The problem with feature phones is that they're often missing exactly that — features. That's something HMD Global, which makes devices under the Nokia brand, hopes to avoid with the Nokia 2720 V Flip, a feature phone that packs in some of the capabilities you'd associate more with a smartphone.
This $79.99 phone, announced today (May 13), looks like it's aimed at phone shoppers who want more of the power of a smartphone without the corresponding boost in price. To that end, the Nokia 2720 V Flip includes a built-in Google Assistant, as well as the ability to download apps through KaiSuite.
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Even better, the phone will be able to connect over Verizon's LTE network. (The Nokia 2720 V Flip is a Verizon exclusive.) While that mean seem like gilding the lilly for the apps you'd run on this flip phone, keep in mind the Nokia 2720 V Flip can also be used as a mobile hotspot, allowing your laptop network access through the phone.
Still, at it heart, the Nokia 2720 V Flip remains a feature phone for people not ready to make the leap to the candybar design of smartphones. Looking a lot like the Nokia 2720 of yesteryear, this is a flip phone with modern functionality. A 1.3-inch screen on the outside of the 2720 V Flip alerts you to notifications and incoming calls. You can answer calls by flipping open the phone and end them by closing it.
Inside the phone, a 2.8-inch main screen and physical keyboard await. HMD Global says you can expect 26 days of battery life on standby — impressive in a world in which the best phone battery life among smartphones is measured in hours, not days.
As noted, you'll be able to get the phone only from Verizon. The $79.99 Nokia 2720 V Flip goes on sale a week from now on May 20.