on what you shoot.

There's also the option of a "pro" mode that can customize settings such as iso, white balance, and shutter speed, and the AI functions of the camera module allow for enhancements such as Beautification, and other imaging modes such as HDR, Night Mode, and Panorama. 

The camera's Zeiss integration includes features such as ZEISS Optics, and ZEISS Portrait, which allows users to creatively soften or change the shape of any bokeh created when capturing a portrait. There's also ZEISS Cinematic Effects for video, and the recording capabilities of the XR20 feature a SpeedWarp mode with super-stabilization for fast-motion, Action Cam mode, Cinema mode, and video HDR.

OZO spatial audio capture offers wind-noise cancellation when shooting video and ensures that only the sounds you intend to capture can be heard. See the Sample Images and video section of this review where we examine these features in action and put the spatial audio features to the test in the busy city of Bath.

The Nokia XR20 also has a feature known as OZO Playback technology, that supposedly lets users experience every booming detail of sound recorded with the device through the extra loud stereo speakers in a surround-sound spatial effect.

The front selfie camera of the Nokia XR20 only offers 8MP, although the image quality certainly isn't the worst that I've ever used, benefitting from the Zeiss integration no doubt, and the front camera also offers beauty mode and can allow for features to be adjusted such as background blur and facial enhancements. 

Nokia XR20: Build & handling

The primary selling points of the Nokia XR20 are without a doubt the rugged design and indestructible nature of the phone, being water and dust-resistant and boasting a 1.8-meter drop-proof military-grade certification which most modern flagship phones cannot guarantee without the aid of one of the best phone cases for protection against daily use and accidental drops. This device from Nokia is scratch-resistant, drop-resistant, temperature-resistant, and kid-and-pet-resistant.

Available in both Granite and Ultra Blue, the Nokia XR20 is made from a tough Polymer composite with aluminum side panels, as well as an aluminum core frame, all of which are renewable materials that can be recovered, with an impressive recoverability rate of 89.8%, making the Nokia XR20's build pretty eco-friendly.

The device is large and slim with a great screen size to enjoy streaming content and browsing social media, the only letdown is the IPS LCD screen over the AMOLED type that usually offers more crisp and vibrant visuals. The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus used to coat the device screen is the toughest yet on a Nokia smartphone, and  It's also sensitive enough that it can respond to touch from wet hands and gloves.

The buttons feel easy to press, with a top red-colored programmable emergency key that can be adjusted to dial your emergency contacts and send a link to your location via a message when it is either pressed briefly, or if the user chooses to press and hold the button. The fingerprint sensor and power button is much flatter than other buttons and located on the right side key underneath the volume controls, with a textured-feel Google Assistant button on the left. 

The water and dust-resistant nature of this phone means that should it get dirty or dropped in mud, you can just clean it with soap and water without fear of causing any internal damage to the device, feel free to run it under the tap whenever is necessary. The phone even offers an accessory loop that exists for attaching a lanyard, so your phone can always be within reach.

Nokia XR20: Performance

The overall performance of the Nokia XR20 smartphone I would say is average and meets the expectations and bare minimum of what a modern Android One smartphone should be able to accomplish, but it doesn't exactly go above and beyond. The key selling points as previously mentioned are the robust build, but the internal features need some work. 

While this phone is definitively capable of keeping up with multitasking, streaming content, and is designed externally to be able to withstand anything that life throws at it, the internal power, software, and processing chip while perfectly usable and functional just aren't up to scratch to compete with the likes of modern flagship smartphones at a similar price point.

The phone comes pre-installed with apps that include Express VPN, Spotify, as well as Google's full roster of Home, Nest, Drive, and Gmail applications. While it does offer competitive features that allow for wireless charging, NFC and contactless payments, the internals are pretty buggy and Nokia should aim to smooth these out as I'm sure it will through the proposed 3-year updates and security patches. 

As for gaming, this Nokia XR20 has enough RAM to be able to keep up with almost all smartphone games on the Google Play store, but might not be the best for playing competitive online games that need high refresh rates or faster processing speeds.  

The power button is tricky to activate, being so flat, and barely feels like a button. Once the button has been pressed to turn the device on, it can then be pressed twice to launch and activate the camera, however, this doesn't always work and sometimes you feel yourself pressing the button once and nothing happens, so you press again and suddenly the Google Assistant pops up or the camera launches itself. I would go as far as to say this device was irritating at best to use. 

The camera shutter on the Nokia XR20 can be a little slow, and I don't like the fact that HDR is left on automatically and results in sharp-looking images from a distance that, once zoomed in are actually very pixelated and poor quality. The zoom range in the Nokia XR20 is also poor, with only 2x optical zoom offered that, again, produces pixelated results.

The price point and mid-range level of this device do not require it to have the latest and greatest camera setup, however, it should at the very least be able to take a clear image that doesn't look like it was captured on an old Blackberry Curve 9360. 

I tested the image quality of the Nokia XR20 with that of my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone, as can be seen from the unedited images in the gallery below. Please take note of the image captions for comparison and to decipher which images were taken with which device and settings were used. 

The front camera may be only 8MP but it performed superbly well and I was pleasantly surprised with the results, having already had low expectations after experimenting with the main 48MP and 13MP ultrawide cameras. 

The front camera didn't do a bad job at all of blurring the background of the city streets behind me when taking a selfie, despite the low megapixel offering, and the ZEISS portrait features could be easily adjusted to control the image outcome. 

I was overall more impressed with the quality of the XR20's front camera than of its dual-rear camera unit, and found that the front camera had a sharp focus, whereas the rear cameras rely too heavily on the auto-HDR enhancement to produce clear images. See the image gallery below for examples captured using the XR20's front camera. 

Nokia XR20: Sample video

Video samples from the Nokia XR20

As can be heard in the video above, the supposed spatial audio isn't great as background traffic noise and pedestrians talking can all be heard and picked up on the video. The wind sounds have been muffled but I'm not sure if this is a positive thing, as it just sounds pretty bad all around. 

The video also demonstrates the video quality when zooming in on video footage and as can be seen, it's super blurry and pixelated. 

Nokia XR20: Verdict

Overall the Nokia XR20 is a phone that would well-suit anyone who works in areas of trade or construction and needs a modern smartphone that they know can withstand any damage, dust, drops, and spills. It can function just fine and cope with multitasking, so you can browse social media and stream Netflix while looking up a recipe and using contactless to pay for groceries on your phone. 

The Nokia XR20 relies on the ruggedness of its design and build as a selling point, as it really doesn't have much else going for it. As I said, there's nothing particularly wrong with this phone aside from an irritating side button and pop-up assistant, but there's nothing really too special about it either. 

For those needing one of the best rugged phones or even a thermal-imaging camera for work purposes, we would recommend you opt for the Doogee S98 Pro or the Doogee S96 GT, as these phones are ultra-rugged and offer extras such as night vision cameras, excellent main cameras, and super-fast processors, and cost just a little bit extra, worth every penny. 

For use as a backup phone for when hiking and camping, this Nokia XR20 should be perfectly fine for those with the patience to put up with the few glitches that the company will undoubtedly smooth out in time, to ensure the longevity of your smartphone so that it shouldn't need upgrading or replacing. 

