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Some companies, like Motorola and Google, are quick to release kernel source code for their new phones. Nokia is a mixed bag in this regard, especially since it just now released code for the Nokia 2... which came out nearly two years ago.
Nokia's been talking about giving the 2017 Nokia 2 Android 8.1 Oreo since 2017, with the first beta landing all the way back in June of last year. Today it has been officially released, though there is a catch. You see, the Nokia 2 on Android Oreo suffers a few performance problems, even with a few Android Go optimizations pulled in for it. The Nokia 2 has a mere 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 212 to power it. Together, that's not really enough oomph for Oreo, so Nokia's making this update optional.
Like any other company, HMD Global is required to release the kernel source code for any phones and major updates that it releases by the GPL. Today the company has published the source code for the Nokia 2 V, which is Verizon's version of the affordable Nokia 2.1 that is beginning sales tomorrow.
The Nokia 2 was released near the end of last year, as HMD's first sub-$100 Android device. That spot has now been taken by the new Nokia 1, which means prices for last year's phone have started to drop. Now you can buy the Nokia 2 for $79.99 on Amazon, an all-time low.
Nokia and HMD are at it again, releasing an update to Android 8.1 Oreo for another one of their devices. This time, it's the low-end Nokia 2 that was announced last October. The device launched with Nougat 7.1.1 and skipped the Android Oreo 8.0 release to wait for a direct jump to 8.1 with some under-the-hood optimizations from Android Go. That update is now available for beta testers.
HMD Global confirmed in September that the entire line of Nokia phones would be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo. The confirmation didn't explicitly mention the Nokia 2, because it hadn't been officially announced at that point, leaving some to wonder if HMD's super-budget model would be left on Nougat. Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer at HMD Global, has confirmed on Twitter that the Nokia 2 will actually jump straight to Android 8.1.
Watching Zack from JerryRigEverything break every new (major) phone that comes out has become something of a tradition. This time around, Zach dug into the Nokia 2, the new low-end Nokia smartphone from HMD Global. Being just $100 in the United States, you would expect the phone to be mostly plastic and easily broken, but that wasn't the case.
HMD can't seem to stop making new Nokia phones and after the 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8, today we go to the lower end of the market with the new Nokia 2. Though the specs are pretty much the bare minimum, the recently leaked Nokia 2 has its own appeal not the least of which is HMD's commitment to a pure Android experience and fast updates.
Nokia's Android product line is already getting a tad confusing. HMD Global currently manufactures four Nokia-branded devices, ranging from super-budget to flagship - the 3, 5, 6, and 8. Now HMD appears to be working on an even cheaper device, dubbed the 'Nokia 2.'