HMD is giving its Nokia 3310 a dose of 3G connectivity to broaden the appeal of the retro-remake of one of the most iconic phones of all time.
The 3310 reboot had previously only come with 2G connectivity, and despite its appeal as a classic phone re-imagined for 2017, the omission of 3G potentially stymied its potential as a backup phone for people or a usable device for those who find nostalgia irresistible.
“Our re-imagining of the Nokia 3310 has been a global and cultural phenomenon. In a world dominated by smartphones, the mix of nostalgia and a beautiful phone that just keeps going has captured people’s imagination. Our fans around the world have been asking for this iconic phone to support 3G. Fans asked, we listened, and today welcome the Nokia 3310 3G,” enthused Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer at HMD Global.
Despite Sarvikas painting a picture of a legion of loyal Nokia 3310 fans, HMD is touting the addition of 3G as a means to future proof the handset; making a retro phone designed with the future in mind is certainly a tad ironic.
However, HMD has also given the 3310 a few nips and tucks to make its design feel more ergonomic, with extra spacing between buttons presumably to help people who only ever had a smartphone get used to physical keys again. New colours for the 3310 have also been added, with Azure and Charcoal hues on offer with matt finishes and new silver keypads.
And some tweaks have been made to the user interface to allow for a little more colour customisation and the ability to place icons where the user wants them on the 3310’s compact display. The Nokia 3310 3g will be available from mid-October and will set buyers back by around €69/£60.
With the likes of the Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 already keeping HMD in the mid-tier smartphone market, one might wonder why it persists with the new 3310 beyond just a marketing gimmick. But there appears to be a decent appetite for re-imagined retro tech, as seen with Nintendo’s reveal of the SNES Classic Mini.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
