Nokia 105 4G review, UK kids' first phone, Knock

Who this phone is for

A first phone for a younger child where the only job is calls and texts, and a spare phone for a coat pocket or the car. The absolute minimum, done properly.

The honest verdict

The 105 4G is the honest floor of the market. It is the phone we recommend when the budget is genuinely tight and the only requirement is calls and texts that keep working after the old networks close. The published UK and US tech coverage (TechRadar, Tech Advisor, GSMArena) treats it as the reliable bottom rung, not a toy. If you want a camera for the occasional photo home, step up to the Nokia 235 4G. If you want music and Snake to feel like a treat, the Nokia 3210 is the one.

What it does well

Around £24. Lose it on a school trip and it is the cost of a takeaway.
Up to 22 days of standby. You will forget where the charger is.
No camera, no browser, no apps, no app store. Calls and texts, full stop.
FM radio and a 3.5 mm headphone socket. The basics, done right.

Where it falls down

There is no camera at all, so no proof-of-life photo home
The 1.8 inch screen and T9 keypad are as basic as phones get

The specs that matter

Battery: Up to 22 days on standby. Charge it about once a fortnight.
Weight: 93 g
Network: Unlocked 4G with VoLTE
Camera: None
Storage: microSD up to 32 GB
What stands out: The cheapest here by a distance, with weeks of standby battery.

Where to buy

Amazon UK from £24

Buying through the Amazon UK button earns us a small Amazon Associates commission at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure.

Notes from Knock, when there is something worth saying.

Short notes on simple phones, the parent conversation and the school side. Sent when there is a piece worth sending, never on a marketing schedule. Unsubscribe with one click.

How the Nokia 105 4G sits next to the other six

We keep seven simple phones on the shelf at any one time. The Nokia 105 4G is one of them. Here are the other six, and the short reason a UK family might pick each one instead.

Nokia 3210 (2024), from £75

Our first recommendation for almost every family. It looks like the phone your child's friends will think is cool, which matters more than parents often admit.
Nokia 235 4G, from £40

The starter pick for under-tens, and the no-fuss phone for anyone who genuinely does not want anything beyond calls and texts.
Nokia 2660 Flip, from £55

The one for a younger child, or anyone who likes the satisfaction of closing a phone to end a call. The flip protects the screen at the bottom of a school bag, and there is nothing on it to fall down.
Pinwheel Plus, from £279

For families who need a smartphone-shaped device but want a hard boundary on what runs on it. The portal lets you whitelist apps from a curated list. There's a monthly subscription for the Caregiver Portal.
Light Phone III, from £399

Quiet, minimal, slow on purpose. The Light Phone III ships from the US, which means import VAT and a longer wait. For the family who is sure this is right and is willing to pay for it.
Refurbished iPhone SE (3rd gen), from £169

The fallback for parents who have decided a smartphone is the answer (often because of a specific school or medical reason) and want the cheapest, longest-supported route in.

The full ranked list, with the trade-offs spelled out alongside each phone, lives at /best-simple-phones. If you'd rather a ninety-second picker that points at one phone for your specific family, that's at /which-phone. If you'd like the catalogue at-a-glance, the Phone-dex is at /phone-dex.

Questions UK parents ask about the Nokia 105 4G

Does the Nokia 105 4G have WhatsApp, internet or social media?

No to all three. The 105 4G has no camera, no web browser, no app store, no Wi-Fi. Calls, texts and FM radio. It is the most stripped-back phone we recommend.

Is the Nokia 105 4G good for a child?

Yes, particularly for under-tens on the tightest budget. At around £24 the 105 4G is the honest floor of what we would put in a child's hand. It also makes sense as a spare phone for the car or a coat pocket.

What is the battery life on the Nokia 105 4G?

Up to 22 days of standby. With light use (a few short calls and texts a day) you will charge it once a fortnight. The standby figure is consistent across HMD specifications and the credible UK and US tech reviews (TechRadar, GSMArena, Tech Advisor).