Submitted by When Microsoft announced its plans to scrap its Asha feature phones and shift its Android-based Nokia X to Windows, it appeared the company might be getting out of the low-end phone business entirely.
That’s apparently not the case, though, as Microsoft is introducing the Nokia 130, a 19 euro ($25) cellphone that lacks an Internet connection but includes the ability to play digital music and movies along with an FM radio and flashlight. The new device sits in between the even more basic Nokia 105 and the Nokia 220, which does have some Internet abilities.
I’m glad Microsoft will continue to make phones like this. They are very important in large parts of the world, and these are the kinds of phones that made it possible for Nokia to bring the mobile phone to every corner of the world.
Bring this to the no contract phone companies in my area and I’d snatch one in a heartbeat! I’m finding that have a smartphone is kinda pointless for me (since I always seem to have either the laptop or my desktop) and 1 thing I hate about my android phone is how quickly playing tunes sucks the batteries.
So if this thing gets good call quality while allowing me to replace my PMP? heck yeah I’ll take one!
46 hours of music, but how many songs? Without internet, it won’t be able to stream. As a cheap phone it won’t have tons of storage.
It can accept up to a 32GB micro-SD card, which should cover all or most of the typical music listener’s library.
Ah, the linked article doesn’t mention that.
But it does.
http://www.cnet.com/news/nokia-130-lasts-more-than-a-month-costs-19…
I guess that could also be for the FM radio. If you’re into terrestrial radio (its generally terrible in the US as anything other than a News/Talk format).
Edit:
That site also seems to say 36 hours of standby, not actual use.
Edited 2014-08-12 16:55 UTC
I have a PMP that’s roughly the same size and shape of this phone, so probably has a similar size battery, and it lasts anywhere from six to eighteen hours of continuous playback. It’s shortest when, say, watching videos with the audio sent over Bluetooth, and longest when listening to MP3 files via the wired headphones. If this phone was used mostly as a PMP with the occasional call or SMS, I’d say it probably gets around 15-20 hours of non-stop use. With light use in both areas you’d probably go the better part of a week without recharging.
I’d love to have one of these as a backup/throwaway phone for taking on vacation, where I wouldn’t necessarily want the burden of being reachable 24/7 via email and Skype. I don’t think they will be released in the US though. Of course, on my carrier’s website I can get a more durable no-frills phone for nearly the same price if I feel so inclined.
Edit:
It’s 36 days standby, which is pretty amazing!
“The battery lasts 36 days on standby, an impressive amount when most smartphones won’t last 36 hours.”
Edited 2014-08-12 17:18 UTC
Man, I totally misread that several times. I don’t think my brain could handle that much stand by.
I kinda miss late compact cassette players – my Walkman lasted ~80 hours on one AA battery (which I confirmed when I forgot once to turn it off, while putting my coat with it into a closet for a few days
). My current portable player of choice – rockboxed Sansa Clip Zip – manages measly ~12h on a charge :/ …but I wouldn’t give up its Last.fm scrobbling capability!
Edited 2014-08-15 15:59 UTC
Quick math in my head says around 270 for 46 hours, as for 32 GB, around 3900 tunes.
Edited 2014-08-12 17:03 UTC
Too bad I absolutely require Last.fm scrobbling from my portable music player… makes Nokia 130 a no-go.
Edited 2014-08-15 15:42 UTC
It has a usb charging connector, a sdcard slot, can stay on for over a month and can play music.
So if you need a basic phone that just makes phone calls and sends messages, the price is good.
It runs Nokia’s s30.
Nokia is trying to grab the customers that don’t need smart phones.
I have an android phone but for me, it is really more of a fun thing than a phone. I have fun flashing cm11 builds, etc..
Did I miss something? Is Nokia even involved any longer?
I should have said Microsoft. Sorry.
I like that this is cheap and apparently long lasting.
However I had a Nokia 100 – and it was terrible. The screen was barely readable and the buttons were the worst ever – ZX Spectrum rubber keys with no feedback on whether you succeeded in pressing them or not … recipe of RSI.
I’d rather pay twice the ^Alb10 and get keys that actually feel like keys.
There IS a market for week-long battery life.
I recall the Nokia 100 had terrible speakers and probably microphone – calls were almost impossible.
Ah yes, I have a mobile blue tooth keyboard just like that. How great that someone designed a physical keyboard worse than any possible virtual one. I hope he at least got some perverse pleasure in creating such a useless thing.
It’s interesting to see what “Windows Phone-free” devices Nokia had in the pipeline.
Stuff like this and the Nokia X devices were probably at the very end of the pipeline so MS released them even if they were Windows Phone-free.
Top 10 Signs Your Phone is NOT a Smartphone
————————————————————
1. You phone has less that 8 cores.
2. Your phone cannot double as a surfboard.
3. Ashton Kutcher has never used you phone.
4. Your phone was voted off of Idol.
5. Your phone has a real keyboard.
6. Unlocked, your phone costs less than the cost of feeding a family of four for a month.
7. Your phone lets you text when you are inebriated.
8. John McCain recommends your phone to his friends.
9. You phone has one giant button that performs all operations.
10. You phone makes phone calls.
Nokia became the world’s number 1 phone manufacturer because it offers solid,
quality feature phones in the past where Smartphones were still not popularized. Forward 2007 and most people wanted smartphones. For the time-being, Nokia was still doing fine because most of the world cannot afford to spend Apple’s phones. Now today, there are so many smartphones that are cheap, rock solid with Android OS>
In my country for example(We are the target of this Microsoft feature phones) a people no longer care about feature phones, they want Android phones.
Therefore, I do not believe that this type of phone will ever get a foothold in my country.
So this statement is not accurate:
There are still plenty of countries where people earn $100 a month or less. They cannot afford a $100 basic smartphone or a data plan.
If you don’t have regular access to electricity in home battery life is critical.
Which is another common issue if you live in the country with $100 month salary.
Good point. I think they are primarily aiming at the poor countries in Africa. However, in my own country, in the far flung areas, this phone is useful, with the Nokia build quality (just like the Nokia 3210/3310) it is the practical choice.
I don’t know… if Microsoft introduced a new telegraph machine, I don’t think I’d care that much.
I suppose this phone technically has an OS, so its could be game for OS news, but you didn’t even mention the OS.
I guess it doesn’t run Asha or Win Phone, or Android….
So, a phone that can make calls – I’m not saying its unimportant, but there were phones that could do that before.
If I had to guess, its that Microsoft doesn’t necessarily always kill projects that are in progress.
You take a beating when you do, like canceling the Surface Mini.
The real question is are they developing a non-internet connected, $25 base price, follow up to the Nokia 130.
Fat chance.
Edited 2014-08-13 18:04 UTC
Another mention of it I saw said it runs S30.
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