Full disclosure here, going into the Nokia 8110 4G review, we found two primary sources of excitement. One, of course, was the possibility to own Neo's legendary phone, so many years later. The other - KaiOS - a relatively young operating system, sitting in the interesting niche between featurephone and smartphone territory. Since the Nokia 8110 4G is fairly well equipped to communicate with modern networks and devices, through LTE, VoLTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc. All it needs then, is a good set of basic apps to potentially allow for a decent entry-level online experience.
KaiOS
Here at MWC, KaiOS announced that it's coming to Doro's senior-friendly 7060 (above) and Nokia's gimmicky 8110 feature phones, and that its HTML5-based app store will get Facebook apps and the. The device runs the KaiOS operating system, which includes access to the KaiStore, the KaiOS app marketplace. This isn’t the first phone with KaiOS and Google Assistant but it is the first to.
KaiOS has its roots in the now effectively dead Firefox OS. Both are thus almost entirely based on modern web technologies. Essentially, you can think of KaiOS as a nicely skinned browser environment, optimized to work on low-end hardware and, in this case, in particular - physical keyboard controls. Something like Chrome OS, only significantly scaled-down.
Once we learned this, we were even more hopeful for the usability of the Nokia 8110 4G. In fact, I was even so confident that I challenged myself to use the banana phone as a daily driver for a whole week. Given the Firefox OS pedigree, I was secretly hoping that I would be able to side-load apps from the once relatively rich Firefox OS store. Unfortunately, that was a no-go. Even with the full OS SDK installed, we quickly realized, the KaiOS team apparently took what was effectively open-source code from Firefox OS and closed it up quite a bit.
Bearing that in mind, we also know of the increasingly popular JioPhone. It is taking India by storm, since the local Jio carrier is essentially giving it away on a refundable deposit basis. The current version seems almost identical in hardware to the Nokia 8110 4G. However, Jio has been putting a lot of development effort of its own into the phone, including a dedicated Jio store, hosting apps like: JioMusic, JioCinema, HelloJio, JioGames, JioTv, JioShare, JioVideocall, and JioXpress (for news). Some of these provide access to Jio multimedia streaming services, including local TV. The company even offers a pair of video out accessories to connect the JioPhone to a bigger screen and enjoy the content. There are even rumors of native WhatsApp and Facebook apps (it's even featured in some of the screenshots, but it's missing from our store).
Long story short, the Nokia 8110 4G gets none of that and is, instead, stuck with a vanilla or international, if you will, version of KaiOS. This is a significant downgrade in functionality, to say the least. There is a native app store with the following apps, currently in it: Twitter and Weather. That's it. The rest are simple games, like Gems, Birdy, 2048, Ice Breaker, Guardians and Planet.ET. These complement the legendary Snake, already pre-loaded on the phone as well as three demo version by Gameloft, that mysteriously popped-up only once we installed a SIM card in the unit.
Things might change for the better in the future, but the current third-party app variety kind of limits the usability of the phone as a smartphone replacement. It doesn't really help either that KaiOS is a very single-threaded OS, so to say, with little to no background task functionality. For general communication purposes over the phone or via SMS, that's no big deal, and there is push notification support, that instant messengers could potentially leverage. Other than that, however, what you see is what you get. No multitasking to speak of.
KaiOS store
This, in turn, means that you will have to learn the menu structure pretty thoroughly, so you can jump from place to place to toggle things on and off during use. That's a nasty chore in itself, especially for somebody already used to the concept of quick toggles and overlays. However, KaiOS makes the experience even worse with its highly unoptimised and inconsistent navigation scheme.
For instance, you know how on older S40 and similar featurephone devices, pressing the red phone key took you back to the home screen instantly? The Nokia 8110 4G lacks any such shortcut. The 'end call' key, in question typically acts like a back key. Which would be fine, except in some menus and apps, it does not function as expected. You can easily stumble across a text field, which goes away entirely when you push back, instead of just finishing the text input sequence. There are also parts of the UI and certain apps that can't be exited through this key.
KaiOS: Messages • Email • Video call
Also, remember the convenient number-based shortcuts that most phones with a numerical keyboard had? The ones that allowed you to jump straight to the 5-th or any other option within a menu, by simply pressing that number key, instead of having to scroll to it? Well, the Nokia 8110 4G lacks those and believe us when we say, they are a sore omission.
OK, these complaints are probably enough to deter most users from putting to much hope in the functionality of KaiOS, in its current state on a non-Jio device, like we did. Still, it is a young OS and one that could improve in the future. Especially given its mostly circumstantial strength in user numbers. Plus, there are certain things to enjoy about the simplistic Nokia 8110 4G OS.
In no particular order: there is a notification centre, conveniently accessible with a left button click from the desktop. A right-click opens a quick shortcut interface, with toggles for most connectivity options, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data, as well as sound, brightness controls and a flashlight.
The menu itself features large and easily recognizable icons and all the basic functions, like the call and contacts apps, messages are very easy just to pick up and use. Other basic apps that work great include a local music player, with support for playlists, artists, albums and ID3 tags, in general. A gallery, with sorting and grouping options, a video player. That can handle h.264 files (although not h.263). A very simple, yet functional email client. Also: FM radio app, clock, calendar, note, calculator, voice recorder and unit converter.
KaiOS: Facebook • Twitter • YouTube
The more advanced software features, the Nokia 8110 4G can currently pull off come courtesy of Google. They didn't go as far as providing a full, flushed out app suite, or anything like that. However, there are Google search, YouTube and Google Maps apps. Sure, the first two seem to be nothing more than wrapped web pages. YouTube has been customized a bit, to make its video playback and full-screen controls a bit easier to use without a touchscreen.
