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This sub-$50 power bank doubles as a dumbphone

Tired of overpacking? HMD's new multipurpose gear lets you carry less and do more. Outdoorspeople, this might be your next essential item.

Elena Voss
Elena Voss
·2 min read·38 views

Originally reported by New Atlas · Rewritten for clarity and brevity by Brightcast

HMD's new Nokia 300 Charge is a multi-purpose device. It looks like a simple "dumbphone" but has a hidden feature. This device could be useful for people who enjoy the outdoors.

A Phone That Charges Other Devices

The Nokia 300 Charge has a large keypad and a small color screen. It handles calls, texts, and basic apps. But it also has a button on the side for reverse charging.

You can connect another device with a Type-C cable. Then, the Nokia 300 Charge will power it using its 3,700-mAh battery. This battery offers up to 40 days of standby time for the phone itself. It can also nearly fully charge an iPhone 17.

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Reverse charging isn't new. Some high-end smartphones and rugged devices already have this feature. However, it's rare to see it in a basic dumbphone. Most dumbphones have much smaller batteries, around 1,000 mAh.

Basic Features and a Bright Flashlight

Beyond its charging ability, the 300 Charge is a very simple phone. It has a 2.4-inch screen and only 4 MB of RAM and storage. The camera takes low-resolution photos (320x240 pixels). It only supports 2G networks.

The handset is pretty basic, with a VGA camera, a 2.4-inch display, and just 4MB of RAM

A useful feature for campers and hikers is its dedicated flashlight. HMD says this flashlight is twice as bright as the one on an iPhone 16 Pro.

There's a handy flashlight up top, which HMD says gets plenty brighter than most other conventional phones on the market

This phone could be a good backup when you are far from civilization. It costs about $38 in the Philippines. Getting one outside of that region might be difficult.

Deep Dive & References

Nokia 300 Charge - HMD Global

Brightcast Impact Score (BIS)

This article highlights a positive innovation: a dumbphone that doubles as a power bank, offering a practical solution for outdoorspeople and those seeking multi-purpose gear. The novelty lies in integrating this feature into a basic phone, making it more accessible. The evidence is clear with specific battery capacity and charging capabilities mentioned.

Hope22/40

Emotional uplift and inspirational potential

Reach18/30

Audience impact and shareability

Verification16/30

Source credibility and content accuracy

Hopeful
56/100

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Sources: New Atlas

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