Nokia's Android smartphones have been hotly anticipated in India. Indians have a special connection with the Nokia brand that dates back to a simpler time when the Nokia 3310 (the original one) ruled the phone market. People have been clamouring for a Nokia Android powered handset for years and now the day has finally arrived when a Nokia fan can just head over to a Nokia store and buy a Nokia 3 for themselves.
Nokia's comeback has been hotly anticipated by many ever since the company crashed and burned as a result of its catastrophic decision to abandon Android for Windows Phone. The Nokia 3 is the first of the Nokia Android smartphone trio and has a lot going for it - refined and optimised software, a great design and much more. The Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 are set to arrive in India in the coming weeks.
Nokia has the potential to disrupt the budget smartphone game and give Xiaomi something to think about. It's primary competition comes from Xiaomi itself in the form of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 which up till now has been recognised by many critics, including us, as the benchmark in this segment. Here are 5 reasons why:
Premium design that evokes nostalgia
With the Nokia 3, HMD Global has successfully managed to modernise the design ethos seen in old Nokia Lumia smartphones that was appreciated and loved by all. The smartphone truly looks and feels like a device several segments up the price ladder. Everyone here at India Today Tech was mightily impressed by how solidly put together the device is and how premium it looks and feels in the hand.
Thus, with the Nokia 3, HMD Global has brought a extremely premium design to the sub Rs 10,000 category - a design which feels sleek and suave and also nostalgic in a very pleasant way. Xiaomi finally has competition when it comes to design in the budget space.
Pure Android experience
While the Nokia 3 does not come with specifications that will blow you away - a MediaTek MT6737 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 2,650mAh battery and 16GB of internal storage expandable up to 128GB - it comes with a killer feature that puts it above most smartphones in this price range - 100 percent stock Android.
A majority of OEM's out there are equipping their smartphones with in-house skins, some of which are so warped and different from Android that they fail to look like Google's OS altogether. These skins are heavy and full of clutter and bloatware and as a result become laggy and slow in the long run. The Nokia 3 comes with a completely stock build Android 7.0 Nougat right out of the box and as a result is quite fast and fluid despite the somewhat under-powered processor.
The Nokia 3 is the first of the Nokia Android smartphone trio and has a lot going for it - refined and optimised software, a great design, offline availability and the promise of timely updates
Manufacturers these days are gunning for raw power alone - they are on a quest to equip their smartphones with specifications just to sound good on paper without concentrating on software optimisation. A smooth and lean software experience is almost as important as the hardware inside. This is why the iPhone is still considered as the smoothest smartphone out there despite having hardware which is behind its Android counterparts.
HMD global understands that fact. Since the very beginning, the company has made it clear that their smartphones are not just about specifications alone, but are about an experience - optimised software, good after sales service, timely updates and so on.
Available at your friendly, neighborhood store
While Xiaomi makes superb smartphones that offer immense value for money, they are only available online (except the solitary Mi Home store in Bangalore). Even online, Xiaomi smartphones are very hard to acquire thanks to the flash sale model they follow. The Nokia 3 on the other hand is available offline and can be bought from any Nokia or affiliated store across the country.
HMD Global has pulled off a masterstroke by making the Nokia 3 available offline. This not only makes it available to a much wider audience, but makes it a viable alternative to the Samsungs and Vivos of the world who were riding the wave of being the few good budget smartphone available offline
The Nokia 3 is a better smartphone than Samsung's budget options in this price range and now a buyer who was opting for a Samsung J3 primarily on the virtue of it being available offline can even consider the Nokia 3. Nokia has ties up with 400 distributors and 80,000 stores across India to sell the phone.
A multitude of people prefer buying smartphones offline - be it by need or by choice. Many people do not have access to high-quality internet and have no option but to buy a smartphone online. Others simply prefer buying a smartphone offline as they are wary of credit card hacks, being cheated online or simply like seeing the device in person before purchasing it.
Always up to date and secure
Some might argue that even Motorola smartphones come with stock Android, so what makes the Nokia 3 that special? Well, in addition to a pure build of Android, the Nokia 3 comes with the promise of timely Android updates as well as monthly security updates.
HMD Global has promised that the Nokia 3 along with its pricier siblings Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will be updated to Android O - the next version of Android as and when it is released. This is a huge win for the Nokia 3 in a segment where smartphones not only not receive updates but most of the time come with one or two year old Android versions out of the box.
Monthly security updates are not received by smartphone that cost much more than the Nokia 3 and are another major reason for buying the Nokia 3. The marketing for the Nokia 3 says it all - "Pure, secure and up to date". Motorola, under Lenovo's ownership has been non-committal to providing security updates and has also come under the scanner for failing to update smartphones like the Moto E3 Power to Android Nougat.
Nokia brand name, after-sales support
Nokia is a brand that has a special place in the hearts of Indians. For many, the name Nokia brings with it a nostalgic wave of memories associated with their first phone and takes them back to a simpler time. The Nokia brand also brings with a certain level of trust and loyalty not seen in this price range which is dominated by Chinese players like Xiaomi, Lenovo and Coolpad.
Even after all these years, the Nokia name commands a lot of respect in this country. And that is an advantage for the Nokia 3. And credit to HMD Global, they are not simply riding on this wave of nostalgia or taking things easy .
The company has made sure that they have a strong after-sales service network, large distribution system and proper supply chain before launching the phone - unlike many companies which rush the the phone to the market and sell it in short bursts via flash sales due to lack of stock.
Along with the 400 distributors and tie-up with 80,000 stores mentioned above, Nokia has 250 plus service centres in place in order to ensure proper after-sales support.The smartphone also comes with a Nokia Support app built in that allows users to connect with Nokia representatives straight from the phone.
Article source:yahoo.com
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