“Standby up to 619 hours.”
That’s not marketing hype — that’s practical stamina.
The Nokia 105 is a reminder that sometimes the best tech is the stuff that just works.
No fuss.
No battery drama.
Just calls, texts, and radio that won’t quit.
I’ve used cheap phones, fancy phones, and everything in between. Nothing compares to Nokia’s modern basic phones in terms of battery life and its ability to do what it’s designed for.
The Nokia 105 is all that and more. It’s tiny, light, and unapologetically simple.
That means that the Nokia 105 is made for voice calls, SMS, and FM radio.
It’s not a smartphone.
There are no apps.
You can’t stream anything
There are no complicated menus.
And if you want a long battery life and a phone that survives the daily grind?
This is it.
This is perfect for people who just want a phone that does its job and gets out of the way.
Looks Surprisingly Good in Person
To be honest, I thought Nokia stopped making basic phones. The company went bankrupt a few years ago so why would they still be producing these types of phones when it’s obvious that people are more into feature-packed smartphones over basic brick phones.
Photos make it look like a toy.
In real life, not so much.
The plastic is matte, the buttons click with satisfying feedback, and the display is small but readable under bright light.
At just 73 grams, you barely notice it in a pocket.
Yet it doesn’t feel flimsy.
People joke the thing is built like a brick — I won’t throw mine at a wall, but I know that it can handle being dropped better than your regular modern smartphones.
The one I tested at SM Lanang was a pink one but I understand that it also comes in boring black and blue. I fancy the pink one more.
At a Glance, These are the Nokia 105’s Special Features (Yes, it has a Few)
- Dual-SIM support (mini-SIM) — useful if you manage two numbers.
- Flashlight — very handy.
- FM radio — works with earbuds as antenna.
- 3.5 mm jack — listen to radio or music, easy.
- Removable battery — rare these days and useful if you want a spare on long trips. Just buy a spare one and keep that charged as well so you can swap batteries if and when you need to.
- MicroUSB (charging only) — no data transfer over USB.
- Tiny games & phonebook — basic, but they exist.
Remember: it has no camera — that’s intentional.
This is a no frills device.
Detailed Nokia 105 Tech Specs
| Category | Specification |
| Model / Release | Nokia 105 (2019) — announced July 2019, released September 2019 |
| Form factor | Feature phone, candybar |
| Dimensions | 119 × 49.2 × 14.4 mm |
| Weight | 73 g |
| Display | 1.77″ TFT, 65K colors, 120 × 160 px (≈113 ppi) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Mini-SIM, dual-standby) |
| Network | GSM |
| Memory | 4 MB RAM, 4 MB internal storage (no card slot) |
| Camera | None (no camera) |
| Sound | Loudspeaker, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Connectivity | microUSB 1.1 (charging only) — No Bluetooth, No Wi-Fi, No NFC |
| Radio | FM radio (requires headset as antenna) |
| Battery | Li-Ion 800 mAh, removable — Talk: up to 14 h 24 m; Standby: up to 619 h |
| Extras | Flashlight, basic games, phonebook, call records |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Pink |
| SAR (EU) | 1.50 W/kg (head), 1.38 W/kg (body) |
| Approx. price | Php 700 to 800 but because we live in the Philippines, probably around Php 1,000.00 minimum. |
Final Verdict
The Nokia 105 is not trying to be clever.
It’s reliable, tiny, and durable.
If you need a basic phone for calls and SMS, and you want something that barely needs charging, this is a top pick.
It’s no frills, and that’s the point.
Will someone make a better simple phone soon?
Maybe.
I wonder who’ll come up with a better design that keeps this simplicity but adds modern conveniences without killing battery life.
For now, the Nokia 105 is a smart fallback: cheap and built to last for basic everyday needs.
Go get one if you want a phone that simply works.
PS – My Nokia 103 is about to die out on me. I’ve had it since 2013?
2014?
It hasn’t failed me yet but I do believe it’s battery is no longer serviceable and since I can’t find a replacement battery, I might have to buy the 105 soon. And I bet the Nokia 105, with proper care will last me long into my senior years.
Gotta reserve that pink one now.
Or I might not need to because no one’s buying these basic phones anyway.
