Microsoft launches the Nokia 215, a $29 feature phone touted as its most affordable Internet device yet

Microsoft might be ditching “Nokia” from its flagship Lumia smartphones, but the brand very much lives on in the mobile realm, evidenced today with the launch of the new Nokia 215, touted as its “most affordable Internet-ready phone” yet.

With a $29 price tag, the device primarily targets emerging markets, hitting the Middle East, Africa, and Asia later this year, though it will launch in Europe too.

Since acquiring Nokia’s devices division back in April, Microsoft has slowly been pushing its own brand front-and-center on Windows Phone devices, though it is seemingly keeping the Nokia brand for the lower-end feature-phone market. Indeed, the Nokia 215 will run Nokia’s Series 30 operating system, but it will be able to run many of the more popular applications, including Twitter and Facebook, as well as the Opera Mini browser. This is a notable enhancement on the $25 Nokia 130 Microsoft launched back in August, which didn’t offer Internet connectivity.

It’s clear the aim of the game here is to capture new entrants to the mobile phone market, though with a dual-SIM model too, it could well appeal to anyone seeking a multi-purpose device that can be used seamlessly for both work and leisure — though bear in mind this is a 2G phone only.

As with many Nokia feature phones, the 215 promises a pretty impressive 21 or 29 days of standby time (dual-SIM/single-SIM), and 20 hours of talk time. This would be ideal for anyone seeking a spare phone to use when traveling for long periods without access to charging facilities. It can also handle up to 32GB worth of content thanks to the microSD slot — yes, this would work great as a cheap mp3 player.

The Nokia 215 will be shipping in Q1 2015 and will be available in Bright Green, Black, and White.