While it's a shame about the mediocre and lackluster camera on the Nokia XR20, if this isn't something that bothers you then you've bagged a bargain with this smartphone (that is also currently reduced in price). 

If you are however someone who values having one of the best phone cameras, which we assume you are given that this is a photography-based website, then definitely consider the Nokia X30 5G instead, not a rugged phone at all - but still super eco-friendly with a much better camera system. 

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The Nokia X30 5G smartphone was released in September 2022 and is a great choice for those wanting an Android 12 compatible device that can handle all of the latest apps and games. It's got a great camera system too, but without the higher price tags that can be found with similar devices such as the Google Pixel 7 and the Oppo Find X5 series.

Priced at a competitive $540 / £399.99 / AU$899, this smartphone from Nokia is a great all-rounder and a bargain price for what the device can do. The camera system includes a main 50-megapixel f/1.8 lens that performs superbly in both daylight and darker scenes, and the video quality produced is pretty good, with spatial audio. 

As a premium mid-range device, this Nokia X30 5G smartphone may not be able to compete with the likes of the latest (and most expensive!) camera phones, but in comparison with the Nokia G60 5G, which was released just weeks before, the X30 boasts a better display, camera, and battery life.

Chosen by us as one of the best Nokia phones (number 2 on the list), there's not much that this Nokia X30 5G can't do. Although it has an above-average but not superior camera unit, the operating system on this device is running the latest Android 12, so there are plenty of compatible apps and software you can download, with no task that you can't throw at it.

Great for multitasking, and with the options of a 128GB or a 256GB capacity device, you should be able to store a multitude of photos, videos, and apps on this smartphone without any trouble, supported by a powerful Snapdragon 695 5G chipset and a minimum of 6GB Ram to optimize your browsing and workflow. 

Nokia X30 5G: Specifications

Rear cameras: 50 MP f/1.8 (wide), 13 MP f/2.4 (ultrawide)
Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4 (wide)
Display: 6.43” FHD+ AMOLED PureDisplay, 20:9, FHD+ 1080 x 2400
Operating System: Android 12
Chip: Qualcomm SM6375, Snapdragon 695 5G 
Image stabilization: OIS
Max video resolution: 1080p@30/60fps
Touch ID: Yes
Face ID: Yes
5G: Yes
Capacity: 128GB / 256GB
RAM: 6GB / 8GB
Dimensions: 158.9 x 73.9 x 8 mm
Weight: 185g
Water resistance: IP67 (up to 1m for 30 mins)
Charger: USB Type-C 2.0
3.5mm Headphone port: No

Nokia X30 5G: Key features

The Nokia X30 5G has many cool features, but the main selling point without a doubt appears to be the environmentally friendly factor of the phone, and how its build and manufacture comprise almost entirely recyclable materials to reduce waste in production and promote sustainable technology. 

Even the packaging that contains this smartphone is made of 75% recycled materials, and the brown box is Fiberglass Structural Engineering (FSE) certified to ensure its industry-safe engineering methods. 

The Nokia X30 5G relies on the pretty high 90hz refresh rate of its 6.43” full HD AMOLEDCorning Gorilla Glass Victus flat screen display, to optimize the browsing experience for users, displaying visuals in high quality while maintaining adequate speeds to keep up with streaming habits. 

Nokia also has a newly introduced 3-3-3 promise and benefit for customers, that covers the X30 5G handset, and pledges that the company will cover 3 years of security patches, monthly security updates, and OS updates, plus include a 3-year manufacturer warranty with its devices. 

This ensures that the Nokia X30 5G will be fully covered and functioning securely in all areas up until at least the  Android 15 rollout we can expect in a few years' time. 

Nokia X30 5G: Features

The Nokia X30 5G has a pretty impressive rear dual-camera unit that comprises a wide 50-megapixel f/1.8 main PureView camera, as well as a 13-megapixel Capture Fusion f/2.4 ultra-wide camera. The latest features on the X30 and its camera systems feature multiple shooting modes that include Tripod mode, Night mode 2.0, AI Dark Vision, and AI Portrait. 

Nokia's innovative Capture Fusion software on the 13MP camera supposedly brings the same power of the main 50MP camera to the ultrawide shots that are captured, by simultaneously taking a picture with both cameras, and then fusing the images together to achieve a better center area detail. 

Both of these cameras on the X30 are protected by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, with DX plus. that has been optimized to allow for 98% of all light to enter through the lens.

There's also what Nokia calls its PureView technology and photography experience, first introduced in the Nokia 808 PureView phone, that involves the use of on-chip image processors that can perform image scaling and oversampling adjustments with reduced noise. 

The 50-Megapixel PureView OIS camera features both optical and electronic image stabilization and is designed to allow for more light to enter the camera sensor. You can switch to shooting in Pro mode also, which allows for complete control over settings such as ISO, White Balance, and Shutter Speed. 

The X30 also allows for RAW captures that can produce superb low-light images, with nighttime shots benefitting from OIS and the Dark vision AI feature - which is automatically enabled in darker environments to produce natural colors and replace the effects of using flash, while also depicting the details that our eyes can barely see in low-light. 

Tripod Mode is another useful feature that is automatically enabled when the device is held super steady, or physically mounted on a tripod, to enhance the results when capturing long exposures and producing the best possible quality of night shots. The AI Portrait mode works in a similar way by enhancing facial details when shooting a subject, as configured by the Nokia X30 5G's clever AI technology.

Recording video on the Nokia X30 offers full HD resolution at either 30 or 60 frames per second, with the maximum being 1080p resolution at 60fps. The video settings feature a Cinema mode with capabilities for time-lapse recording and super slow motion. 

The Nokia X30 also boasts highOZO Spatial Audio capture when recording video, with reduced wind noise, and aptX HD, aptX Classic, and aptX Adaptive modes, plus a Dual Sight feature that uses the front and rear cameras to record a scene from two different angles at the same time.

The front selfie camera of the Nokia X30 5G boasts AI portraits and night selfie modes, that can enhance facial details and background focus using Ai technology, as well as customization that you can pre-apply to an image before capture. 

The night selfie feature works by processing uncompressed data to create the best possible self-portrait when in low-light situations taking away the need for using flash and resulting in highlighted areas or red-eye in images. 

See the Sample Images and video section of this review where we examine how it captures selfies and dark night scenes. 

Nokia X30 5G: Build & handling

Available in both Cloudy Blue or Ice White, this phone is super lightweight, at only 7.95mm thin and weighing just 185 grams. The device is big enough to enjoy browsing, with a large flat-edged 6.43” screen, and an AMOLED PureDisplay that is said to be Nokia's best one yet, with bright colors and smooth viewing at an adequate 90hz refresh rate. 

The buttons feel pretty smooth to press, with a nice click-feel, and the back casing of the phone is silky and soft to touch, overall pleasant to hold. Though, personally, being used to larger smartphones with larger screens and sufficiently weighted cases on them, holding a phone such as the Nokia X30 that is so lightweight feels a bit unnerving and worrisome that you may not notice if it ever fell out of a pocket. 

The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus of the phones screen and back camera unit should be strong and sturdy enough to prevent any smashed screens from occurring by accidental drops from a reasonable height, and the overall build of the phone, while lightweight, feels substantial and well-made, definitely a premium device. 

