San Francisco, Mar 13 (IANS): HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, on Monday announced the launch of its new budget smartphone -- 'C12' in India.

Priced at Rs 5,999, the phone comes available in Dark Cyan, Charcoal and Light Mint colours, which will be available for purchase online from March 17.

"Nokia C12 further embodies the Nokia Smartphone Promise- Ad-free Android Experience, longer battery life, European design, two times more safe & secure, and of course, a one-year replacement guarantee for extra peace of mind. It comes with Octa-Core processor and virtual memory extension for enhanced user experience," Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President - India & MENA, HMD Global, said in a statement.

Moreover, the new C12 brings elevated performance with Octa Core Processor, 2GB Virtual RAM, streamlined OS and enhanced imaging with Night and Portrait modes for both front and rear cameras.

The phone offers a 6.3-inch HD+ display with 8MP front and 5MP rear cameras.

Further, the company said, with this smartphone, users will get 30 per cent faster app opening times because of Android 12 (Go edition).

It will also provide better durability against accidental drops, meaning users can keep their phones for longer.

In a world of growing cyber threats, the company mentioned that the C-series family ensures at least two years of regular security updates to keep users shielded from ever-increasing threats.