I’m always happy to find multipurpose gear that lets you pack fewer items when you step out or travel. HMD’s latest product is exactly that, and might be worth a look for outdoorspeople.
At first glance, the new Nokia 300 Charge appears to be a conventional dumbphone. It’s got a large physical keypad, a small color screen, and a basic OS to handle calls, texts, and a few basic applications.
Look a little closer, and you’ll find a button on the side which activates a feature almost unheard of in other dumbphones: reverse charging. You can use a Type-C cable to connect another device and charge that from the Nokia’s generous (for this segment) 3,700-mAh battery.
HMD Global
Now, 3,700 mAh isn’t a lot by today’s smartphone standards – but it’s enough to afford the 300 Charge up to 40 days of standby time. It should also be enough to top off an iPhone 17 almost to the brim.
Reverse charging is not new in itself. Some flagship smartphones from a few years ago have supported reverse wireless charging. Most recently, we’ve seen rugged devices from Doogee, and even a mid-ranger from Realme with the ability to juice up your other gadgets.
However, seeing it built into a basic dumbphone is a clever touch, especially since most devices in this category feature tiny ~1,000-mAh batteries that are more than sufficient for day-to-day use.
HMD Global
Beyond its power bank trick, the 300 Charge is as basic as they come. The screen measures just 2.4 inches, there’s only 4 MB of RAM and 4 MB of storage, the camera maxes out at 320×240 pixels, and it only supports 2G connectivity.
A nice addition for campers and hikers is the dedicated flashlight on top, which HMD claims is twice as bright as the one on an iPhone 16 Pro.
HMD Global
This could make for a handy backup phone when you’re out in the middle of nowhere. It also costs just 2,190 Philippine pesos (~US$38) in the Philippines; the only trouble is getting your hands on one if you’re located elsewhere.
Check out the Nokia 300 Charge on HMD’s international website.
