Nokia 216 Could Be Microsoft’s Last Feature Phone But It Could Sell Millions Despite Outdated Technology

Consumers haven't seen the last of Nokia-branded phones yet. Microsoft just launched the Nokia 216, a feature phone with outdated design and technology that could still sell millions on the market.

On Tuesday, the Redmond-headquartered tech giant introduced the Nokia 216 to the surprise of many tech experts and analysts, since the company is in the process of selling its feature phone business. It was found out this past May that Microsoft was poised to sell the department that makes Nokia-branded feature phones to Foxconn's subsidiary FIX Mobile for $350 million, ZDNet reported.

With the launch of the Nokia 216, however, it seems that the deal between the two companies has yet to come to fruition. A Microsoft spokesperson has even come out to confirm this, explaining that the tech giant's feature phone business would continue to function until the closing of the transaction sometime in the second half of 2016.

Nokia 216 is perhaps the most basic cellphone launched this year, with The Verge reporting that it only has a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 0.3MP cameras on both sides, an Opera mini browser and a headphone jack. The Series 30 OS-running device is also devoid of touchscreen so it has an alphanumeric keypad.

GSM Arena listed the device as having 16MB of RAM, a card slot that can accommodate up to 32 GB of external memory, Bluetooth v3.0 and dual SIM card slots. The tech site also listed its status as slated for release this October. Despite its basic hardware and features, the new Nokia feature phone could still do well on the market because The Verge has learned that Microsoft is selling millions of units of its feature phones every month.

Aside from selling its feature phone business, Microsoft is also reportedly discontinuing the Nokia X, Nokia and S40 lines. Also, as part of its deal with FIH Mobile, the Redmond tech company is also turning over its Hanoi, Vietnam-based manufacturing facility to the former.