Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Surprise: The Nokia 2 will get Android 8.1
- HMD released the budget-focused Nokia 2 in October for $99.
- It hit the US just a month later in November.
- It currently runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat but has now been confirmed for an update to Android 8.1 Oreo.
Nokia 2, HMD Global’s budget Android offering, was released just a couple months ago and as such, it seems reasonable to conclude that the phone would receive an OS upgrade in due time.
Nokia 2 is currently running Android 7.1.1 Nougat, but, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas confirmed that the phone will receive Android 8.1 Oreo on Twitter.
Nokia 2 comes with 1 GB of RAM, and as such, Sarvikas emphasized the benefits that low RAM devices will receive with Android 8.1, which will include optimizations developed for Android Go. Nokia 2 was originally planned to be updated directly to Android 8.0, but will now directly be updated to 8.1 to take advantage of improved memory management.
Hi! It will receive Android Oreo. 1GB RAM devices will be supported on 8.1 release where many of the Android Go memory management improvements will be integrated. Nokia 2 performance will only get better over time!— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) December 28, 2017
The Nokia 2 launched in late October, with a US expansion in November, and it’s available at Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H. While it’s certainly not the cream of the crop performance wise, its entry-level price sets it apart from other devices. It features an aforementioned 1 gigabyte of RAM, as well as a Qualcomm 212 processor and a 720p LCD display. Overall, it features pretty respectable specs for a $100 device.
Thoughts?