There is unfortunately no headphone jack on the Nokia X30, though users familiar with android devices compatible with USB type-C charging ports will be accustomed to using a 3.5mm adapter where necessary, or opting for Bluetooth headphone connectivity instead. Speaking of USB type-C charging, this device uses a USB type-c to type-C cable (included) that requires a charging adapter of this time (not included). 

The battery life on the Nokia X30 is said to have a life of up to 800 recharge cycles, with 33W fast charging support. The phone is also fully IP67 water and dust-resistant, capable of being submerged in water up to one meter deep. This is a pretty rare feature to find on a mid-level smartphone of this price range, not being a rugged phone or one intended for rigorous use. 

What makes the Nokia X30 5G so eco-friendly?

The Nokia X30 5G is being heralded as the company's most eco-friendly and smallest eco-footprint-producing device to date, having been made from 100% recycled aluminum, and 65% recycled plastic on the back casing of the phone. The device is also free of any brominated and chlorinated compounds, and antimony trioxide, as can often be found in previous Nokia Technologies. 

Built with both sustainability and longevity in mind, the Nokia X30 is intended to be a phone that won't need upgrading or replacing anytime soon, protected by a 3-year warranty and regular security OS upgrades throughout the year to ensure the best possible functionality and a healthy and protected operating system. 

 This smartphone is designed for everyday life and regular use, with a robust metal frame and a pretty tough and durable display coated with Gorilla Glass. While it's not classed as a rugged phone, Nokia as a brand has always been known to produce pretty indestructible phones, even as far back as the "brick" 3310 model. 

Nokia X30 5G: Performance

The overall performance of the Nokia X30 5G smartphone I would say is sustainable and dependable. While it may not excel in areas where the latest and expensive flagship phones do, such as having 100MP Sony sensor cameras, or super-fast processing chips, the X30 can perfectly hold its own and achieve any task you give it at an above-average level without any fault. 

The phone comes pre-installed with Google's roster of apps including Google One, Digital Wellbeing, Health Services, Home, Assistant, Drive, and Gmail. Many of these I uninstalled pretty much instantly besides Google Chrome. The X30 also self-installs Netflix, YouTube Music, Spotify, and GoPro Quik: Video editor, which I didn't have the opportunity to test out, not being a GoPro owner.

The aspect of this device that impressed me the most was the battery life, without needing a charge for over four days of light use in-between testing stages, while the device remained on, in sleep mode.

The product description from Nokia states that the X30's battery life can last for two full days, and this is certainly true as far as I can tell, having only used the phone for streaming on Disney Plus and light gaming on apps such as Pokemon Masters EX and Classic Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

This phone would definitely be suitable for gaming on Minecraft, PubG, and other light software, though it is not designed to be a gaming phone, despite the energy-efficient chipset. If you're looking to dive into regular games of Fortnite or stream on Twitch then this might not be the smartphone for you.

As for the camera performance on the Nokia X30 5G, it was pretty good! The images produced were sharp enough and vibrant, with tools to correct and adjust any faults that include shooting RAW and using pre-existing filters and AI modes. While the photos produced are adequate and good enough for sharing on social media, was this the best smartphone camera I've ever used? Not really. 

Again, there's nothing necessarily wrong with the images produced by this Nokia PureView camera, but having tested plenty of the latest smartphones and their camera systems at similar price points, this one didn't exactly wow me or live up to the competition, lacking in clarity and clean-looking images when shooting landscapes, replaced with overcompensating HDR filters. 

The optical zoom on this camera also wasn't up to scratch or even worth using at all, resulting in pixelated images that were over-detailed and pre-sharpened. I found that this slightly improved when changing the aspect ratio but not significantly. Take a look at the image gallery below and click through to the end for a Panorama example. 

Landscape shots with the Nokia X30 5G 

It has to be said though, that the Night mode, Capture Fusion, and Dark Vision AI features of the main and wide cameras do work very well in low-light areas, though the images it produces seemed a little too vibrant for my taste, making it look a lot less like a natural night time shot and more like studio lighting had been used out of place at night, washing out the scene a little.

I tested the image quality of the Nokia X30 5G with that of my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G smartphone, and as can be seen from the unedited images below, the Nokia falls short in most areas except for the night scenes in my garden. Please note the captions included with each image, to determine which phone captured it. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the background-blurring effects of the Portrait AI mode, as well as the front selfie 16MP camera, as my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn't always get this right, but the Nokia X30 allowed for perfect adjustment of the scene before capture, and could even alter the bokeh produced into different desired shapes such as a heart or stars instead of circular. 

I again compared this selfie camera (16 MP, f/2.4) with my front camera on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (40 MP, f/2.2), and surprisingly despite the difference in megapixels, the results from these two front cameras are actually pretty similar, and I think the X30 may have even won this round. 

As you can see from the gallery above, the blurred background produced by the front camera on the Nokia X30 is much smoother than that on my Samsung S21 Ultra, and it offers plenty more features that can be adjusted to enhance the results even further if I chose to do so. 

Nokia X30 5G: Sample video

Speed Warp video test

Nokia X30 5G: Verdict

Overall the Nokia X30 5G delivers superb functionality, great battery life, capable graphics with a chipset and sufficient RAM that can keep up with multitasking, and light gaming usage without any overheating or lag issues.

While it's certainly not the best phone for photography on the market right now, with a mediocre and mid-range set of specifications, there's nothing really wrong
with this device and not much to complain about, it just does everything you need it to at a satisfactory level that you would expect from today's smartphone industry. 

If you're not fussed about having an absolutely out-of-this-world camera system, but desire practicality, then this may be the smartphone for you. Other features such as fast 33W charging, sharp display visuals, speedy streaming, and dependable performance all housed in a sleek and compact build make this device perfect for those who value longevity in a smartphone they can keep for years. 

You might also like the best 5G phones and the best budget camera phones.

The best burner phones are by definition so cheap you don't mind disposing of them. This means you can have two phones for not much extra cash. And if you can force yourself to set aside your smartphone for part of the day, that can be a way of weaning yourself off social media.

Burner phones also tend to have batteries that last for days or even weeks. And while they aren't the best camera phones, even that can be a bonus, as it can make you a better photographer.

Don't just buy any burner phone, though. For starters some, such as the Alcatel 1 (2021), are simply terrible. And while others are better, they may not support 4G, which is an issue as the last US-based 2G and 3G networks were disabled back in 2022. The situation is the same in Australia, where the last 3G networks were switched off in 2024. With that in mind, here are our top picks today.

Top 3 burner phones

The best burner phones

Best burner phone overall

The Nokia 225 4G (2024) is our top pick for the best burner phone overall today. At around US$59 / AU$109, this phone represents excellent value.

The T9 keypad delivers satisfying tactile feedback, while the 2.4-inch display remains perfectly adequate for basic functions. Build quality maintains Nokia's reputation for durability, with a lightweight yet robust plastic construction that can withstand everyday knocks. And the removable battery and dual SIM slots add a level of practical flexibility that's rare in modern devices.

You also get access to Nokia's new Cloud Apps portal, which provides access to news, weather updates, and even YouTube Shorts without the complexity or addictiveness of a smartphone.

