INQUISITR.COM / Science & Tech

Nokia 3310: What Looks Right, And What Looks Wrong About The Device

By Simon Alvarez
Published on: 08:31 PST, Feb 26, 2017

With the world saturated with smartphones left and right, it was a breath of fresh air when Nokia-HMD revealed the Nokia 3310, the remake handset of one of the most popular phones in history. The original Nokia 3310 was an iconic phone, and during its time, it dominated the market, selling as many as 126 million units during its production run.

Since the new Nokia 3310 is a throwback handset, however, avid fans of the device have noted some things that appear to be a bit off with the updated feature phone. Here is a brief rundown of what Nokia did right, and what the smartphone maker seemingly did wrong with the new Nokia 3310.

What Nokia Did Right

The original Nokia 3310 was a household name, and during its peak, it was the world’s most desirable device. With killer apps like Snake, the 3310 appealed to both professionals and the younger demographic. This is one thing that the remake appears to have done very well. From the outside, at least, the new Nokia 3310 definitely looks like a true successor to the original. Even its colors, glossy yellow and red, as well as matte gray and dark blue, are definite nods to the original color palette of the 2000 bestseller, according to a report by The Verge.

The new, updated features on the device are pretty good additions too, such as a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a microSD slot, and Nokia’s Series 30+ software. This enables the device to perform very well in a quick and responsive manner, much like the original from 17 years ago. Apart from this, the battery life of the new Nokia 3310 is comparable to the original, with a talk time of 22 hours and an insane 31-day battery life. Considering that modern smartphones could barely last a whole day without charging, the new Nokia 3310’s capability to be charged just once a week would be a welcome feature for numerous users.

Apart from these, the pricing of the new Nokia 3310 hits the sweet spot for being reasonable without being too cheap. At $52, the new Nokia 3310 is a pretty fair deal, considering the device’s features and its capabilities, according to a Reuters report. The new 3310’s throwback design and its monster battery life alone would be enough reason for the device’s fans, most of whom have used the original 3310 more than a decade ago, to purchase the feature phone.

What Nokia (Seemingly) Did Wrong

While the new Nokia 3310 definitely looks great, numerous fans of the classic device noted a number of things about the new feature phone that seems a bit off. The most noticeable, of course, is the overall build of the device. The original Nokia 3310 of 2000 was a brick of a phone, with a stocky, hefty frame that enabled it to survive pretty much everything. The new Nokia 3310, however, is thin and sleek, much like modern smartphones.

Apart from this, the weight of the device has also been reduced significantly, with the new Nokia 3310 being far lighter than its classic counterpart. This has managed to alarm numerous fans of the device, with many stating that the new feature phone appears to be far less durable than the original. After all, with the mobile world already obsessed with making devices as paper-thin and light as possible (just look at the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7), the last thing consumers need is a Nokia 3310 that follows the same formula.

Apart from this, the addition of a 2-megapixel camera and a web browser has also been criticized by fans of the original device, with many stating that the features would most likely remain unused. After all, the new Nokia 3310 is, if any, designed to be a backup phone that would be used beside a full-fledged smartphone. Thus, instead of cramming numerous, possibly useless features into the device, it would have been better if the smartphone maker simply opted to keep the phone as simple and perfect as possible. That formula, after all, was what made the original such a huge success.

Nevertheless, HMDs strategy of playing on the nostalgia of the mobile market would most likely work in the company’s favor. If the smartphone maker does right with consumers in its follow-up releases, the rebirth of Nokia as a force to be reckoned with might be at hand. The new Nokia 3310 would be available in Q2 2017 for $52.

[Featured Image by David Ramos/Getty Images]

Share this article: Nokia 3310: What Looks Right, And What Looks Wrong About The Device
nokia
More from Inquisitr