Nokia 215 4g (2024) review

Introduction
Hey everyone! After using my Nokia 215 4G (2024 edition), I feel ready to share a review of this device for anyone considering a purchase.
Note: I live in Europe, and there may be some small differences in app availability depending on the region.

TL;DR
Calling and (threaded) texting work great if you enjoy T9. Music playback is fine if you're okay with listening to albums or manually creating playlists by organizing songs into folders. However, note that the aux output is quite loud, even at the lowest setting. The browser is subpar, and there are no smart apps available.

Background
I was looking for a dumbphone to, almost*, replace my smartphone due to the excessive time I spent on it. My main problem app was Instagram, which I eventually deleted. I then replaced it with YouTube, and after shutting that off (which can't be done through the normal method), I turned to Reddit. After deleting Reddit, I found myself browsing the web. Yes, I was thoroughly addicted to scrolling.
So, I went in search of a decent dumbphone. It needed to support 4G since 2G is already shut down and 3G will be phased out within two years where I live. Nokia seemed to be the only widely available manufacturer in my area. Other brands like Nothing and Punkt were too expensive for my taste. The Nokia 2xx series caught my eye because the devices look sleek and are reasonably priced. The 215 lacks a camera and is cheaper than the 225 and 235, which do have cameras. Since those cameras are only 2MP, I figured I might as well save some money and go without a camera. The 215 does come with a flashlight option. I also learned that these devices run on S30+, which, according to reviews, is not great but still better than KaiOS.

*I need a smart device that allows me to enter my gym and still log into WhatsApp Web. If I ever find a way to manage this, I will consider giving up my smartphone entirely.

Now onto the device

What's in the box?
The phone, a charger, and a user manual.

Form Factor
The phone measures 127.2 x 54.2 x 11.6 mm (5.01 x 2.13 x 0.46 in).
To be honest, I expected the device to be a bit smaller. It is slightly larger than many dumbphones from back in the day, but it’s definitely not too big. After using it for a while, I actually like the size a lot. The 2.8-inch screen allows you to see a good amount of text at once.

Hardware and Connectivity
The phone feels well-built, and the keys are satisfying to press. They are also backlit, which I appreciate. The screen is adequate for its purpose. The speaker is surprisingly good, and the vibration motor is quite powerful. The battery is removable. It features two nano SIM card slots and a single microSD slot that supports up to 32GB.
Bluetooth works very well, automatically connecting to my Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and Sony WH-1000XM3. Note: the Bluetooth device has its own volume control, so there is no absolute volume setting. This is a good feature bacause: using wired headphones with this phone will likely be too loud for you, even at the lowest volume setting.
The 215 supports 2G, 3G, and 4G on various bands. It charges via usb-c.

Calling
Calling quality is excellent. You can hear the person on the other end clearly, and they can hear you well too.

Texting
Texting is done via T9. As an older Gen Z (born in 2000), I used T9 phones before switching to smartphones, so I'm fairly quick at typing on T9. However, I'm still slower than I would be on a touchscreen or QWERTY keyboard. The 215 does support threaded messaging.

Settings
The phone has a lot of settings, such as the ability to disable notification sounds for texts while keeping sounds for calls. However, the way to access and select these options is not intuitive. I only figured it out after reading the manual, which is surprising considering I'm quite tech-savvy.

Browser
The 215 comes with Opera Mini, a simplified version of Opera. It will work for basic tasks, like looking up a phone number, but don’t expect modern websites to run smoothly on it. Features like WhatsApp Web and Facebook are unavailable.

Music
To play music, you need a microSD card. The phone is particular about file formats; I found that .m4a with AAC encoding worked, while MP3 files did not. The method of listening to music is fine for my usage, but there is no dedicated music app. Instead, you navigate to Files, then Music, and select your desired songs from there. Listening to albums works well, but creating playlists is cumbersome—you have to access a random song, go back, select Playlists, and then choose your playlist.

FM Radio
The FM radio works well, especially with wired headphones. Unfortunately, it doesn’t remember your favorite stations after a power cycle, although it sometimes retains the names you assigned to the stations.

Battery Life
Using just calling and texting gives me about five days of battery life. If I play a lot of music, it drops to about two to three days. Of course, your usage will greatly impact how long the battery lasts on a charge.

Games
There are some pre-installed games that cannot be deleted. All of them are pretty basic, akin to what you’d find on bootleg consoles in cheap shops. Some games require payment after a few plays. The games include Snake, Racing Attack*, Blackjack, Football Cup*, Arrow Master, Doodle Jump*, Crossy Road*, Air Strike, and Ninja Up.

*payment required after three trials.

Verdict

I highly recommend this phone to anyone looking for a simple device to either replace or complement their smartphone. It functions well as a basic phone and offers just what I was seeking. In fact, my girlfriend just received hers.

P.S. If you have any specific questions about how to accomplish tasks without a smartphone or inquiries about the phone itself, please feel free to leave a comment.