HMD Global – the brand behind Nokia phones has started retailing recently unveiled Nokia 8.3 5G in the country for Ksh. 69,000. Early buyers will also get a pair of free Nokia earbuds with every purchase subject to availability. Looking at the price tag, this device has everything spelled in premium and so is the hardware underneath. Users will be getting a 64MP quad-rear camera setup that should take professional grade photos thanks to Zeiss Optics and a 24MP selfie sensor that should make those selfies pop.
HMD’s reputation on the Nokia devices has so far been phenomenon to say the least, it’s one of few brands that actually guarantee timely software updates in the android world. Even prominent players like Samsung have not been able to keep up on their expansive android portfolio and therefore if you decide to settle on the Nokia 8.3 5G for your next device, you can sit easy as the manufacturer is expected to support it at least for the next two years in software updates.
What you’ll be getting
Ksh. 69,000 is not the kind of amount you’d expect for an average Kenyan to spend on a smartphone, of course there are alternative budget conscious devices from the manufacturer that may be sane to consider. I’m not about to justify the price tag, but HMD has a clearly set market segment that its targeting and who might actually find this device a bang for their buck.
For once, Nokia 8.3 5G is one of the few devices that already has 5G capabilities despite it not being readily available in the country. There’s of course some hope as Kenya’s largest mobile service provider – Safaricom has already indicated its within the testing phase of the standard and we might actually have it before the end of the year.
5G is clearly the next big thing in smartphone evolution and if you are a kind of person that buys a device once in a few years, it might actually make practical sense to future proof your investment. HMD has also stated that buyers will be getting free Nokia Earbuds Lite that promise up to 35 hours of playtime and can withstand 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.
The model offered in Kenya comes with a configuration of 8GB RAM as well as 128GB internal storage and comes in shades of Polar Night color. This is of course what we expected for that price tag and it’s safe to assume that performance won’t be an issue here.
What HMD Global said on the launch.
HMD’s Senior Business Manager Mr. Gopher Ogembo said the device had been built basing on the company’s commitment to unveil devices that offer better user experience. He also acknowledged the firm was stepping into a new era of 5G with a device considered truly global and future proof.
It comes with an IPS panel on the front that measures 6.81-inches at 1080×2400 resolution, which is somewhat not what we’d hoped for. For the price tag, it was only fair to imagine a panel that uses OLED technology instead.