HMD brings Nokia phones to Verizon, Cricket Wireless, and Rogers

HMD Global has announced new deals with Cricket Wireless, Verizon, and Canada's Rogers wireless providers. Under these deals, HMD will offer Nokia phones in the US and Canada directly through carriers, kicking things off with the Nokia 3.1 Plus for Cricket and Nokia 2 V for Verizon. The carrier collaboration joins HMD's online sales, which have taken place through Amazon, Best Buy, and select other partners.

HMD calls these new partnerships "a natural next step" for its Nokia brand, one that'll enable customers in the US and Canada to purchase one of the handsets directly from their carrier rather than through an online retailer like Amazon. As part of these deals, HMD has taken the wraps off two Nokia phones for Verizon and Cricket.

The first, the Nokia 3.1 Plus, is a 5.99-inch HD+ 18:9 handset with a 3500mAh battery, rear dual camera featuring 13MP and 5MP sensors, an 8MP front-facing camera, Snapdragon 439 mobile platform, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM, and, of course, Android. The handset is available through Cricket Wireless stores and website for $159.99 USD starting today.

Joining that model is the Nokia 2 V, the first Nokia phone to be offered on Verizon. This model features a 5.5-inch "HD" display paired with a 4,000mAh battery, dual front-facing speakers, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 64-bit mobile platform.

The model likewise features a 5-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of storage, and a microSD card slot with support for card capacities up to 128GB in silver and blue colors. This model will be available through Verizon's website and stores starting on January 31, but a price hasn't been revealed yet.