How many smartphones can boast that?
For a long time, dumb phones were positioned as an alternative to smartphones and their app abundance. But Nokia is making it very clear that its new 300 Charge can actually be your other phone’s best friend, as the device also doubles as a portable powerbank.
At first glance, the 300 Charge looks like any old-fashioned Nokia dumb phone, but pretty quickly you’ll notice that there’s a bit more chunk on show here. That’s because the phone houses a 3,700mAh battery that promises to deliver up to 37 hours of talk time and 40 hours of standby.
The really interesting part, though, is “powerbank mode,” which activates 10W reverse-wired charging via the included 4-in-1 cable. Adapters for Micro USB, USB-C and USB-A are included. The 300 Charge probably doesn’t have the juice to be your main powerbank if you travel with a lot of gear, but it should be useful in a pinch.
Adding to its good-gadget-to-have-around vibe is the high-power built-in LED flashlight, which Nokia says is up to 4x brighter than the one in the Nokia 105. Another reason to find room for it in your bag.
Nokia describes the 300 Charge as both “rugged” and “sleek,” and only the second of those terms is contentious, thanks to the textured grip around the back and sides, which should make the phone both tough and easy to grip onto.
Otherwise, the 300 Charge is a very basic phone. It employs a Unisoc SC6531E chipset and has 4GB of both RAM and internal storage. The QVGA camera will not take impressive photos, and you aren’t going to be doing a lot on the 2.4-inch display. Still, there is a 3.5mm jack, which is more than you can say for a lot of far more expensive phones on the market.
There’s currently no word on a US release, but expect a sub-$50 price tag if it does arrive at some point in the future.
