Nokia 123 Shield: HMD brings a tough 2G cell phone

The Finnish heirs to Nokia’s mobile device business HMD have introduced the Nokia 123 Shield, a sort of successor to the legendary Nokia 3210. The classic cell phone has a durable housing and is intended to follow in the footsteps of its great role model.

Resistant, but not completely waterproof

HMD has introduced the Nokia 123 Shield, which is a classic feature phone with a bartype design. The manufacturer advertises that it is the cheapest water- and dust-resistant cell phone it produces and has been optimized for reliable call quality. Although there is no information about the IP rating in the marketing materials, a footnote states that the device meets the requirements of “IP65 certification according to IEC standard 60529”. This means that the Nokia 123 Shield is protected against rain, splash water, sand and dust, but is not considered waterproof.

HMD says the Nokia 123 Shield was designed from the ground up for use by people working outdoors. The case therefore has a kind of anti-slip design to fit securely in the hand. Rubber covers also protect the headphone jack and charging port. Compared to other cheap 2G phones, the Nokia 123 Shield is also said to offer clearer phone calls and a more stable connection.

Under the hood, the Unisoc SC6531E is a simple ARM SoC made in China in conjunction with four megabytes of RAM and permanent storage, whereby the user can insert a microSD card with up to 32 gigabytes in order to have more internal storage available. A 2.4-inch LCD panel with QVGA resolution is used on the front, while a very simple camera with QVGA resolution and LED flash is installed at the back. The manufacturer states that the LED can also serve as a flashlight and shines three times as brightly as the flash of the in-house Nokia 110.

The Nokia 123 Shield has a user-replaceable 1750 mAh battery that can be powered via a USB-C port. HMD specifies the standby battery life as 19 days, although almost 28 hours of talk time should be possible. There are also two SIM slots, a 3.5 mm jack for headphones and headsets and the ability to receive FM radio. At market launch, the Nokia 123 Shield will only be available in dark green and purple. The manufacturer has not yet announced a price, but a number of Bulgarian dealers are already listing the device at prices starting at around 35 euros.