The 1450mAh battery can last up to 16 days, and the inclusion of USB-C charging brings welcome modern convenience, eliminating the frustration of hunting for the right cable that's so common with burner phones. For more details, read our Nokia 225 4G (2024) review.

Best burner phone for battery

If battery life is your priority, you won't find a better burner phone than the Nokia 110 4G. With minimal usage, it can stretch to nearly more than three weeks between charges: a refreshing change from daily smartphone charging routines. This extraordinary longevity makes it ideal for emergencies, outdoor adventures, or extended travel where power sources are limited.

It's cheap too, at just US$40 / AU$80. As you might expect then, this bare-bones device focuses entirely on the essentials: clear voice calls, reliable text messaging, and basic 4G connectivity. The tiny 1.8-inch screen contributes to the excellent battery life while keeping the phone incredibly compact and lightweight at just 94.5g. The durable plastic construction feels sturdy enough to withstand rough handling, while the physical T9 keypad provides satisfying tactile feedback.

However, this phone makes significant compromises for its battery prowess. The minuscule screen makes web browsing challenging, the 0.3MP camera produces barely usable photos, and there's no video recording capability. Wi-Fi and app support are completely absent. For more details, read our Nokia 110 4G review.

Best burner phone for value

If you want something similar to our number one pick, but your budget is very tight, its predecessor is worth looking at too. Costing around $45, the Nokia 225 4G (2020) provides the basic features you need while keeping costs to an absolute minimum.

This 2020 model maintains the same durable plastic construction and familiar T9 keypad that made Nokia phones legendary for reliability. Its 2.4-inch display, while small by modern standards, is perfectly adequate for calls, texts and basic navigation. Battery life remains impressive with the 1150mAh cell delivering over six hours of talk time and several days on standby—more than sufficient for emergency or temporary use.

What you sacrifice for the lower price compared to the 2024 model becomes apparent in daily use. The smaller 1150mAh battery provides noticeably shorter runtime than the newer version's 1450mAh upgrade, meaning more frequent charging. The outdated micro-USB charging port requires hunting for the right cable in our USB-C world. Most significantly, you lose the Cloud Apps portal that transforms the 2024 model's internet capabilities—leaving you with only basic web browsing through a clunky interface.

However, for pure voice calls and text messaging, the 2020 model performs identically to its pricier sibling. So as it can often be found cheaper than the 2024 version, it represents outstanding value. For more details, read our Nokia 225 4G (2020) review

Best burner phone you can flip open

Want a flip phone but don't want to pay Samsung Galaxy Flip prices? Released in 2024, Alcatel’s 4G flip phone is a handy uses the same KaiOS seen on other feature phones, which makes it very adaptable. That, and of course the satisfaction of a handset you can slam shut on a call.

The 240x320 pixel screen and 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 will run basic apps nice and responsively on the generous internal display. 802.11 b/g/n wi-fi is available to prevent you using too much mobile data on those apps, and a smaller external display means you don’t need to open the handset to check the time or battery status. To extend the battery life to around two weeks, you can separately switch off data and geolocation (a system which gives approximate location using cell towers).

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If you’re looking for a simple candy-bar phone deliberately designed for the elderly user, this is a fine choice. The backlit keys are large and even the T3 text messaging letters are large enough to prevent squinting. The phone can also speak each button press to reassure users should they choose.

Battery performance, with a 1050mAh battery, is only average, but on the plus side there is a cradle-style dock to drop the phone into so it can take the place of a traditional landline. As traditional phone lines are being steadily retired – or might not make it to individual rooms in a retirement home – this might solve two issues in one fell swoop.

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Nokia has kicked off its IFA 2022 with a huge number of announcements – three smartphones, including the IMX 766-packing X30 5G, a tablet, speaker, and some wireless buds. It's also unveiled Circle, its solution to combat e-waste, which incentivizes customers to responsibly use and dispose of their tech.

Starting with smartphones, Nokia has launched the X30 5G, G60, and X31 5G. While the Nokia G60 and C31 look like affordable entries with competitive cameras for the price, it's the X31 5G that's piquing our interest in the imaging department, with its more premium camera mix.

The first phone we've seen from Nokia to feature the popular Sony IMX 766 camera sensor, introduced on the Oppo Find X3 Pro, it should be a solid camera phone for the price and one of the best Nokia phones, given the main sensor's also paired with OIS, just like the Realme 9 Pro Plus.

Also read our guide to the best Android phones.

The Nokia X30 5G also features IP67 water and dust resistance and is made of 100 percent recycled aluminum and 65 percent recycled plastic. Nokia also promises three years of security and software updates, which means best-in-class OS support, and the phone ships with either 128GB or 256GB storage. That means that you really could have this phone for years and not fill it up with apps and games.

Diving into a bit more detail when it comes to its cameras, and the X30 5G's main 50MP camera, powered by the IMX 766 is matched with an f/1.8 lens. The 1/1.57-inch sensor pixel bins photos to create a roughly two-micron pixel size, and captures photos at around 12MP.

Flanked by a 13MP ultra-wide camera around the back and a 16 MP selfie camera on the front, it's refreshing to see the phone ditch the gimmicky 2MP macro camera you get on so many smartphones today.

With a modest 4200mAh battery, the X30 5G's 6.43-inch AMOLED display needs to be super-efficient if it wants that capacity to stretch further than a whole day. Though the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chip in the phone shouldn't be too power-hungry.

Costing £399 (roughly $460), the Nokia X30 will be available in the UK and other select markets from late September 2022, and it will be available with a Circular subscription for £25 per month.

Nokia Circular service

Circular is Nokia's new subscription service that seeks to keep smartphones and tablets out of landfill and give them a second life. Within Nokia's subscription model – priced differently for each device, Nokia goes through recycling, refurbishing, and re-subscribing devices to Circular members.  Or they go to a charitable cause that needs it the most. 

Sort of like insurance, only more responsible, any accidental damage, loss, or theft will be taken care of without a separate monthly cost, and a quick replacement arranged if needed.

Circular is available on launch for four Nokia devices, the G60 5G, Nokia X30 5G, Nokia XR20, and Nokia T10, with prices varying across products and regions. Circular will be available in the UK and Germany first, with future announcements expected.

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Nokia has announced the Nokia G11 Plus, a follow up to the G11 it launched back in February this year. It’s being marketed as ‘Secure. Future-proof. Built for performance,’ and indeed the specs released by Nokia on its official website look decent and a contender for being one of the best Nokia phones, but the company hasn’t revealed which processor is powering the phone, what its battery capacity is or indeed even its pricing or availability… 

Nokia G11 Plus: Specifications

Mystery chip aside, Nokia says the smartphone has 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage onboard, which is expandable up to 512GB via a microSD card. Headline features include a 6.51-inch HD+ screen with toughened glass and a 90Hz refresh-rate and a battery that Nokia says lasts for three days, but doesn’t divulge its size, only that it has 10W charging – again, bizarrely vague!

Nokia is also offering 2 OS upgrades and 3 years of monthly security updates as standard – which is actually really good. The final big hitter in the Nokia G11 Plus’ specifications arsenal is the 50MP f/1.8 AI primary camera on the rear, which is joined by a 2MP auxiliary unit and LED flash. Up front, there’s an 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera.  

