Yes, there’s a new Nokia flip phone coming out. Yes, Nine Inch Nails are playing a festival in September alongside Taking Back Sunday, Andrew W.K., and the Smashing Pumpkins. No, it’s not 2004.
HMD has announced the Nokia 2720 V Flip, a modern update to the classic flip phone design. Though similar hinged phones used to be all the rage until they gave way to Blackberry devices, and then iPhone and Android-style smartphones, there’s still a market for simpler phones, especially for older consumers.
The new model will launch in the US on May 20 after a successful run in European markets. It will retail via Verizon for $80 USD, with no word yet on the potential for a Canadian release.
The Nokia 2720 V Flip will have nigh-identical specifications as the model that’s already available overseas. The main QVGA display measures 2.8-inches, with a 1.3-inch external screen to check notifications while the phone is closed. Powered by KaiOS and a Qualcomm 205 Mobile processor, it will accommodate some smartphone-esque features like Google Assistant and Maps, Facebook, and WhatsApp, albeit on a much smaller screen than smartphones.
As you may expect, calls can be answered by simply opening the phone while it’s ringing, and ended by closing it—likely with that satisfying click sound. It measures a modest and portable 4.13 inches tall by 2.15 inches wide, and weighs in at 0.26 pounds. It does accommodate Bluetooth 4.1 however, and Verizon’s LTE network. The battery is estimated to last about 20 days on standby, or up to 10 hours of talk time.
With these stripped-back specifications and long battery life, the Nokia 2720 V Flip sounds like the perfect fit for your older relatives who don’t need all the fuss and hassle of fancier smartphones, without completely foregoing modern conveniences. Alternately, Nokia also makes two different feature phone models without the flip phone hinge.
