Microsoft hasn’t had the most success with regards to mobile phones. The Windows OS never really took off in the marketplace like the company wanted, with most phones using the OS being Nokia ones; a company that Microsoft purchased some time ago.
While many thought the Nokia acquisition was crazy (and it was) the company kept trying to gain a foothold on the mobile market. This only makes sense and smartphones are the new computers as they now allow you to pretty much do everything a desktop could do less than 10-years ago.
But Nokia was not enough to save their mobile dream as Microsoft stated that it would be selling off it feature phone division earlier this year. What is strange, is that even after the announcement Microsoft is still releasing one last Nokia phone in the form of the Nokia 216, otherwise known as the Nokia Dumb Phone.
The Nokia 216 is about as basic as a mobile phone can get in 2016. Its got a tiny 2.4-inch QVGA screen with a terrible 0.3 Megapixel front facing selfie camera that is straight out of 2003. It also only runs on 2.5G networks, just like phones did way back when. But hey, at least it comes in three different colors like the kids liked in the early 2000s!
Because the phone is pretty basic you will get some impressive battery life from the unit. Microsoft is stating that standby time on the phone is a whopping 24 day. That’s right, days. And if you do a lot of talking (just like 2003!) the 216 will last you 18 hours on a single charge.
At least it comes with Facebook and access to the internet via the Opera Mini web browser. With so many features you’ll be downloading ringtones and playing insane games of snake in no time!
To be fair the Nokia 216 does look to be targeted to East Asian markets that still rely heavily on feature phones thanks to their ease of use and low cost. The trailer for the phone seems to confirm those thoughts and has a very Apple like feel to it.
But, come on, how often do you see a commercial for the mobile phone that features a 2D GameLoft looking game circa 2003? This thing makes the N-Gage look good!
UPDATE: I made a joke about GameLoft up above, but it now turns out that the Nokia 216 will get one free GameLoft game per month for anyone that buys the phone. I knew I had my finger on the pulse of America, but now it’s getting spooky! We also now know the Nokia 2016 with have an MSRP of only $37. That’s a pretty amazing deal for those looking for a easy to use feature phone.
Via: (Microsoft)
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