Complimenting the smartphone’s slim, sleek design is a textured finish on the back panel, which features a fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port and the choice of Lake Blue and Charcoal Grey colorways. 

Nokia G11 Plus: Price & availability 

Price and availability for the Nokia G11 Plus are currently unknown. We hope that Nokia soon release this information, along with the essential missing specifications, as it’s impossible to really get an idea of how ‘good’ the phone looks and indeed whether it’s a good buy without full specs and a price to weigh up how it compares with the competition…

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The CES 2022 tech show has seen HMD Global, the Finnish company behind Nokia phones, announce five new budget phones, which will all be exclusive to the US market and available in the first half of this year. 

The company has chosen not to release full specs for each phone, opting to release this information closer to the individual launches. What it has said though is that all five phones will be available across a wider range of US wireless providers. This is a smart move as it will bring Nokia closer to filling the void left by LG leaving the smartphone market last year, in terms of both phone line-up and carrier availability. 

Nokia G400

The Nokia G400 is the only 5G phone out of the five and unsurprisingly it’s almost the most expensive at $239. Confirmed features are a triple rear camera array consisting of a 48MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro. The 6.6-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate and 5,000mAh battery make it a very attractive proposition at this price point and possibly gives it a shot at the best budget camera phone crown. It will be available for customers using TracFone Wireless, Dish Wireless, Consumer Cellular, T-Mobile, and Metro by T-Mobile.  

Priced at $149, the 4G Nokia G100 features a 6.5-inch display, 5,000mAh battery and a fingerprint sensor built into the power button. Cheaper still are the very accessible Nokia C100 and C200 4G phones. The $99 C100 has a 5.45-inch display, 8MP rear camera and 3,000mAh battery. Slightly more cash at $119, the C200 offers a 6.1-inch display and 4,000mAh battery. 

Nokia 2760 Flip

Targeting older phone users is the $79 Nokia 2760 Flip, which sees the company cleverly revive the Nokia 2760 design from 2007 as a modern feature phone. The 4G clamshell phone has a small external screen for notifications and runs KaiOS, which offers limited smartphone-style services including Google Maps. It has an emergency button on one side that can be setup to call a contact and share the user’s location. 

The C100 and 2760 Flip will launch in the first quarter of the year and the other three phones in the second quarter. 

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HMD Global has announced the Nokia X100, an Android 5G camera phone, exclusive to T-Mobile and Metro in the US, available from 19 November. The big news is the price – the Nokia X100 is essentially the Nokia X10 with a $252 price tag – and it’s sure to give the best budget camera phones on the market a run for their money. 

Like the Nokia X10, the Nokia X100 is 5G-ready with a Snapdragon 480 chipset. The newly announced phone comes with 6GB of RAM, 128GB storage, microSD slot and 15GB of Google Drive.

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Zeiss optics

The Nokia X100 camera setup consists of a 48MP main camera with Zeiss optics, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro and 2MP depth. Up front you’ll find a punch-holed 16MP selfie camera, alongside a sizable 6.67-inch IPS 1080p+ LCD with Gorilla Glass 3. 

The phone has seriously good specs for a budget offering that don’t stop at the camera system. The Nokia X100 has a 4,470mAh battery, which promises two days of use on a single charge, and ships with an 18W power adapter. 

Featuring Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC and a 3.5mm headphone jack, the Nokia X100 should provide a great audio experience – aptX Adaptive and aptX Voice are supported for Bluetooth headsets and FM radio for wired ones, too. The phone boasts two microphones, one with Ozo Spatial Audio capture and wind noise reduction and a single loudspeaker.

The Nokia X100 runs Android 11 out of the box and as part of Nokia’s X-series should receive three years of updates included in the price, although this hasn’t been confirmed by Nokia yet. For the price, the specs of the phone will be extremely hard to hard to beat.

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The new Nokia G300 is HMD Global’s next budget phone, which will be available tomorrow, 19 October, in the US, priced at $199 (around £145). The tiny price point combined with impressive specs should make it one of the best budget phones on the US smartphone market. 

Camera-wise, the new Nokia G300 5G phone features a versatile 16 MP triple-lens camera –16MP f/1.8 camera, 5MP ultrawide, and 2MP depth sensor, along with an 8MP front-facing shooter. It has a portrait mode and photo effects, too. Video can be captured with 1080p at 60fps and there’s image stabilization and OZO spatial audio and wind noise cancellation, too. 

Running Andriod 11, the new Nokia G300 5G phone features a 6.5-inch HD Plus 20:9 ratio display, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, which is expandable up to 1TB with MicroSD. The G300 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4350 chip and impressively, it offers up to two days of battery life between charges.

Nokia are billing the G300 as a life-proof phone, saying: “Built with an excessive attention to detail and tested for relentless durability, the Nokia G300 is built to last and designed to withstand whatever life, or you, can dish out.” Add this rugged build to the budget price and decent camera setup and we think you can forgive the slightly basic design. The Nokia G300 features a fingerprint sensor on the side, face recognition on the front, has a 3.5mm jack and comes in meteor grey. 

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Nokia has recently unveiled the new Nokia XR20, which is designed to be the most durable Nokia handset to date. Featuring a 6.67" Corning Gorilla Glass Victus display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, the XR20 should be capable of resisting damage from scratches and drops from around 6 feet. Aside from its rugged capabilities, the Nokia XR20 also features 5G connectivity that will enable users to access super-fast 5G internet.

Keen smartphone snappers will also be interested in the Nokia XR20's camera setup, which features ZEISS Optics. The rear camera features a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera. Meanwhile, the front-facing camera has an 8MP sensor. The Nokia XR20 also features a variety of camera modes, including ZEISS Portrait, ZEISS Cinematic Effects, Night mode, HDR and more.

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The Nokia XR20 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G chipset and comes with a choice of either 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. For those who would like a little extra storage, the XR20 will support MicroSD cards up to 512GB. 

The XR20 will run Android 11 out of the box and is guaranteed for three years of OS upgrades. This new camera phone will also feature a two day battery life with a 4,630 mAh battery capacity. Users will be able to enjoy either 18W wired fast charging or 15W wireless charging. 

Florian Seiche, CEO of HMD Global (the maker of Nokia-branded camera phones), says that the company is looking to target enterprise clients as well as consumers with the Nokia ZR20. "This fits many enterprise device requirements. [Consumers] don't want to pay $1,000 or $1,500 for a purpose-built rugged device which is clunky". 

The Nokia XR20 will be available in either Ultra Blue or Granite and will start at £399 (approximately $549/ AU$749) in the UK. 

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The lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, has finally joined the 21st Century and started using a smartphone – albeit under duress, and in the most throwback way imaginable. 

The frontman of the iconic British rock band recently revealed that he has been forced to start using a smartphone, after agreeing to take part in a charity cycling event called Heavy Metal Truants that required him to download an app – something he couldn't do on his delightfully aging Nokia 3310 throwback phone. 

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"I had to download this thing – where’s my phone, I’ve got it somewhere here. You’ll laugh, you’ll laugh when you see my phone, right," he told our colleagues at Classic Rock in an entertaining interview (below). 

