These days, seemingly everyone has a smartphone, right? Some are so tired of the constant attention-seeking device that there seems to be a market for a feature phone. In comes the Nokia 235 4G.
In these days of constant notifications and always-on connectivity, some long for calmer times, without the constant buzzing coming from social networks where people you don’t know try to get your attention and without having to stress about your phone running out of battery before the end of the day.
Feature phones give you this space and time to relax, removing the pressure while allowing you to reach real friends and businesses when needed.
No other company sold as many phones as Nokia, now a brand owned by HMD. While they make some entry-level and mid-tier Android phones, the company has kept the feature phone market alive, with several devices being updated over the years.
The latest in their lineup is the Nokia 235 4G, an upgrade that brings the feature phones to a new era.
The Nokia 235 4G has a candybar form factor, measuring 127 x 54 x 11 mm, sitting comfortably in your hand. Just a bit more than half of the front is taken by a relatively large 2.8” LCD screen. The bottom is used for the physical keyboard, which follows all the previous Nokia feature phones: keys that correspond to menu options on the bottom of the screen, a large OK/ENTER button in the middle, with a four-direction pad, plus twelve keys 1 – 0, * and #.
Those lower 12 keys are also used to enter alphanumeric text in your SMS (and other small apps). For example, the key 2 is also used to enter A, B or C. If you are using the standard text entry and you want to enter C then you will press the key multiple times, until the screen shows the C. Alternatively you can use the predictive text, which suggests worked based on your typing. The word Hello can be entered as 43556 and the phone will show which words would match that sequence, so you can select the one you want.
With a bit of practice, this can be used quite effectively. I remember seeing some people typing very long messages early in the mobile phone days without even looking at the phone.
The Nokia 235 4G is very easy to use. The icons for different applets are easy to recognise, and there are quite a few applets. These include Contacts, Messages, FM Radio, Music Player, Video Player, Alarms, Files, Settings, and extras like a World Clock, Timer, Unit Conversion, Calculator, Calendar and a Voice Recorder.
Because this is a 4G phone, it also comes with a very basic Opera browser. The browser comes with some bookmarks for search engines, sports and news. You can enter your own URL but don’t expect to load complex, script-heavy pages.
The phone has a basic 2-megapixel camera (f2.8) that can take 1200 x 1600-pixel photos or record videos. You can share these photos and videos with your computer or another device via Bluetooth.
The phone comes with 128 MB storage, which is used for photos and videos plus any other content you place there, such as MP3 files for offline listening. You can extend this memory with a microSD card up to 32 GB. You can also connect to external Bluetooth speakers for better sound quality if you're keen on a dance party.
The FM Radio is easy to use and doesn’t require external headphones to work. You can easily tune in, set favourites, or even record the radio.
It wouldn’t a Nokia phone without the game Snake. It’s there, in a new version, with more colours and sounds. Other games include free (Blackjack, Arrow Master, Ninja Up and Air Strike) and trials (Racing Attack, Doodle Jump, Crossy Road and Football Cup). These are entertaining and a good way to pass the time.
The phone itself is great for phone calls. It has very clear sound and even supports two SIM cards. If you have mobile data turned on (which you absolutely don’t need), you can select the default SIM for voice and the default SIM for data. You can even transfer contacts from your smartphone to the Nokia 235 4G via Bluetooth.
Most importantly, the phone is compatible with Voice over LTE (VoLTE), a standard for calls over 4G, which is a requirement now that 3G networks are being turned off in New Zealand.
The battery life is impressive. The relatively small 1450 mAh battery will last days on standby and give you almost ten hours of talk time. The charging system has been upgraded, too, and it works with a modern USB-C cable.
The Nokia 235 4G is right for those looking for quieter times but can still connect with people. It’s available in three different colours for only NZ$ 109.
