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Nokia's first salvo of Android phones debuted at MWC all the way back in 2017, with the company initially committing to two years of updates for its new devices. Well, it's been a bit over two years since those phones were released, and Nokia has decided it doesn't want to give up on them so easily. The Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8 will continue to get quarterly security updates for an extra year, into 2020.
HMD's revived Nokia brand adopted the Android One program several years back, offering guaranteed updates on all its current phones. However, the company hasn't stopped supporting those early phones from before the update guarantee. The 2017 Nokia 3 has just gotten a long-awaited update to Android 9 Pie. This brings the total number of Pie-powered phones from Nokia to 19.
Slowly but surely, HMD Global has been rolling out Android 9 Pie to its Nokia-branded phones. The Nokia 7 Plus, 6.1, 6.1 Plus, 5.1, 5.1 Plus, 8, and 8 Sirocco have all received Pie by now. If your Nokia device still doesn't have Pie, don't fret — HMD has laid out its update timeline for all remaining phones.
HMD Global has released the source code for the Nokia 3. The 3 has become the fourth phone in Nokia's lineup to have its kernel source released, following the 1 and 6, as well as the rather late 8, last month.
HMD Global has a stellar track record of releasing timely Android firmware updates and its good form continues today. Nokia 3 owners can expect Android 8.0 Oreo to start rolling out to their devices shortly. At the same time, a new page has appeared on the Nokia website providing kernel source code for the Nokia 1 and 6.
Android Oreo has been trickling down Nokia's lineup starting with the Nokia 8, and now finally reaching one of the lower-end devices: the Nokia 3. We already knew the device was slated to get Oreo, but that news goes as far back as September. In phone years, that's an eternity where owners of the 3 had to sit and chew on their Nougat 7.1.1 as more expensive devices got the chocolate cookie treatment before them.
It might not be available in the US just yet, but HMD Global is already preparing to update the entry-level Nokia 3 to Android 7.1.1. The phone launched with Android 7.0 Nougat, which isn't too shabby, but 7.1.1 will bring with it a few new features. If this is a predictor of future software support, customers that pick up one of the new Nokia Android phones may have a lot to look forward to.
The recent Nokia-branded phones from HMD Global have been pretty popular. The goal of a near-stock Android ROM with quick updates has also caused Android enthusiasts to take notice, especially as many budget phones don't receive major updates at all.
Nokia and HMD Global have been pretty good so far with building durable Android phones. The Nokia 6, the first Nokia-branded Android phone, has a very good build quality (especially for the price). JerryRigEverything, the YouTube channel famous for testing the limits of various electronics, has revealed how much of a beating the Nokia 3 can take.
As the revival of the Nokia brand by Finnish company HMD Global continues to gather pace, its latest products are now available to buy in Australia. The Nokia 3, 5, and 6 were announced earlier in the year, much to the joy of our long-time Nokia enthusiast, Rita. The intriguing flagship Nokia 8 is on the horizon and the Nokia 6 was recently released in the US. Now, the company is extending the global availability of its low to mid-range devices.
As I'm sure many of you know, HMD Global became the exclusive licensee of Nokia in 2016, and released the Nokia 6 in China earlier this year. At Mobile World Congress, two more models were announced - the Nokia 5 and 3. Starting today, Nokia/HMD has launched all three phones in India.
I have fond memories of Nokia, like many others, so I was excited to watch the Finnish firm's announcements today at MWC. The presentation started with more talk on the OZO 360° virtual reality camera, which was used to livestream everything to YouTube 360. Also of note was that Nokia is finalizing its purchase of Withings, the French connected devices company. Most importantly, however, were the phone announcements.
Nokia, much like BlackBerry, no longer manufactures its own devices. After selling its entire mobile division to Microsoft in 2014, it partnered with Foxconn to manufacture the Nokia N1 tablet, but that seemed to be a one-time deal. Now HMD Global, the Finnish manufacturer with the exclusive right to use the Nokia brand for phones, might be launching new Nokia devices at Mobile World Congress.