The $ 159 Nokia 3.1 is headed to the US on July 2

When HMD took over the Nokia smartphone brand, it started focusing on Europe and Asia. The company has slowly expanded in North America with devices like the mid-range Nokia 6.1, and now there is an even cheaper Nokia phone to the US shores. The Nokia 3.1 launches on July 2 for only $ 159.

The Nokia 3.1 is a step down from devices like the Nokia 6.1, but this phone is $ 100 more expensive. The 3.1 comes with a MediaTek 6750 processor, which is not as fast as the midrange Qualcomm chips you see in a lot of cheap phones. However, it should be faster than most Snapdragon 400 Series chips in similar devices. The MediaTek chip has eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores; four at 1.5 GHz and four at 1 GHz. A Snapdragon 427 like the latest Motorola Play budget phones (some of the only viable options in this price range) only has four 1.4 GHz cores.

The 3.1 also comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Again, that's what you expect from a phone as inexpensive. There is an internationally sold version that comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but that does not seem destined for the United States. You will not receive either NFC for mobile payments or a fingerprint reader on the Nokia 3.1.

HMD's Nokia Android phones have gained popularity thanks to their superb build quality, but the Nokia 3.1 will have to make some sacrifices. The frame is aluminum, but the back panel is plastic. The display also uses Gorilla Glass 3. The screen is 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1440 × 720. It has a screen ratio of 18: 9, which is usually reserved for phones more expensive.

Nokia devices work in Android stock, which means Oreo right now. In fact, Nokia phones are now part of the Android One program. That means you get a stock version of Android without bloatware apps. Nokia's update guarantee is almost as good as Google's flagship Pixel phones: you'll receive monthly security updates for three years from the release, plus two years of major updates to the system. # 39; s operating. So the Nokia 3.1 comes with Oreo and will get an update for Android P and maybe even Android Q.

The Nokia 3.1 is unlocked for use on any GSM / LTE network. It will be available on Amazon, Best Buy and B & H on launch day.