HMD Global has just made the Nokia 2.3 official in India. The entry-level handset which was unveiled earlier this month in Cairo, has made its way to the Indian market today. Priced at Rs 8,199, the Nokia 2.3 does not carry impressive specs, even on paper. HMD Global continues to price its smartphones on the steeper side, despite facing intense competition from the brands like Xiaomi, Realme, Samsung and so on. The Nokia 2.3 comes in a single variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Earlier, we expected HMD Global to price the Nokia 2.3 at Rs 5,999 in the Indian market, but the Rs 8,199 price tag is definitely on the higher side, especially considering what the phone packs internally.
Nokia 2.3: Specifications and Features
The Nokia 2.3 is an entry-level smartphone and the USP of the smartphone is Android One certification. Yes, the Nokia 2.3 boots stock version of Android 9 Pie out of the box and it will receive Android 10 update in the coming months or in the first half of 2020. HMD Global is known for delivering timely software updates and the Nokia 2.3 will also get monthly security updates along with iterative Android updates on time.
Diving into the specifications, the Nokia 2.3 sports a 6.1-inch HD+ display on the front along with a teardrop notch which HMD is calling 'selfie notch.' The notch house of the 5MP front-facing camera. Underneath, it has the MediaTek Helio A22 chipset which is the same chipset that powers the Nokia 2.2- the predecessor of Nokia 2.3. The phone comes in a single variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Yes, you heard it right; HMD Global has launched a 2GB RAM phone in 2019 and that too at a price where we can get 4GB of RAM phones nowadays. There's a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion up to 400GB.
Cameras on the Nokia 2.3 include 13MP primary shooter on the back which works in tandem with a 2MP depth sensor. HMD Global also highlighted that the Nokia 2.3 offers Portrait mode with adjustable blur feature.
Connectivity options include Dual 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and Micro USB port. The Nokia 2.3 also has a dedicated hardware key on the left side to trigger Google Assistant instantly.
Nokia 2.3: Pricing and Availability in India
The Nokia 2.3 will be available in three colours- Cyan Green, Sand and Charcoal. The price of the single variant has been set as Rs 8,199 which is a steep one considering the Nokia 2.2 with almost similar specs available at just Rs 5,999. HMD Global also stated that the Nokia 2.3 users purchasing the handset before March 31, 2020, will be eligible for a one-time phone replacement.
Reliance Jio prepaid users can avail additional data and cashback benefits worth Rs 7,200 with the Nokia 2.3. Right after inserting the Jio 4G SIM card on Nokia 2.3, the telecom operator will credit Rs 2,200 worth coupons in the user's Jio account. The coupons can be used to recharge the newly launched Rs 249 and Rs 349 prepaid plans. The phone is already available for purchase via Nokia Shop Online and offline stores across the country.
The Nokia 2.3 was supposed to take on the Redmi 8A which is retailing for just Rs 6,499 in India. However, at Rs 8,199, it competes with the likes of Redmi 8, Realme 3i and the Moto E6s smartphones.
