AI has been pushed on all your latest smartphones, laptops, browsers, and anything else manufacturers can cram it in. Now, HMD has decided that even your basic dumb phone shouldn’t be left out either. The company is bringing back the Nokia branding for this one, and yes, you also get a keypad.
HMD has quietly unveiled four Nokia-branded 4G feature phones, namely the Nokia 210 4G, Nokia 200 4G, Nokia 215 4G 2nd Edition, and Nokia 235 4G 2nd Edition. All four have physical number pads and a dedicated button for activating a voice-based AI assistant. Press it, speak a command, and the phone can switch on its torch, set an alarm or reminder, open the camera, or call someone from your contacts. It can also answer basic questions, offer simple recipes, and help with common foreign-language phrases.
Is this a smarter dumb phone?
Feature phones remain useful for people who want longer battery life, fewer distractions, simpler menus, or an affordable way to stay connected. They are also commonly used by older customers and people who may find layers of menus harder to navigate. Voice controls can make those devices considerably easier to operate. Asking the phone to call someone or set an alarm removes several keypad presses and menu screens.
This makes it a lot more practical here than another AI image generating feature crammed into your modern day smartphones. The new Nokias also support Xpress Chat, which enables video calls, voice messages, group chats, photos, and emojis. Smartphone users can join conversations through the free Xpress Chat app on Android and iOS.
HMD’s Cloud Phone Service supplies shortcuts for videos, games, weather forecasts, news, and sports results without requiring conventional smartphone apps or large amounts of local storage. This basically means that your simple feature phone isn’t being left behind anymore.
It’s got one bad news…. subscription
The most 2026 detail is buried in the fine print. HMD includes a 180-day AI assistant trial, after which service fees apply. Customers also need a smartphone app to buy the subscription. Yes, the AI-powered dumb phone may eventually require access to a smartphone so its owner can continue paying for the AI assistant.
The four models share familiar feature-phone hardware, including 4G connectivity, USB-C charging, headphone jacks, removable 1,450mAh batteries, and microSD support. The Nokia 210 4G and Nokia 200 4G use 2.4-inch displays and promise up to 13 days of standby time. Meanwhile, the Nokia 215 and 235 offer larger 2.8-inch screens and up to 12 days of standby.
The Nokia 235 is the best-equipped camera model with a VGA selfie camera and a 2MP rear camera. The Nokia 210 has front and rear VGA cameras, while the Nokia 200 and Nokia 215 focus on the front camera for video calls. The pricing and regional availability details are still at large, but HMD is making sure that dumb phones are no longer rejecting modern technology.
