Nokia's U.S. comeback starts with two new budget Android phones

Nokia's finally ready to return to the smartphone race in the U.S.

The phone brand, once an independent global powerhouse, then sold to off to Microsoft, then revived under HMD Global in 2016, has announced it'll sell two new Android phones on Verizon and Cricket Wireless, respectively.

While the new Nokias don't stack up (not even close in terms of performance) to an iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or Galaxy S9, or OnePlus 6T, the phones are significant in that they're the first of what could become a bedrock of devices to restore the mobile brand's glory.