Nokia 3.4 release date: Everything we know about Nokia’s new budget handset

Due to current COVID-related travel restrictions, this year’s IFA technology conference was mostly a virtual affair, with Nokia instead opting to announce its latest pair of budget handsets a few weeks after the fact, during a Bond-themed livestream (the company’s phones feature in the new movie, No Time to Die).

Of the two new affordable smartphones, the Nokia 3.4 is the more expensive, but not by much. With a few extra features, such as a third camera, more up to date Qualcomm processor and flashier design, the Nokia 3.4 might be worth the slight increase in price.

Before we deliver our final verdict, though, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the Nokia 3.4, including UK price, release date and specifications.

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Nokia 3.4: Everything you need to know

Nokia 3.4 release date: When is it coming out?

The Nokia 3.4’s UK release date is currently pencilled in for October 2020. There’s no word yet on the specific date, but at least a four-week release window is narrower than simply announcing an ‘autumn’ release, as is quite often the case these days.

Nokia 3.4 price: How much will it cost?

When it does eventually show up, though, the Nokia 3.4 will cost £129. Launching alongside the Nokia 2.4, the Nokia 3.4 and all of its extra bells and whistles is only £30 more expensive – the Nokia 2.4 costs £99.

Nokia 3.4 design: What does it look like?

Design-wise, the Nokia 3.4 is quite different to the slightly cheaper Nokia 2.4. Constructed from a fully recyclable diecast metal chassis, the Nokia 3.4 should feel more solid than its counterpart and the lovely-looking rear finish, which Nokia describes as “living colours”, is supposed to resemble the Nordic environment. The Nokia 3.4 can be picked up in a choice of three gradient colours: ‘Fjord’, ‘Dusk’ and ‘Charcoal’.

Elsewhere, the Nokia 3.4 has a large 6.39in HD+ (1,560 x 720) display, with a long-tall 19.5:9 aspect ratio. According to Nokia, the display has a maximum brightness of 400 nits, and there’s a tidy hole-punch notch in the top-right corner, which houses the 8MP selfie camera.

As for the rest, the Nokia 3.4 charges via USB-C (the Nokia 2.4 uses micro-USB), supports NFC contactless payments, has a fingerprint reader on the back (as well as face unlock support) and includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. It does lack the IPX2 waterproofing of the Nokia 2.4, however.

Nokia 3.4 specifications: What makes it tick?

When it comes to internal specifications, however, this is where the Nokia 3.4 pulls ahead. Rather than using a MediaTek P22 Helio chipset, the Nokia 3.4 is powered by the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 processor. This octa-core CPU is clocked at 1.8GHz and is said to provide a 70% performance increase over the last generation. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, this also works with a choice of 3GB or 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of expandable storage.

The Nokia 3.4 has a smaller 4,000mAh battery (the Nokia 2.4 has a 4,500mAh unit), but Nokia says it should last just as long on a single charge, at up to two days with moderate use. Even if it doesn’t, the USB-C charger should be faster at topping up the battery than on the Nokia 2.4 in any case.

Bringing things to a close, the Nokia 3.4 has a triple camera array on the rear, which consists of a 13MP main camera, 2MP depth sensor and a 5MP wide-angle unit. Like the Nokia 2.4, the camera software includes a dedicated night mode and it also allows you to tweak the level of background blur in portrait mode.

Stay tuned: we’ll have a full Nokia 3.4 review for you shortly.