Feature phones are still alive, thanks to Nokia 216

MANILA, Philippines – It feels so nostalgic to witness the release of a brand-new Nokia phone, yet still strange to see it done by Microsoft. This is the situation we’re in now, but we can’t complain. It’s a Nokia, after all.

The Nokia 216 is a feature phone we’re not sure we want. It comes in three not-so-exciting colors (mint green, white and black), a low-resolution 2.4-inch LCD screen (320 x 240 pixels), and an LED flash for each of the front and rear cameras (both 0.3 megapixels). That last bit is actually fascinating, since few smartphones offer a front-facing flash, but that’s as far as the excitement goes.

We really have to applaud Microsoft for selling the features of this non-smartphone so well. Watching the entire introduction video from start to finish, seeing marketing phrases like “Color matched keys” and “3.5mm headphone jack” certainly amuses us. Don’t get us wrong; there’s certainly a market for this, and we’d buy one as a backup phone in case hackers go all Mr. Robot on us and take over every single Android and iPhone in the world.

The phone’s specifications page is also surprisingly rich in information. Aside from what we mentioned earlier, it’s nice to know that the Nokia 216 can connect to the Internet, albeit through a lowly 236.8kbps data connection. Without Wi-Fi on board, you’ll have to deal with speeds akin to a dial-up connection. There’s a microSD card slot and Bluetooth, though, so you can play your music collection using wireless headphones in case the headphone jack is too analog for you.

Reports say that this is the last Nokia phone Microsoft is going to produce, since Foxconn is expected to purchase the legendary phone brand by the end of the year. Possible collector’s item? No way. But it’ll cost only INR 2,495 ($37) once it’s available on Oct. 24.