A decade ago, when Nokia still made its own devices and dominated the smartphone market, one of the company's biggest weaknesses was its US presence. It struggled to enter the USA in any significant manner and that eventually helped in its downfall after Android and iOS took over the world by storm. Today, with ex-Nokians at the helm, HMD seems to have learned from that mistake and is trying hard not to repeat it. The Nokia licensee has inked deals with Verizon, Cricket, and Rogers, already launched the Nokia 2 V on Verizon, and is now following up with the Nokia 3 V.
The 3 V appears to be a rebranded 3.2. Both the design of the device and the specs validate that theory. It has a 6.26" HD+ display, a Snapdragon 429 SoC, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, a notification light around the power button, two-day battery life, and a dedicated Google Assistant button that can be used to trigger the digital helper or in talkie-walkie mode (long press) when you're issuing a long Assistant query. Based on the 3.2's specs, we can also deduce that it'll have a 13MP camera on the back, 5MP on the front, MicroUSB charging, and a 4,000mAh battery.
The device offers both face unlock as well as a fingerprint sensor at the back (though the latter isn't visible in the image provided by Verizon, it's mentioned in the press release). It's also validated by the Android Enterprise Recommended program.
Like its global market twin, the Nokia 3 V ships with Android 9 Pie and will get two OS upgrades (likely Q and R). However, only one year and a half of security patches are promised, unlike HMD's unlocked devices, which get two and possibly three years. If the Nokia 2 V is any indication, those updates may also take their sweet time to reach your phone.
The Nokia 3 V is HMD's first post-paid device to be offered on Verizon. It'll be available in a blue color on August 23, 2019, for $168 upfront or $7/month for 24 months from Verizon stores and verizonwireless.com.
UPDATE: 2019/08/23 10:41am PDT BY STEPHEN SCHENCK
Release day is upon us, so if you're feeling so inclined, you can now swing by Verizon and pick up a Nokia 3 V of your own.
PRESS RELEASE
Nokia 3 V’s massive screen and two-day battery life makes affordability exciting, launching now on Verizon
Bringing the Google Assistant button, biometric face unlock and the latest Android 9 Pie to your fingertips
NEW YORK, NY, August 20, 2019 – HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces Nokia 3 V will be available to buy exclusively from Verizon for $168 starting August 23, 2019. Nokia 3 V combines an impressively sized HD+ display for the price with HMD Global’s signature two-day battery life and is powered by the latest Android 9 Pie experience.
Maurizio Angelone, Vice President Americas, HMD Global, said:
“Building upon the launch of the Nokia 2 V on Verizon Prepaid in January, we are so excited to now offer the Nokia 3 V as HMD Global’s first post-paid device on the network. This is the next step in HMD Global’s journey to deliver United States consumers a versatile line up of Nokia phones both unlocked, and on their preferred wireless provider.”
“At HMD Global, we believe owning an affordable smartphone shouldn’t mean missing out on exciting features, the latest mobile innovations and regular updates. With Nokia 3 V, consumers will receive a year and a half of monthly security patches and two OS upgrade guaranteed, so that the smartphone with just keep getting better with time. We also know how important a great display, two-day battery life and biometric face unlock is for many Verizon customers, so we made sure we delivered on these qualities for Nokia 3 V.”
Industry-leading display, better performance and two-day battery
Taking a holistic view of battery life, Nokia 3 V combines a larger battery than many premium smartphones with efficient hardware and software ingenuity. To squeeze every last drop out of the huge battery, the Adaptive Battery feature introduced in Android 9 Pie manages background applications using AI, learning from user behaviour to know when to throttle or increase power to specific apps or processes. It even has enough power to go two days with an expansive screen. Nokia 3 V features an impressive 6.26” HD+ display so you’ll never struggle and strain to see more of your favourite movies, TV shows and streams.
Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 429 mobile platform and available with up to 2/16GB memory configuration, the Nokia 3 V will get through tasks with ease and it is also among the first Nokia smartphones to include a notification light – the power button comes to life to alert you of notifications so you know when to unlock your phone and check your apps.
Personalised experience: learns as you use
With the Google Assistant button, Nokia 3 V will revolutionise the way you interact with your smartphone. Simply press once for instant access to the Google Assistant to get directions, make calls, listen to music and get answers to your questions faster than ever before. You can double press to receive a visual overview of your day from the Assistant with intelligent suggestions and personalised information, including transport info, bills that need paying and what you have in your calendar to make sure you never miss a meeting again. By long pressing the button, you will activate a walkie-talkie mode, which lets the Google Assistant listen to you until you release it for long sentence queries.
Many of the premium features on Nokia 3 V are powered by AI, including face unlock to give you a quick, handsfree way to unlock your smartphone or exclusive Google Assistant actions to open apps quicker, including launching the camera app. The Nokia 3 V also lets you access your Google Assistant without unlocking your phone, after opting-in through your settings, you’ll be able to perform basic tasks like setting a timer, scheduling reminders, playing music or asking it questions.
The best of Android, now available on Verizon
The Nokia 3 V joins the comprehensive line-up of Nokia smartphones in the Android family, delivering a high-quality experience and the best of Android available on Verizon. The device comes with a year and a half of monthly security patches and two OS upgrades guaranteed. These software updates ensure your experience gets better with new features and capabilities over time. In addition, Nokia smartphones on Android offer great storage and battery life with no hidden processes and the latest Android innovations to allow users to stay ahead of the game.
The Nokia 3 V launches with Android 9 Pie out of the box. Android 9 Pie includes AI-powered features to make your device smarter, faster and adapt to your behaviour as you use it, so your smartphone experience gets better with time. The Adaptive Battery feature limits battery usage from apps you don’t use often, and App Actions predicts what you’re about to do so you can get to your next action quickly. These features further streamline your device’s functionality and your overall Android experience.
Nokia 3 V comes with easy access to helpful innovative services including Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage. The Nokia 3 V is also great for professionals, as it is validated by the Android Enterprise Recommended program and comes with a fingerprint sensor at the back of the device for secure access.
The Nokia 3 V comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM and is available in Blue. It will be available on August 23, 2019 in select Verizon stores and on VerizonWireless.com for $7 a month for 24 months on Verizon device payment (0% APR, $168 retail).
