Microsoft launches two Nokia phones for under $30

Far from the media frenzy at CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft has presented the Nokia 215 and 215 Dual-SIM, two very affordable 2G phones intended primarily for emerging markets.

Since they are only able to connect to the internet at low 2G speeds, the two devices come pre-installed with a range of adapted programs, including the Opera Mini browser and the Bing search engine, as well as Facebook, Messenger and Twitter.

In terms of technical specs, the Nokia 215 comes with a 2.5-inch screen (320x240 pixels), a 0.3MP camera, 8MB of RAM and a micro SD card slot. The phone also has an FM tuner and can even be used with a Bluetooth headset for wireless listening anywhere.

The Nokia 215 has a battery life of around 29 days in standby mode (21 days for the Dual-SIM version), 50 hours of audio play or 20 hours of calling.

The Nokia 215 and 215 Dual-SIM will be available in certain markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa starting in Q1 2015 for the equivalent of $29 plus tax. This makes the new phones the most affordable in the Redmond-based company's line-up. Interestingly, Microsoft chose to maintain the Nokia brand name with these entry-level devices. Meanwhile, its Windows Phone terminals have shed the Nokia label and are now sold under the Microsoft Lumia banner.