Nokia continues to spread its wings by entering a new market, that of the office laptop. To do this, the brand entrusts the keys of the carriage to the Lyonnais OFF Global.
The French start-up is announcing today, on the occasion of MWC 2022, a first basic but effective laptop PC: the PureBook Pro.
A partnership between Nokia and OFF Global
” OFF Global today announces the signing of a licensing agreement with Nokia (…). The French company (…) thus has an exclusive international license to create portable computers under the Nokia brand. This is how OFF Global, based in Lyon and founded in 2020, makes the presentations. We learn that the group will be responsible for the design and marketing of a whole range of portable PCs stamped Nokia, while remaining under the aegis of the Finnish group… and collaborating in particular with the brand’s teams located in San Francisco to the design of its products.
On the occasion of the MWC 2022, which will open its doors on February 28, the young French company is therefore presenting a first laptop of its own, as if to set foot in the stirrup: the Nokia PureBook Pro. Available in 15.6 and 17.3 inch versions, the device will arrive in Europe during the second quarter. It is the first born in a range that OFF Global wishes to complete later, with the clearly stated objective of establishing a presence by 2022 in a total of 22 countries (including Canada, Thailand and the countries of ‘North Africa).
Basic and efficient under Alder Lake
On its own, the PureBook Pro probably won’t impress many people. He’s not really there for that. According to the OFF Global managers with whom we were able to discuss, it is above all a question of establishing oneself on the market with a simple and effective product, tailored to meet the expectations of a wide variety of users. Clearly, we are setting our eyes on a device that would like to become one of the bestsellers of 2022 with a balanced technical sheet, a rudimentary but practical design, and a rather reasonable starting price.
To succeed in attracting customers, OFF Global relies primarily on Intel processors of 12and and latest generation…rather than opting for older chips. On the other hand, it will be necessary to be satisfied with the small Core i3-1220P (2 high performance cores, 8 high efficiency cores and 12 threads, clocked between 1.5 and 4.4 GHz). This Alder Lake processor, announced at the very beginning of 2022, will be coupled here with 8 GB of DDR4 and 512 GB of SSD (OFF Global announces 3,300 MB / s in reading and 2,200 MB / s in writing). No DDR5 on the horizon, therefore.
An office laptop with the right equipment/price ratio?
On the display side, the Nokia PureBook Pro relies on a Full HD IPS panel (1,920 by 1,080 pixels), non-touch, anti-reflective treatment and surmounted by a 2 Mpx HD Webcam. The device’s connectivity is based on the Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2 standards, while its connectivity will be based on two USB-C 3.2 ports, a USB-A 3.2 port, an SD card reader and a headphone jack. The battery is announced with a capacity of 57 Wh, for an autonomy of up to 10 hours, which does not seem really enticing at first glance. Four speakers (two on the sides of the chassis and two below) are also mentioned by OFF Global, which boasts a more encompassing sound and a good audio experience. Unsurprisingly, Windows 11 will be installed on the device, whose dimensions reach 358 x 237 x 19.05 mm for 1.7 kg in 15.6 inches.
As mentioned above, the Nokia PureBook Pro will be available in two versions, at least initially. In 15.6 inches, the device will be offered from 699 euros, while it will be negotiated from 799 euros for the 17.3 inches. OFF Global promises that other models will be announced later in 2022. The company mentions in particular the track of an ultraportable… without wanting to say more. We also learn that the brand wants to focus initially on “classic” laptops. A priori, no need to expect 2-in-1 or other eccentricities in the immediate future. We have also had confirmation that no AMD configuration is currently on the program.
Clubic should soon be able to test the Nokia PureBook Pro. We will then tell you if the device benefits from a really interesting equipment/price ratio… or not.
Source: press release, OFF Global briefing
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