"Right – it’s a brand new, old Nokia. So, like, I’ve got that, and almost a year ago now I got this smartphone from the [Iron] Maiden office, they said, 'This is your smartphone.' And there’s a SIM card with it and everything. And I thought well that’s very nice, so I put it away and never touched it again. Until Truants, and they was like, 'Oh you need to do this stuff, download your every move on this app,' and I was like, 'I can’t even figure out how to put the SIM card in!' 

"So this whole process has actually encouraged me to put in the SIM card and I now have a smartphone. So basically my life is going to suck from now on."

Dickinson didn't reveal what smartphone he was given, but the idea of a crusty old rocker trying to figure out gesture controls or HDR photos certainly fills us with joy.

Heavy Metal Truants is a charity cycle ride to the Download 2021 festival, and is raising money for Nordoff Robbins, Childline, Teenage Cancer Trust and Save The Children. The scheme is part of The Truants Foundation, which has raised over £4 million for children's charities over the past decade. For more information, visit www.heavymetaltruants.com.

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In the increasingly competitive world of camera phones, if a manufacturer wants their phone to sell, then they'll need to go the extra mile to win consumers' attention. Luckily, it seems that HMD, the owner of the Nokia brand, might have hit upon something quite special. Apparently, the upcoming Nokia 9.3 PureView might be capable of recording 8K video at 30fps. 

This new rumor joins previous rumblings that the Nokia 9.3 PureView will have a 108MP sensor. Both of these tidbits of information seem to promise an incredibly exciting phone – if it even exists. As of yet, there is no official confirmation when the Nokia 9.3 PureView will be coming, or if it's even coming at all. However, with multiple leaks springing forth, there must be some fire to all of this smoke.

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Rumor website GSMArena has reported that we'll only see 8K video at 30fps if the engineers are happy with the results, as they're still hard at work trying to finalize the image processing algorithms. Apparently, the new Snapdragon 865 chipset is partly what will make the 8K video possible. 

Meanwhile, stills photographers won't be left disappointed by the Nokia 9.3 PureView's potential features either. GSMArena reports that the HMD team is refining the image processing algorithms and manual controls for the Pro shooting mode. Meanwhile, the Night shooting mode will get the benefit of larger pixels and OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer). 

Excitingly, it seems that the Nokia 9.3 PureView could also benefit from ZEISS technology, as there will apparently be some exclusive "ZEISS effects" contributed to the phone's camera. it's important to note that Sony is due to release a phone in partnership with ZEISS as well, so it's interesting that these ZEISS effects will be exclusive to the Nokia 9.3 PureView. 

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As mentioned earlier, there isn't an official confirmation that this phone even exists as of yet, so take these rumors with a pinch of salt. However, even if half of these leaks are true, it would certainly make for a very interesting camera phone.

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HMD Global has revealed the new Nokia 8.3 5G smartphone, which features a triple-lens rear camera system, a 64MP main sensor and 4K Ultra HD video recording.

Aimed at the higher mid-range, HMD says that the Nokia 8.3 5G will have an average retail price across Europe of €599 ($639 / £554 / AU$1,105) when it arrives in stores in the summer. 

The company is focusing on the phone’s design and of course its rear camera system, which features Zeiss optics. That system includes three lenses and image sensors; the main camera has a 64MP main image sensor, supplemented by an ultra-wide camera, a macro camera and a depth-sensor.

The whole system has Zeiss certification, and Nokia is particularly proud of the wide-angle lens – which has large 2.8-micron pixels, video HDR and Ultra HD video recording capabilities.

The camera system also has a new Action Cam mode, which employs digital image stabilization to smooth out video, and reduces wind noise hitting the microphone. We’re not sure if anyone will grab the Nokia 8.3 5G instead of a GoPro Hero8 Black next time they hit the slopes, but it’s certainly interesting to see a phone manufacturer refer to its handset as an action camera.

Other photography and videography features of the Nokia 8.3 5G include being able to shoot in the cinematic image ratio of 21:9 with what HMD calls “cinematic colors”, and an always-on HDR system for enhanced contrast.

Set to feature in the upcoming (albeit delayed) James Bond film No Time To Die, the Nokia 8.3 5G has a large 6.8-inch display with a hole-punch selfie camera and protected by Gorilla Glass.

Power comes from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G modular processor with either 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The phone’s body is made from aluminum and it features a blue/green look that HMD Global says is inspired by the Northern Lights visible in Nokia’s native Finland.

With its aggressive pricing, the Nokia 8.3 5G should help bring 5G to the midrange of the smartphone market – quite the achievement, since right now the technology has only been present on flagship handsets with four-figure price tags.

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UPDATE 14 FEB: Japanese photographic event CP+ 2020 has also been cancelled due to the coronavirus, in no small part due to the infected ship containing 2,500 passengers currently quarantined opposite the venue in Yokohama.

ORIGINAL STORY: Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020, the mega event for the mobile and smartphone industry, has been cancelled by organizers over rising concern about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

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MWC 2020 was due to take place from 24-27 February in Barcelona, Spain, with some 100,000 visitors expected to attend. However, the event began to spiral towards cancellation last week when the first of a torrent of exhibitors pulled out of the event.

LG was the first to abandon ship last Wednesday, after the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global health emergency. That was followed by a wave of exhibitors pulling out – Sony, Amazon, Intel, Cisco, Vivo, Ericsson, HMD / Nokia… all the way up until yesterday, when Facebook and Western Digital scrapped their plans to attend. 

Ultimately, yesterday afternoon, the show organizer GSMA issued a formal announcement that it was pulling the plug on the event.

"With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event," said John Hoffman, GSMA CEO.

"The Host City Parties respect and understand this decision. The GSMA and the host city partners will continue to be working in unison and supporting each other for MWC Barcelona 2021 and future editions. Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world." 

So where does this leave all the products that were set to be launched? With MWC being in many ways 'the Photokina of phones', there were many high profile handsets set to be debuted. As of right now, many plans are in disarray – Oppo has already decided to delay a planned product launch until next month. 

The coronavirus is having a huge impact on production and supply chains, with iPhone 11 and iPhone SE2 manufacture being interrupted, and potential chaos for multiple manufacturers caused by disruption to Sony's image sensor production.  

And what of the other upcoming trade events? Also scheduled for the end of this month is CP+ 2020, set to take place in Yokohama, Japan, from 27 February to 01 March. So far there has been no official word from the organizers – though given that Asia is the epicenter of the outbreak, it seems hard to imagine that CP+ won't at least be severely impacted.

And how about The Photography Show 2020, the photo and video supershow taking place in Birmingham from 14-17 March? According to Jonny Sullens, Events Director for the UK event, the show is still going full speed ahead. Unlike MWC and CP+, which featured a significant base of exhibitors from the affected regions, The Photography Show is a local market show with limited direct attendance from Chinese manufacturers.

"Whilst the UK risk level of coronavirus has been increased from low to moderate, the risk to individuals has not changed at this stage and remains low. Events at the NEC are therefore going ahead as planned, and it is business as usual for The Photography Show & The Video Show. We continue to follow advice from the World Health Organization and Public Health England, as well as that of local government and if anything changes then we will respond accordingly."

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UPDATE: ZTE has issued a statement that the manufacturer "will participate in MWC20 Barcelona as planned," tweeting that, "in accordance with the relevant guidelines of the Chinese health department and WHO, ZTE has adopted a series of strong prevention, control and safeguard measures."

