We all know 5G phones are expensive, but HMD Global – the company behind recent Nokia handsets – looks set to change that, as it has just announced the Nokia 8.3 5G, which is both the company’s first 5G phone, and one of the cheapest 5G phones from any company.
Or at least, it probably is. The company hasn’t confirmed how much it will cost in the UK, but in Europe it’s set to retail for an “average” price of 599 euros (around £550) for a model with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, or 649 euros (roughly £600) for one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Now, the UK price won’t be an exact conversion, but it’s likely to be in the ballpark of those estimates. And while those aren’t low prices, they’re far below most 5G phones or high-end phones, and should make for very affordable contract pricing.
5G everywhere
As for what you get for your money, for one thing, the Nokia 8.3 should be a very future-proofed phone, as it’s designed to support both standalone and non-standalone 5G combinations. It’s also the first smartphone to use the Qualcomm 5G RF Front end module solution, and as a result it supports more 5G bands than any other current phone.
That’s led the company to describe it as a “truly global, future-proof” 5G phone, since it should fully support 5G networks all over the world now, and as they develop further in future.
Beyond the 5G, the Nokia 8.3 has an upper mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset (with an integrated 5G modem), a 6.81-inch 1080 x 2400 screen, a 4,500mAh battery, and a quad-lens camera, with a 64MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide one, a 2MP macro one, and a 2MP depth sensor.
So the camera sounds versatile and video recording should be too, thanks to support for 4K footage and the addition of built-in ZEISS cinematic effects. And once you’ve created your masterpiece you can rapidly share it or back it up using 5G.
If you like the idea of getting your hands on this high-tech, future-proofed 5G handset then you have a little longer to wait, as it’s not hitting stores until sometime this summer. By then it might have more competition, but that just means you’ll have more choice.
James has been writing for us for over 10 years. Currently, he is Editorial Manager for our group of companies ( 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk) and sub-editor at TechRadar. He specialises in smartphones, mobile networks/ technology, tablets, and wearables.
In the past, James has also written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media, Smart TV Radar, and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV. He has a film studies degree from the University of Kent, Canterbury, and has over a decade’s worth of professional writing experience.
