Nokia 8110 could get WhatsApp, so it might actually be usable in 2018
HMD’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, has suggested that WhatsApp will be coming to the Nokia 8110, meaning that the retro feature phone might actually be able to contact the people you need to in 2018.
However, the number of different companies involved means that the tweet stops short of an official confirmation.
The original Tweet that Sarvikas retweeted was an announcement from KaiOS (the 8110’s low-powered operating system) saying that WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube would shortly be coming to the JioPhone — a Blackberry-style device that’s launching in India soon.
His tweet heavily implied that WhatsApp would be coming to the upcoming Nokia 8110 (aka the ‘Banana Phone’), but it stopped short of explicitly confirming the feature.
Oh look, #Whatsapp on #KaiOS! Looking forward to going ?s! https://t.co/Av6gW3T2M0
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) July 5, 2018
Unlike Android or iOS, which have central app stores that can be accessed by any phone with the operating system installed, these three apps will be available on the JioStore, which is an app store exclusive to JioPhones.
KaiOS was unable to confirm over Twitter whether the apps would also be coming to the Nokia 8110.
Hi Bilash! We hope you understand that we cannot comment on specific updates and/or release plans.
— KaiOS Technologies (@KaiOStech) July 6, 2018
When contacted for comment, a representative from HMD Global said, “We’re really excited about this development and when it’s available we’ll work to bring it to our portfolio.” It’s not quite an official confirmation that it’s happening, but the company at least seems committed to trying to make the software work.
However, with the apps now working on KaiOS, it’s surely only a matter of time before they come to other phones running the Firefox OS-derived operating system.
Before the days of smart phones, it was rare for a phone to support any form of messaging other than SMS. However in 2018 most people regularly switch between upwards of three different messaging apps ranging from WhatsApp to Facebook Messenger, and iMessage on iOS.
The addition of WhatsApp doesn’t quite give the 8110 all the functionality of a smart phone, but it should make it a nice compromise between the deluge of notifications offered by modern devices, and not being connected at all.
What apps would the Nokia 8110 need to have in order for you to consider switching? Let us know @TrustedReviews
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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.
Professional conduct
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.
