A dumbphone for tweens? Nokia 235 (2024) mobile review (sort of)

Рет қаралды 18,704

Ай бұрын

Brief walkthrough of the Nokia 235 feature phone. I put this together as I was searching for a phone for an adolescent that would continue to promote phone-free development whilst still enabling them to connect with their friends and family to coordinate their social life.
There isn't much out there by way of reasonable phones that aren't attention harming devices and this was the one that ticked the most boxes for my use case:
1) No internet browser (it has one, but is not usable in the UK, thankfully)
2) No social media (although I would have liked Signal...)
3) No app store./ games (snake is on it, and some bloatware that you have to pay for and can't get rid of!)
4) Useful things: calculator, torch, decent enough camera
5) Can play music (would prefer spotify, but at least it can play mp3s)
6) USB C, Bluetooth, headphone port, and 4G

Пікірлер: 69

@fufuyaya990 Ай бұрын

sadfully dumbphone cost more than a smartphone in my region

@robmthe1st Ай бұрын

I refuse to become a slave to the system, be controlled and forced to use digital ID and apps to do things in life I shouldn’t have to. It might be vein but it’s my protest and I’m choosing to rid of a smart phone and all smart devices and getting one of these phones. Also, Cash is king. Use it or lose it.

@deviousdescent9010 Ай бұрын

Just a note to people, make sure you get the model that is right for you. They do a 235, 225 and a 215. The 215 is the same as the 235 but has no camera. The 225 is the same as the 235 but has a smaller screen. A bit confusing I know....

@kuba0309 Ай бұрын

oh and the 225 has a smaller screen AND a slightly worse camera (0.3MP on the 225 and 2MP on the 235)

@aquaponieee Ай бұрын

there's also the 3210 which has the 2MP camera and the screen of the 225, but also a more ergonomic and cooler design and a better keypad

@KNK11 Ай бұрын

Great video. I am thinking of getting one just as weekend or evening detox phone.

@deviousdescent9010 Ай бұрын

That's a nice looking phone and will definitely be picking one up. I gave up on smartphones completely two years ago which was the best thing I done. A dumbphone and a laptop at home is all you need. Nokia are paid to have that bloatware on their phones so probably something we're stuck with unfortunately.

@enoch3964 2 күн бұрын

Great help for parents who want to control their kids' internet access

@Lululu-sd6mk Ай бұрын

Thanks for the video! Wanna buy it too but I have two questions: * Is there a maximum number of SMS that can be stored on the phone? The previous generations had a limit of like 10 SMS per conversation :/ * Is there T9? Especially in German? Would be very glad if you could tell me more about it!

@ccilxxx5920 23 күн бұрын

Hey, thanks for this video!!! I just bought this phone for my kids… we’re tout able to find some kind of protection for this phone? I couldn’t find anything…😊

@chandrarajgupta2335 22 күн бұрын

Could you please make a specific video on its ringtones.

@catherineq5918 8 күн бұрын

Thank you this. I have a 12 year old and trying to delay the smartphone. I'm very hopeful that a feature or semismartphone will come on the market soon with a suitable group chat for school stuff and music streaming. Until then this is perfect and a really helpful review. We did get the nokia with inbuilt Bluetooth earpods but the quality was terrible. It broke after one drop and a pain to download music onto. This phone is an improvement. Thanks again.

@catherineq5918 2 күн бұрын

Hi, can you explain where exactly in settings you go to set up predictive text? Thanks

@user-ik5fv8rc9l Ай бұрын

What you think about MP3 player here?Can do it make podcasts and playlists?And,can recording songs with FM radio?T-9 function writing messages is it here?

@UndiesAte Ай бұрын

Its limited to what's available on the KaiOS store. But as of right now there is a Podcast App there. I will say there are times where apps will be removed from the store and you may get a model that does ads randomly that you have to dismiss I have that on the Nokia 2780. Current podcast app is called PODLP

@sarahbishop5043 18 күн бұрын

by far the most helpful video i've seen, we are absolutely in the same boat as you and trying to do the right thing. I'm a bit confused about data though. i know the browser is basic but it does still work right? you suggest in the description that it doesn't? i hope this is the case! But if it does, then we have no parental controls over this element? the only option i can see is to buy a no data plan from asda to avoid this issue. although i was hoping to use smarty which has free mms (but no no data plan sadly), so she can send a photo with a text as a next step once we feel she is ready. maybe i'll just swap from one sim to the other at that stage unless you have a better solution figured out? also, from what i can figure on the hmd website, this and the new iconic 3210 are the same spec so then its just a case of aesthetics - did you choose this one for a particularl reason over the 3210? I hope my comments are as helpful as your video for others. thank you, i've been down a rabbit hole!

@WillSchreiber 18 күн бұрын

In the UK the browser doesn’t appear to work anyway, but there is also a way to turn it off in the parental controls on the phone. I stumbled on that and there are just two things to limit. I got this right before the 3210 was refreshed, but you’re right they are identical really other than the style. My kid has picked up on notifications being annoying already and decided themselves to only have them on for phone calls. He does get frustrated sometimes on the time it takes to type out a message, but understands that is part of the point

@vitaminaC1755 6 күн бұрын

Thanks for the review. Is call quality on speakerphone loud and clear?

@WillSchreiber 5 күн бұрын

yes

@KS-fg2ws 6 күн бұрын

I don't know if Nokia is providing updates for Nokia feature phones in Europe and North America. But here in Asia OTA update through 4g installs Cloud apps such as youtube shorts, news, weather and games. Nokia/HMD is reportedly most likely shifting a large part of its global design capacity to India to save money. I think in the future most likely almost all HMD phones will come from India.

