Previous Reviews:
Nokia 3 2017
Nokia 8 2017
Nokia 3310 2017
Introduction
My brother sent me his Nokia 8110 4G. Initially super excited about it, he gave it to me out of frustration with the device. I set out to investigate whether this was a fair assessment, while attempting another “digital detox”. I used the Nokia 8110 as my daily driver for December – January.
What’s in the box?
* Nokia 8110 4G TA-1059 (HK variant)
* Some cheap earbuds with mic
* 0.5A Nokia branded charger with non-removable MicroUSB cable
Physical features
The curved yellow polycarbonate feels great in my hands. It’s smooth, doesn’t keep fingerprints and feels grippy enough in the hand. Buttons are recessed, making it tough to distinguish by touch. The design of the 3310 3G is better in that the buttons protrude outwards. Not a major issue. Backlit keys are nice. Flashlight function is appreciated as always. Camera quality is mediorce, but it will get the job done.
Software
The Nokia 8110 runs KaiOS, a fork of Firefox OS that primarily runs “web apps”. Included with the device are Youtube, Google Assistant, Google Maps, Twitter and a variety of games (including Snake). The KaiOS app store is barren to the point where it makes Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 Mobile store look fully fledged and happening. There are about 10 apps at the time of writing. They consist of a bunch of games, a to do list, a QR code reader, counter and weather app. The only social app is Twitter, and that’s installed by default on software 13.0. The big disappointment is that while WhatsApp was teased to be working on KaiOS by HMD Global in July, with the tweet including a banana emoji. I reviewed the Nokia 8110 in January and there is still no sign of WhatsApp. Now the JioPhone, also running KaiOS already has WhatsApp, I cannot fathom why HMD hasn’t gotten it onto the Nokia 8110 when they had the time to port Google Assistant to the Nokia 8110. While the Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas is careful not to make any concrete promises in his tweet, the omission of WhatsApp feels like a broken promise by HMD, particularly when most of the online press reported it as fact to consumers, with no effort by their PR team to amend this misinformation.
Google Maps is an exercise in frustration. Despite giving GPS permissions to Google Maps, I was unable to have the GPS pinpoint my location. Voice dictation advertised on the Maps app doesn’t work. I will try this again when I feel less like wanting to snap the Nokia 8110 in half.
It is very clear that KaiOS was designed to compete with Android first and foremost. It tries very hard to be an Android phone with Google integration nobody asked for. On the other hand, omissions of simple niceties that the Nokia 3310 had, such as bluetooth contact import, make switching over to the Nokia 8110 more of a pain than it needs to be. While you can import your contacts from a SIM, Outlook or Gmail, you have to remember Outlook and Gmail need you to login through the Kai OS browser to find these contacts. Simply including bluetooth contact import would save you the agony of typing in your WiFi password, stuffing around with typing out an email address and password, then the OTP from either Google or Microsoft.
The general design of KaiOS is frustrating. For example, on the home screen, the button to check notifications is Left —-, but should you press the button again, it will dismiss all notifications. I find myself frequently fighting the phone, pressing the notifications button, not seeing any response from the Nokia 8110 4G, then pressing it again, only to have the notifications I wanted to view, dismissed entirely, meaning I need to dive into apps to find the SMS.
FM is exceptional. The signal is kept consistent and of all of the phones with FM Radio, the Nokia 8110 has the lowest minimum volume of them all. This is a big plus for me, as I like my music very soft.
Network
3G Network Band
850/900/2100 HSPA
4G Network Band – LTE Cat 4
LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Serviceable for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Lacks Band 28.
VoLTE is advertised on the box, I have tested it on both Telstra, Optus and Vodafone prepaid and none have given any indication of supporting VoLTE on the Nokia 8110. Given how little data is used by the Nokia 8110, losing band 28 (even on the Australian model) is not too big of an issue, but if you intend on using the phone to hotspot a laptop or tablet in a remote area, this could be something to consider. It is truly a shame that the Nokia 8110 doesn’t have Australian VoLTE or Band 28, as the combination will be useful in the coming years when VoLTE only voice coverage areas may pop up. Given that the $90 Vodafone Nokia 3 I reviewed previously supports VoLTE and band 28 on Vodafone and Telstra, I believe that my demands are not unreasonable.
The Nokia 8110 4G’s dual SIM capability is 4G/2G, meaning that in Australia, it is effectively a single SIM phone. The HK variant has both Nano and MicroSIM slots.
Be aware that the Australian variant Nokia 8110 4G is single SIM and only has a MicroSIM slot. If you switch between phones regularly that might be an issue.
Performance
The $129 Nokia 8110 4G is lacking. The choice of KaiOS over Symbian is really felt when comparing it to the Nokia 3310 3G. The 3310 3G opens all applications instantly, except for games. For instance, the contacts app takes many more seconds to open, whereas the 3310 is near-instant. I don’t have all that many contacts and I expect better from a phone with a much more powerful CPU.
Call quality was great. Friends commented that the call quality was nicer than my Nokia 8. This alone makes the phone easier to recommend over the Nokia 3310 3G.
Battery life
I managed to get about a week of usage or more, depending on how much I used the phone. Where the flaw of most smartphones is idle battery drain and losing half your charge in a day of standby, the 3310 3G struggles in sustained use. It will take a ~2.5 hour voice call or ~4 hrs of FM radio on speaker to kill it where a smartphone would last far longer. Idle battery life is fantastic. I haven’t objectively measured it, but it will last me 3-4 days easily.
Updates
My Nokia 8110 got an update to software 13.0, originally running 11.0. It only seemed to add Twitter. At least there is room for updates, but they are few and far between. Nokia has not promised to update KaiOS phones, unlike their Android offerings.
Conclusion
HMD has made a competent featurephone with the 8110 4G. It may not have many features, but it certainly achieves most of what it set out to do. Hampered by KaiOS, OS feels entirely dependant on Google services for basic things like contact import. The poor design of some of the menus really brings down the user experience of the Nokia 8110. If KaiOS gets polished more and overcomes these hurdles in the future, you do end up with a functional featurephone. If all you do is call, then the Nokia 8110 4G might be for you. The omission of WhatsApp feels like a broken promise.
Verdict: Would I buy this phone again? Maybe, 6/10 (@ $129).
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