Query re Nokia 235

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WineFan

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#321530 25-Aug-2025 15:44

Seems more than bizarre that for the Nokia 235 feature phone, various sources on the Net give the weight as ranging from 79g to 120g. GMS-Arena (my normal go-to) simply gave up, no entry. It is as if no living person has ever held one in their hand, and simply weighed it. Does no-one in NZ have one of these phones ? Love to hear a first-hand factual answer.
Secondly, can anyone recommend a reliable seller for unlocked Nokia phones on AliExpress.

djtOtago

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#3407326 25-Aug-2025 15:53

Is this the same phone you are looking at? https://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=27108

If so, then @freitasm may have some answers.

freitasm

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#3407327 25-Aug-2025 15:59

I have a Nokia 235 here, and it's exactly 100g.

As for suppliers, this one seems to have been replaced by the HMD 105 4G. At $49 from Spark, why even bother with AliExpress and their fakes?

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Buckchoi

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#3407336 25-Aug-2025 17:04

Do the HMD/Nokia feature phones support VoLTE on all NZ networks or only Spark?

freitasm

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#3407339 25-Aug-2025 17:06

They are fully unlocked. I will test with different SIMs.

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WineFan

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#3407404 25-Aug-2025 19:12

As a newcomer to Geekzone, how enchanting it is to post a question, and have an exact answer in 14 minutes. Thank you. But on ringing Spark, while it is astonishing that Spark can in 2025 supply a 4-G replacement for the same $49 I paid for very small 3G Samsung

feature phone over 20 years ago ... the suggested HMD 105 matches it for size and

weight, but no camera. The next one up their offering is 50% heavier, yes a camera, but the latter described in reviews on the Net as truly awful. Hence my desire for a Nokia 225 ... more compact and with camera, rather than the slightly larger 235 I asked about.
To answer your query, I have had good quality tools and the like from AliExpress, and feel sure there must be reputable suppliers for more 'fraught' items such as phones. Hence my hope some-one in the Geekzone comnunity could identify an AliExpress seller who is an official Nokia outlet, with original Nokia phones, and has proved reliable.

freitasm

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#3407405 25-Aug-2025 19:14

The camera on the 235 is... not great at all. It's more like the quality of a webcam from 20 years ago.

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Asteros

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#3407408 25-Aug-2025 19:29

WineFan: As a newcomer to Geekzone, how enchanting it is to post a question, and have an exact answer in 14 minutes. Thank you. But on ringing Spark, while it is astonishing that Spark can in 2025 supply a 4-G replacement for the same $49 I paid for very small 3G Samsung feature phone over 20 years ago ... the suggested HMD 105 matches it for size and
weight, but no camera. The next one up their offering is 50% heavier, yes a camera, but the latter described in reviews on the Net as truly awful. Hence my desire for a Nokia 225 ... more compact and with camera, rather than the slightly larger 235 I asked about.
To answer your query, I have had good quality tools and the like from AliExpress, and feel sure there must be reputable suppliers for more 'fraught' items such as phones. Hence my hope some-one in the Geekzone comnunity could identify an AliExpress seller who is an official Nokia outlet, with original Nokia phones, and has proved reliable.

I would be cautious buying an entry level phone from overseas. There is no guarantee it will be able to make voice calls in NZ once the 3G network is shut down. You need to have a phone with VoLTE (Voice over LTE), aka Voice over 4g - as it must have the correct VoLTE configuration settings, programmed by the manufacturer, to work with NZ networks. Much better to buy a phone in NZ which has been correctly configured.