Verizon, Cricket, and Rogers will start carrying Nokia phones again

Nokia phones are primed for a big comeback. HMD Global, the Finnish company behind Nokia-branded devices, announced new carrier deals in the U.S. and Canada that will see Nokia phones on American store shelves as soon as today.

In the U.S., Cricket Wireless agreed to sell the Nokia 3.1 Plus, while Verizon Prepaid will stock the Nokia 2 V (a version of the Nokia 2.1). In Canada, Rogers’ prepaid brand Chatr will also offer the 3.1 Plus. HMD Global hopes re-entering the U.S. and Canada with official carrier deals will help Nokia phones regain lost market share and mindshare with consumers.

Cricket lands Nokia 3.1 Plus

The Nokia 3.1 Plus, which first launched in India last year, looks to deliver “maximum entertainment” at an affordable price point. The phone boasts a 5.99-inch HD+ screen with the modern 18:9 aspect ratio. The body is made from a soft-touch polycarbonate and contains a 3,500mAh battery that HMD Global says lasts for two days. This North American variant of the 3.1 Plus trades a MediaTek processor for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, It comes with 2GB of memory and 32GB of storage.

A fingerprint sensor and dual-camera array are rare at this price point and the 3.1 Plus has both. The fingerprint reader can work with the included NFC radio for secure mobile payments via Google Pay. The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor and the secondary camera features a 5-megapixel sensor for depth sensing and contrast. Together these power camera features such as bokeh/portrait shooting. An 8-megapixel camera graces the front of the 3.1 Plus for capturing selfies.

Cricket Wireless says the Nokia 3.1 Plus will be its first phone to launch with Android 9 Pie. It is guaranteed to receive system and security updates during its lifecycle. The phone is fully compatible with Cricket’s LTE 4G network.

The Nokia 3.1 Plus will reach nearly 5,000 company-owned Cricket Wireless stores and authorized retailers on January 25. The phone is priced at $159.99 and comes in blue.

Verizon goes low with Nokia 2 V

Verizon Prepaid is prepared to stock its first HMD Global device in the Nokia 2 V. This variant of the Nokia 2.1 relies wholly on LTE to connect to Verizon’s 4G network. There’s no CDMA radio inside.

The Nokia 2 V has a 5.5-inch HD display and dual front-facing stereo speakers. Made from a mix of glass, steel, and polycarbonate, the 2 V encases a 4,000mAh battery for extended up time. HMD Global says the phone supports rapid charging for quick power ups when needed. HMD upgraded the processor to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 with 1 GB of memory and 8GB of storage. It supports microSD cards up to 128GB. An 8-megapixel camera is located on back and a 5-megapixel camera is on front.

Verizon will launch the Nokia 2 V with Android 8 Oreo (One), though it will upgrade the phone to Android 9 Pie at some point during the second quarter. Pricing was not announced. The phone goes on sale January 31 in blue/silver.

Are you interested in buying Nokia phones if American carriers start carrying them?