HMD and Nokia put the candy back in the candybar phone

The relentless rise of the smartphone alternative continues as HMD – steward of Finland’s famed Nokia brand since 2016 – brings out three ultra-compact 4G phones for those who are sick of swiping and constant alerts. The new Nokia 215, 225 and 235 each has a colour LCD display and 4G, offering basic functionality designed for digital detoxes and the times when a £1k pocket computing device feels like overkill. 

HMD (Human Mobile Devices) still makes relatively rudimentary smartphones, but it’s these pocketable models that are proving a success, each priced at less than what many people pay on a monthly contract.  The company is also behind the recent headline-grabbing ‘Boring Phone’, a collaboration with concept store Bodega and Dutch brewer Heineken.

New Nokia candybar phones from HMD

The most basic model in this new batch is the 215, which comes in Peach, Black and Dark Blue. This device is simplicity itself – the design eschews even the camera. Next up is the 225, which shares the 215’s 2.4-inch screen and adds a 0.3 MP camera – for low-res photography without recourse to filters. It’s available in Pink and Dark Blue, while the ‘flagship’ 235 ups the screen dimensions to a whopping 2.8 inches and has a 2 MP camera. It comes in Blue, Black and Purple.

In addition to the three new phones, HMD’s stable is filled with Nokia classics, like the 8210 4G, the 6310 and the 2720 Flip. These names might not mean much to a generation weaned on yearly iPhone drops, AI-powered photography and relentless barrages of social media, but time was when a phone’s battery could last for weeks, not days (or even hours). The 6310 even includes an FM radio. For those not ready to completely forego the tech advances of the 2020s, the 8210 4G crams WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube connectivity into a candybar format and can even use Google Maps.

Nokia 215 4G, £54.99 / Nokia 225 4G, £59.99 / Nokia 235 4G, £64.99, from HMD.com