Microsoft’s Latest Nokia 215 Feature Phone Is Only $29

We all know Microsoft had bought Nokia’s phone business earlier last year and now they can roll out feature phones with the name ‘Nokia’ only up to a specific period of time. Well, they’ve done just that and released the $29 Nokia 215 (before taxes), and guess what? It comes with internet connectivity.

The Nokia 215 is aimed at the developing world, that is, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. This is because these areas have little or no access to electricity and want access to the internet but the prices of gadgets that connect to the internet may be to pricey for them to afford.

Microsoft knows the Nokia 215 will help them acquire a larger market share in these developing markets, as  a lot of their consumers will now be able to get this phone as their first internet ready phone. With access to apps like Facebook, Twitter, Bing Search, MSN Weather and Opera Mini browser, this is clearly giving a lot for it’s minimal price.

Looking at recent phone buying trends in Zambia, nobody wants a phone that can not support Whatsapp. Social media apps such as Facebook are big, yes, but Whatsapp is almost a necessity these days. Will it sell? Maybe. There are a lot of second-hand phones with even 3G connectivity that are being sold around town that many would opt for.

Some of the features of the 2.4 inch phone are that it is dual-SIM, has an FM radio, a 0.3MP camera, can connect to speakers or headsets via Bluetooth, has a flashlight and has 29 days of standby battery life.

However, with only 2G capabilities, this is not supposed to compete in the already established 3G and 4G/LTE market. It will just give slight access to the internet to people in mostly rural areas.

This phone might sell to the less privileged, or those who just need a secondary phone.  The phone is expected to be available within the next 3 months.

 Image Credit: Nokipedia