@masteradithyaanil3951 15 күн бұрын

I am trying to get one as a secondary phone as to get away from my smart phone.

@259TIM Ай бұрын

thanks for the overview :) It's so disappointing that you cannot delete applications from this thing (or hide them away from the main menu). A dealbreaker in my opinion, I don't see why anyone would look at Facebook and stuff on a phone like this anyway, and buying games through your mobile network is so 2005 and shouldn't even be a thing anymore. The phone itself looks perfectly fine in terms of design and I like the simple OS. I just wish that it was at least 1% customizable

@UndiesAte Ай бұрын

There is a homebrew scene called Bananahackers who specialize in jailbreaking the Nokia Remake models. Some have been successful in getting the bloatware removed depending on model and region release. If you are handy it'll work out.

@masongittings4237 2 күн бұрын

When you said that Facebook and the browser doesn’t work, did you try clicking on the application with the SIM card inserted? Also can you get WhatsApp on this dumb phone ?

@flowertot786 Күн бұрын

Why doesnt the internet work in the uk?i bought this phone for my pensioner dad he doesnt use internet but does get texts from his doctor which sends links to be opened in web browser.this is so frustrating is there a fix for this?

@tousifalam553 Ай бұрын

How much?

@wertywerrtyson5529 22 күн бұрын

Thx for the review. Finally someone reviewing one of these phones for kids and not the 3210 for nostalgia or detox or whatever. Too bad you can’t delete the apps. You can make them not show up via parental controls on iOS. My kid has an old iPhone 7 that cost less than this Nokia and the App Store and Safari and such don’t even show up.

@WillSchreiber 22 күн бұрын

I had looked at doing the same thing with an iPhone with apps removed and parental controls. I decided not to go down that path for two reasons: (1) constant “but it CAN do it” type of comments coming back from neutering a device that they know is capable of far more; (2) you can see by googling how to circumvent iPhone restrictions that it takes all of a minute to see you just need a computer with some software to 100% remove any restrictions you put in place. When combined with one, it’s clear that Apple parental controls are really for very young children that more or less accept the world they are given with zero curiosity to break the rules

@jamespalmer99jp Ай бұрын

Hi mate did you order this from hmd?

@WillSchreiber Ай бұрын

Yeah - I didn't see it in any other place, so I just ordered direct. It was overnighted and the £5 delivery charge therefore wasn't too painful

@jamespalmer99jp Ай бұрын

Perfect cheers! it’s the only place I could find it as well but was hesitant because of the bad reviews on trust pilot but this has put me at ease

@vibotohawomi9454 Ай бұрын

Why don’t you just button the back cover on and show us what the phone actually looks like?

@matusluscan632 Ай бұрын

does it have a hotspot function?

@WillSchreiber Ай бұрын

@UndiesAte Ай бұрын

The Nokia 2780 has a hotspot feature.

@Test-Tube-Baby-xo8xx Ай бұрын

It infuriates me when phones come loaded with crap like facebook and Google Play or whatever the hell it is. I wouldn't even have a smart phone if I didn't need one for work but even with a smart phone I never use apps. Why do they assume every buyer is on social media?

@bestboy.electric Ай бұрын

Is there an email client on it?

@123iceboy Ай бұрын

No it has a very basic browser, but that is the most you will get

@yadavsachin221 21 күн бұрын

Does it support Volte?

@OxholeBassBananas 21 күн бұрын

Yes it does

@ASC20001 Ай бұрын

can I use it as a hopspot for my tablet,

@4and4ever44 Ай бұрын

@abhinavt2418 Ай бұрын

2018 released Nokia 3310 model or the latest 3210 or 235 model, which one should I choose? Please help…

@people1425musya Ай бұрын

nokia 3310 supports only 2g (basically you won't be able to call and text in USA, Canada, Mexico, and China), while 3210 and 235 support 4g. if you are choosing by the design, i think 3310 is better

@4and4ever44 Ай бұрын

great phone, but i bought the 2660flip 😉,

@endofdayzfitnessu.k2126 Ай бұрын

How u finding it

@4and4ever44 Ай бұрын

@@endofdayzfitnessu.k2126 absolute great, Performance ist good, call quality ist perfect. 😄

@prasen133 Ай бұрын

Automatic call recording feature ?

@KaiserAllen Ай бұрын

No. But I always wonder why Indians are obsessed with this feature. Every time I read phone reviews, Indians are begging for call recording features (which is illegal in a lot of countries). Why is this so wanted?

@chandrarajgupta2335 22 күн бұрын

@@KaiserAllenthey like to do gossip and share recordings to their friends and people, hope you understand

@nedudki 11 күн бұрын

i would love to get one of these "retro" phones, but i cant delete these pre-installed lame apps....

@FunkayGibbo Ай бұрын

Get an AGM M9 instead

@Kralkahraman Ай бұрын

It seems that Samsung's fate will be similar to Nokia. Nokia consciously said, "I am the best. The customer will not give up on me." It remains silent about the innovations its competitors bring to phones, He wasn't competing. It eventually sank. Samsung is doing the same careless attitude now. If their arrogance continues, the end is near.

@chideramolokwu9558 Ай бұрын

nice story but we dont care

@dhruvrajsingh3016 Ай бұрын

I am from India

@lordcharfield4529 Ай бұрын

And so are millions of others!

@jonatan_leandoer96 Ай бұрын

Who asked + mid country

@astra6712 15 күн бұрын

I’ve used the 8210 4G for 10 months now, I love it! Gets daily use, record the radio onto SD card, still use the original battery. Just need some basic internet functionality like Google when out and about and suddenly need some quick info.