ORIGINAL STORY: Over 100,000 attendees are expected to descend on Barcelona for this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), an annual smartphone show that has seen smartphones like the Sony Xperia 1 and the reborn Nokia 3310 unveiled in past years. 

This year, however, looks set to be the most strained show in the event's history, owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The World Health Organization recently declared it a global health emergency – and now it has claimed its first exhibitor casualty at MWC 2020: the South Korean manufacturer, LG.

The coronavirus has already had a huge impact on manufacturing in China. Apple's iphone production lines have been disrupted, Sony has warned of supply chain issues that could affect image sensors for the entire industry, and DJI has closed its Chinese offices owing to concern over the outbreak, which originated in Wuhan – the capital of Hubei province in central China. 

The first of an expected domino of exhibitors to pull out, LG released a statement confirming that it will be closely monitoring the situation, but deems that exposing hundreds of its employees to international travel – which has already become restrictive – is a risk that’s too great to take right now.

LG further clarified that it will be hosting a separate event in the near future to announce its 2020 mobile products. However, this isn’t the only coronavirus-related MWC fallout to date. 

Chinese corporation ZTE has cancelled its keynote address, and the GSMA – the organization behind the show – has released an official statement assuring attendees that additional measures will be taken to ensure their safety. 

What will this mean for future trade shows? ISE, the world’s largest professional AV event, is still set to take place in Amsterdam from 11-14 February – so the virus is clearly not putting a kibosh on them all just yet. If it worsens significantly, however, 2020 could end up being a year of frustrated global tech launches and perhaps a few smaller, localized briefings. 

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As trade tensions continue between the USA / Trump administration and the Chinese government, Google is moving production of its Google Pixel camera phones out of China.

The move will also see production of the company's smart speaker, Google Home, withdrawn from China, with the manufacture of both products being moved instead to Vietnam.

"The push to develop a Vietnamese production base reflects the twin pressures of higher Chinese labor costs and the spiraling tariffs resulting from the trade war between Washington and Beijing," reports Nikkei.

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"The US internet giant intends to eventually move production of most of its American-bound hardware outside of China, including Pixel phones and its popular smart speaker, Google Home, according to the sources."

The move echoes those of companies like Sony (which recently increased the price of a lens by $200, speculated to be due to the trade war), GoPro and Olympus, the latter of which similarly relocated its manufacturing to Vietnam.

While it makes logistical sense to move production to Vietnam (to a former Nokia factory, no less, in the same province where Samsung previously built a smartphone stronghold), the political undercurrents for Google are hard to ignore.

According to Nikkei, the Google Pixel 3a propelled the still-fledgling phone manufacturer to fifth place in the United States, where Google sold a whopping 70% of its phones in 2018.

The company plans to double its shipments to 8-10 million Pixels this year, which are showcases for Google's Android operating system – which is currently installed in 80% of the world's phones, but is under threat the moment Huawei's HarmonyOS (developed in retort to the US/Google blacklisting) starts getting traction.

With no sign of tensions subsiding, expect plenty more political undercurrents in the coming months…

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While the rest of the industry is engaged in an arms race for more megapixels at  higher price tags, Nokia has just released a new £99 / $139 camera phone that aims squarely at the entry level market.

The Nokia 2.2 is priced incredibly aggressively, but packs the latest advances in both AI photography and Android technology. 

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Its key feature is a take on Google's much-imitated Night Sight feature. While the Google Pixel 3 series employs a 12MP camera, the Nokia 2.2 features a 13MP camera that uses "sophisticated AI powered low-light image fusion" to take detailed low light photographs. 

While it doesn't offer other popular options such as portrait mode, it does feature staples such as HDR shooting along with other Google Photos AI-powered options like Color Pop, Colorise and Beautify. The selfie camera is a more modest 5MP camera.

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In terms of its core tech, the new Nokia features a 19:9 5.71-inch screen and is powered by a quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 SoC processor, comes with either 2GB RAM and 16GB storage or 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, and packs a removable 3,000mAh battery that lasts an entire day.  

There is no fingerprint scanner, as the phone boasts biometric face unlocking – among the first phones in this category to carry the new tech. And Nokia is keen to point out that a printed picture of your face won't be enough to fool it: 

"Unlike other handsets at this price point, the advanced AI driven face-unlock uses deep learning algorithms and liveliness detection for an accurate and spoof-proof experience." 

A dedicated Google Assistant button can summon Google's genie for you without voice commands, and the Android One phone comes with Android 9 Pie and two years of OS upgrades (with three years of security updates). 

The Nokia 2.2 is available in Steel and Tungsten Black color options, with the 2GB RAM / 16GB storage version available in the UK for £99.99, and the 3GB RAM / 32GB storage model retailing for $139.95 in the USA. 

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A brand new mystery camera phone from Nokia has been leaked online, boasting a triple-camera array with 48MP primary sensor. Aside from a handful of spec, not much else is known about the new model – though it may be part of the company's Nokia 8 line, which is about due for an update. 

The images of the phone were shared by sites like India Today after first appearing on Chinese search engine Baidu. The outlet speculates that, given its three-camera profile, it could be an upgrade to the Nokia 8.1.

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"How do we know this could be a phone part of Nokia 8 series? We know because the Nokia 9, which is a flagship phone, has five cameras. So a phone with 3 rear cameras is likely to be placed one notch below it in the product line-up."

The images were also shared by noted leaker /LEAKS, who confirmed that the Android 9 camera will feature a 2340 x 1080 display, a Snapdragon 660 processor, and will be powered by a 3500mAh battery. 

In addition to the 4:3 48MP f/1.8 primary camera, the rear array features a 4:3 12MP and 16:9 9MP camera, while the front selfie module features a 7MP sensor housed in a waterdrop notch. 

The handset has a fingerprint sensor below the camera array, which also features an LED flash module. The leaked pictures also show a USB-C port at the bottom, which tells us that the handset is a premium model. 

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As pointed out by India Today, from the glimpse we get at the operating system, the camera phone appears to be using Android One software without any custom user interface (like other Nokia handsets made by HMD Global). 

With the rumor mill being as leaky as it is, we should have more on this new Nokia device – including a name – before too long. 

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Nokia has pulled out all the stops when it comes to the Nokia 9 PureView. This is a handset that screams camera phone and it has been revealed at MWC 2019. 

That's because it's got five (count 'em) lenses on the back. This is a world's first five camera array and it's an interesting look. 

Nokia is going down the digital route with its camera functionality. You won't find an optical zoom on board here. Instead the lenses combine to make a picture that has a huge amount of detail. Nokia (well, HMD who now owns the brand) is claiming.

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Nokia 9 PureView: design and features

The Nokia 9 PureView has five cameras. They include two colour sensors (RGB) and three monochrome ones. 

Given the P20 Pro was one of the few phone cameras to use a monochrome lens, to great effect, this is a great shout by Nokia and certainly puts it into best camera phone territory for this alone.

Each of the lenses is 12MP and they shoot, if you need them too, at the same time. This means there's 12000 layers of imaging prowess which Nokia is calling an "unparalleled full view depth map". The layers range from 7cm up to 40m. 