The Google Maps app appears to be custom-made since none of its regular web UIs would be usable on such a small device. It works fairly well, but don't expect turn-by-turn navigation. Even though the Nokia 8110 4G has GPS on board, the maps app can only plan routes for you.
A potential game-changer here is the Google Assistant. Naturally, it is missing most of its smarts and for the most part, simply acts as a voice to text engine for web searching. That is still a very convenient alternative to have to the numerical keyboard. Besides that, the app can also call and text people from your contacts, give you a weather forecast and search for videos directly in the YouTube app.
Kaios Spotify App SubscriptionKaiOS: Google Assistant • Google Maps
The potential shines through, but again, the JioPhone seems to make much better use of the Google Assistant. So much so, that it has a huge dedicated voice input button in the centre of its keyboard. Jio has apparently made all its KaiOS apps compatible with voice input. Their version of the Assistant can also recognise quite a few Indian dialects, probably making voice the main method of operation for many remedial users of the device.
Hopefully, this kind of integration trickles down to the general KaiOS version at some point. Otherwise, in its current state, the KaiOS on the Nokia 8110 4G is hardly as feature-rich of functional, from a third-party app and service perspective than other, often cheaper Nokia featurephone devices. Most handsets, based on the Series 30+ platform, even those that only have the native MediaTek MAUI Runtime Environment and lack J2ME, currently have access to more application. This makes recommending the Nokia 8110 4G over them in this regard, kind of difficult.
Kaios Music Player
Recently, tech brands have begun to record fewersales while online services have become less popular. This has led variouscompanies to target areas that record low usage of smartphones.
Furthermore, they aim to attract more sales bylaunching offering new features like the KaiOS which has even overshadowed theiOS in some countries. Surprisingly, Google has shown interest in this newdevelopment.
Are you curious about the KaiOS? Read on for adetailed explanation of this new technology.
WhatDoes KaiOS mean?
KaiOS is an operating system for entry-level smartphones which is based on B2G (Boot to Gecko). Its uses minimal storage space of 256MB while using a low amount of energy.
This OS will feature the latest apps to phones without touchscreens. It will also include “smartphone” options such as WiFi, 4G/LTE, NFC for payments and Wi-Fi.
Since this technology will focus on the budgetconsumer, devices with KaiOS are relatively affordable. One of such devices isthe JioPhone which goes for $20.
What’sSpecial about the KaiOS?
Tech firms have shown interest in the KaiOSbecause it offers an HTML5 app that enables developers to quickly builddedicated web apps.
This comes as a relief especially when mostfeature phones use the Java OS which requires
It also has an open environment that gives accessto various smartphone makers such as Alcatel and Nokia. Overall, any interestedparty can build an app and upload it for access by consumers.
Kaios Spotify App DownloadWhatApps will the KaiOS Feature?
If you visit the KaiOS app store, you will find a small number of apps including popular titles. However, these apps will not have the same features as their smartphone versions. For instance, the KaiOS versions of social media apps cannot live stream content.
![]() Spotify App For Kaios
Currently, the apps which you can install fromthis store include:
The store has a handful of other generic appswhich are developed by KaiOS itself. There’s one for checking the weathercalled KaiWeather, QR Reader for scanning codes, and more.
It also has an app developed by the KaiOSplatform. Spotify app para pc. These apps include FM Radio, News, Horoscope and Weather.
WhyAre Google and Facebook Interested in KaiOS?
No download spotify. As mentioned earlier, big tech names such asGoogle and Facebook are interested in the KaiOS. They also come as the firstfirms to feature their services on this new platform. Now the question comes-why the sudden rush to place their apps on the KaiOS?
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Well, advertising plays a major role in generatingrevenue for big tech firms which means more users leads to increased data andadvertisers. Given the current drop in global smartphone sales, these companiesare seeking ways to advertise on “dumb” phones as an alternativerevenue source.
Overall, the idea of early signups by thesecompanies on the new platform enables them to gain more leverage as the KaiOSincludes other services. Furthermore, they intend to target phone users whohave never surfed the internet.
In a similar move to attract a larger audience,Google and Facebook have offered new languages and features for emergingcountries. For instance, Google Assistant now speaks in several Indic languagessuch as Tamil, Bengali, and Urdu.
Google has also shown its commitment to providingthe default voice assistant for KaiOS by investing over $20 million. Deviceslike Reliance’s JioPhone have even included dedicated physical buttons that canactivate the Assistant while the platform has provided deep level integrations.
Kaios App Store
Such features enable users to ask questions andreceive answers as they would on smartphones.
Kaios Spotify App FreeWhoShould Use a KaiOS Device?
Devices that feature the KaiOS are aimed at peoplewho do not have access to smartphones. It’s also an ideal product for consumerswho find the touchscreens on smartphones confusing since its apps can be developedby physical buttons.
If you want to break your smartphone addiction, aKaiOS enabled device comes as an ideal platform. This is because it has a smalldisplay and keypads which prevent users from spending too many times on GoogleMaps.
It also stops kids from wasting hours on socialmedia while offering a chance to communicate with family and friends.Furthermore, older people will love this smartphone as it has simple appswithout notifications.
Kaios Spotify App AccountTopKaiOS Phones to Buy
KaiOS phones are great devices for various people,thus investing in one is an excellent choice. Such devices include:
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