7.8 Budget beater

Taken for what it is (an actual phone), the Nokia 105 Africa Edition is a great device. It's uncomplicated, the battery lasts for ages, and it costs about the same as a fair batch of takeaway food. The battery lasts for yonks, and that's what you want when the power's out. As a backup, emergency, or kid's phone, the Nokia 105 is a great buy.

Design 7
Performance 6
Battery 9
Price 9
User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

At times like this, it might pay to rock a phone with a little extra battery life. The extremely budget Nokia 105 Africa Edition (dual SIM — and this is the last time we’re writing it all out) may just be that phone.

And that’s because… it’s a phone. You can make calls, you can send messages, you can even play a few pre-installed games if you want to. But it’s mostly a phone. A phone with two SIM card slots, so it’s for entrepreneurs on a serious budget. Mostly, though, it’s cheap. Really, really cheap.

Deja vu

It’s not the first time Nokia has released a 105 handset. The first time we saw one was way back in 2013. This version is a little more modern, even if the price is more or less unchanged. In fact, it’s cheaper now. The Nokia 105 Africa Edition will set you back just R280. The original handset cost $20 — in today’s money, that’s R320. So yes, the price of something has come down.

You’re not getting much for your money. It’s cheap, lightweight plastic. It’s pretty easy to destroy… you know, just in case you were wondering. But most smartphones are too. They just explode into glass fragments instead of plastic bits.

The display is tiny. The 1.77in panel doesn’t fare well in direct sunlight. All your inputs are via physical keys. Do you still remember how to type with a T9 keyboard? It used to be second nature, among phone users of a certain age. Now, it’ll take a little getting used to. In addition, there’s a teeny little LED torch, as well as a headphone jack. The included headphones also serve as an aerial for the included FM radio.

Low-tech, high life

There really isn’t much to the Nokia 105 Africa Edition. At all. There’s 4MB of RAM, a number we don’t often see. There’s also just 4MB (with an M) of internal storage. There’s a Unisoc 6531E processor inside, a chipset so dinky that they don’t bother listing its speed. It caps out at 208MHz, in case you were wondering. And Nokia seems to think that’s enough.

Which is why there’s no camera. With only 4MB of space, ten pre-installed games, and no way to expand your storage, what would be the point? Why would you want to see any images a R280 phone is capable of snapping, anyway? Maybe you’re a masochist, but you won’t get your rocks off here.

Nope, the Nokia 105 is all about the basics. Nokia’s S30+ operating system, basic navigation, and a removable 800mAh battery, plus the ability to make calls, send messages, plus Snake. And a few other games, because we’re all kinda used to doing something on our phones while standing in lines these days. It doesn’t do much, but it does it well enough. And it does it long enough, too. The battery will get you through several weeks of powered-on inactivity, and you’ll get… most of a full day if you decide to talk on it, non-stop. Nokia reckons it’ll last at least twelve hours on a call before conking out. We don’t have the stamina to put that claim to the test.

Nokia 105 Africa Edition verdict

Cellphones used to be the domain of the few. Now, at R280, anyone can own one. Odds are, if you’re reading this page, you’ve already got something better. You’re probably viewing this website on that same device. The Nokia 105 Africa Edition… can’t do that. But, aside from this price, it has something in its favour. It’s small. The battery lasts for absolute ages. And it’s uncomplicated. As an emergency device or something for a youngster to remain in contact with, the Nokia 105 is an excellent choice. And, at this price, you can probably afford a couple of extras. In case the last one is left on a sports field, or something equally normal.