To date, HMD Global has primarily sold its Nokia-branded Android phones unlocked in the U.S. That'll be changing soon, though.
The Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 2 V are launching on Cricket Wireless and Verizon, respectively. The Nokia 3.1 Plus is available from Cricket starting today, January 25, at a price of $159.99. Verizon customers will be able to buy the Nokia 2 V starting January 31 for an undisclosed price.
In terms of specs, the Android 9 Pie-powered Nokia 3.1 Plus is rocking a 5.99-inch HD+ screen and a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP main snapper and a secondary 5MP depth-sensing lens. There's an 8MP front camera for all your selfie needs and a rear fingerprint reader for added security. Inside the Nokia 3.1 Plus is a Snapdragon 439 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 3500mAh battery. USB-C and 3.5mm headphone ports are included as well.
The Nokia 2 V is a more entry-level model, offering a 5.5-inch HD screen as well as 8MP rear and 5 MP front cameras. It's got a Snapdragon 425 chipset paired with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a 4000mAh battery, and dual speakers. It recharges over microUSB and has a 3.5mm headphone jack of its own. The Nokia 2 V comes preloaded with Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition).
The arrival of Nokia-branded Android phones on U.S. carriers is a big deal. Most consumers in the U.S. still buy their phones from their carrier, so many folks have likely never seen any of HMD's new Nokia handsets. These launches on Cricket and Verizon will change that. And with the aggressive pricing of these phones and HMD's excellent history of Android updates, the Nokia 3.1 Plus and Nokia 2 V could be solid options for Cricket and Verizon customers in the market for a budget-friendly smartphone.