Obviously, thanks to the three monochrome lenses, black-and-white shots taken on the device are decent. But there's quite a lot of pro settings for colour shooting, too.

There's something called Pro Camera UI where you can set the exposure value to 10 seconds. There's 12.5 stops of dynamic range available and it also creates a raw file when a picture is taken and Nokia has partnered with Adobe to offer up its own Lightroom preset. 

Other specs on the phone include gorilla glass back and front - there's no camera bump so the cameras are flush with the back of the device. 

There's a ToF (time of flight) sensor on board, too. This means that there should be decent depth perception on the device. 

Given the size of the images, Nokia has made sure that the processing for HDR and the link is done after the image is shot, so there's a seamless process.  Light ASIC controls the capture, then hands over the data to a Qualcomm A45 processor.

This means when viewing back the images, there may be a little bit of a wait but it should only be a few seconds. 

Given the sheer amount of camera on board, Nokia has had to develop a new cooling system to make sure everything runs smoothly and doesn't overheat. 

When it comes to the rest of the phone, it has a 5.99-inch, QHD+ pOLED display, Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and 3,320mAh battery.  It runs on Android 9.0 Pie.

Nokia 9 PureView: early verdict

We only had a short time with the Nokia 9 PureView but liked what we saw. This is a handset that is full of imaging innovation and one that has the ability to create images with rich detail. 

It will be good to test the Nokia 9 further, though, as this is a phone that does away with optical zooming and goes all in on digital. 

The Nokia 9 PureView will cost $699 (around £540) and will be on sale in the coming weeks. 

There it is in all its glory, the Nokia 9 PureView - a handset that couldn't be more camera phone if it tried. 

Just look at that back, which houses a whopping five cameras, a sensor and flash, in an hexagonal shape that's bound to put the fear into those with Trypophobia everywhere. 

This new image is apparently an official render, found by regular leakers 91Mobiles. The image shows off what other leaks have confirmed before, a camera array that is like no other in the smartphone world. 

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Five camera setup

The five lenses are said to contain a high MP main sensor, an ultra-wide lens, depth of field sensor for bokeh loveliness and there could even be a monochrome sensor on board. 

The phone it's replacing - the Nokia 809 PureView which was launched in 2012 - came with a huge 41MP sensor, f/2.4 Zeiss lens and 4x lossless zoom. These specs are still brilliant for today's phone market so we are expecting something special. 

Unfortunately this is still speculation at the moment, but we are set to see the Nokia 9 PureView in all its glory at MWC 2019. 

When it comes to actual specs, it is thought that it will be powered by 6GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 845 CPU and 128GB of internal storage.

A leaked video back in January also confirmed the look of the Nokia 9 PureView, a device that looks more camera than phone. 

• These are the best camera phones around right now

Vanguard has released details of its new solution for photographers looking for a small, discreet and low-weight travel companion. As an entry-level offering, the brand new Vesta mini range of miniature tripods fits neatly into a pocket, measuring just 18cm when folded and weighs in at a mere 155g. As smartphone camera technology improves (look at the amazing five-camera Nokia PureView 9), users becoming much more aware of image quality and what it takes to get sharp shots.

While the range is clearly aimed at users of smartphone cameras, the Vesta Mini models are capable of supporting an impressive maximum payload of 2kg, meaning they can be paired with most mirrorless cameras, along with a standard lens, or even a small DSLR setup. It could be a great accessory for adventure nuts too, as even the best action cameras and best travel cameras benefit from a decent support.

The smartphone focus is supported by the bundled adaptor, which is used to quickly and easily mount a phone in either landscape or portrait orientation. With the legs folded away the Vesta Mini can he hand-held for freedom of movement, but with a lower risk of camera shake and smoother video recording. The adaptor itself can be removed and used remotely to support a phone during live calls, such as Facebook Live or Skype conversations.  

The versatility of the Vesta range extends into its compatibility with other optical accessories such as sports optics, spotting scopes, binoculars and video cameras. The build quality is all-metal and enables the user to operate freely and with confidence outdoors.

Each tripod features rubberised feet to prevent slipping on smooth or wet surfaces and employs a unique leg-opening system, which allows the legs to be unfolded and locked into position in a single movement. 

To cater for those fashion conscious image creators, the Vesta Mini series incorporates four attractive colours – White, Black, Champagne and Rose Gold. These all feature a 1/4" camera screw thread ball head, and have a recommended price of £34.99 / $44.99 each.

Read more:
The best iPhone tripods and supports: turn your new iPhone into a camera king

2019 may still have that new paint smell but that doesn't mean that it isn't short of camera phone rumors. The latest is a new look at the Nokia 9 PureView - an upcoming five-lens camera phone that could be coming sooner that anyone expected. 

The new video is a render, leaked by MySmartPrice, shows off the Nokia 9 PureView, revealing once more a back that's packed with camera optics. We first saw this layout back in November 2018. 

The video also offers up a number of specs that we should expect to see on the camera phone. 

These include: 5.99-inch HDR10-supporting 'PureDisplay', a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

This is all well and good, but it's the camera details we are after and these already sound exciting enough to rattle our list of best camera phones, even if the details are a little threadbare. 

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Five star

We do know that the five cameras on the back use Zeiss optics and will be able to shoot images simultaneously. Nokia reckons this allows the phone to capture 10x more light, compared to 'regular smartphones'. 

The Nokia 9 PureView will also use some of Google's imaging power to offer the ability to change focus after an image has been taken (within Google Photos), the video also highlights HDR photography, and Google Lens functionality. This sounds a lot like the Post Focus feature already seen on many Panasonic mirrorless cameras.

It was initially thought that the Nokia 9 PureView was going to launch in February at Mobile World Congress 2019 but it is now thought that HMD (which owns the Nokia brand and PureView labelling) will reveal this best camera phone challenger before the show in January. 

• 5 of the most exciting handsets coming in 2019

The camera phone market is a game of one-upmanship at the moment. In short: the more lenses you have, the more publicity you get. 

Nokia is hoping this continues with the launch of the Nokia PureView 9. As this leaked video shows, it could well be the camera phone to beat all camera phones with five lenses on its back, a flash and some sort of other sensor making up the hexagonal alignment.

Just look at that camera array. There was us thinking that the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, with its 'three camera plus flash' square array, was teetering on overkill. But in comes a leaked video of the Nokia 9 and its back resembles a spider's eye. 

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The optics on show should be impressive, though. Made in collaboration with Zeiss, this is another finger jab at Huawei's partnership with Leica. 

As this is a leak, by Onleaks and 91Mobiles, there is very little information to go on, so we don't actually know what those lenses will do. 

A good guess would be that there will be a telephoto, ultra-wide zoom and an all-powerful megapixel count. 

Although Nokia is now owned by HMD, the brand has got legacy in making great camera phones. The Nokia 809 PureView was a camera launched in 2012 that boasted a 41MP sensor, f/2.4 Zeiss lens and 4x lossless zoom. These are specs that still look impressive today. 

If it can offer improvements on these specs and wrap in some of the current camera phone tech, such as bokeh and HDR then we could be in for something very special.

We probably won't officially find out until Mobile World Congress 2019, however, which happens in early next year.

Via Tom's Guide

• The best camera phone is one that is already out.