Traditionally at Mobile World Congress the focus is on the latest and greatest new tech but Nokia has taken the opportunity to launch what is the company’s cheapest phone ever.

Set to retail for $20 (R180) right off the bat, Nokia’s 105 handset is targeted at developing areas where there is a lack of access to electricity. To that end the very stripped-down device claims a 12.5 hour talk time and an apparent 35 days on standby, all off a 800mAh battery.

The 105’s display is tiny and there are almost no extras that will contribute to drawing power from the device. There is no camera, just an FM radio and a dust/splash proof keypad, harking back to the days where phones were primarily for calling other people.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has explained the reasoning behind the throwback device, saying “For some people it is their first mobile phone in an emerging economy for example. For others it might be the device they toss into the glove box of the car as a backup device or maybe something retro chic that they might carry with them to a party and slip into a clutch instead of their larger smartphone.”

Nokia’s 105 is the cheapest in a range of cheaper devices being revealed by the company at MWC in Spain. The 105 is expected to release before the end of March.

Source: CNN