Nokia 3310 reboot: Release date, price, specs and features of HMD Global’s new retro phone
Mobile World Congress kicked off in Barcelona earlier this week and, bizarrely, one of the most hotly anticipated new handsets is a revival of the Nokia 3310.
Released in 2000, the original Nokia 3310 sold 126 million units worldwide, making it one of the world’s best-selling mobile phones.
It achieved cult status due to its impressively long battery life, durability, and the addictive game Snake.
Now HMD Global, the Finnish company with exclusive rights to market the Nokia brand, is has released a revamped version of the classic phone.
“For the Nokia 3310 we just couldn’t resist,” said Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer at HMD Global.
“We wanted to reward loyal Nokia phone fans and make a statement that rich heritage, innovation and modern design can go hand-in-hand.”
But how closely does the new 3310 resemble the original? Here’s everything you need to know.
Release date
The revamped Nokia 3310 was unveiled during HMD’s press conference at MWC 2017 on Sunday, February 26.
It’s not yet known exactly when HMD plans to starts selling the device, but it said that it will be available in the second quarter of 2017.
Price
The Nokia 3310 will retail at an average global retail price of €49 (£41) – significantly less than its original price of £129.
Carphone Warehouse has already opened pre-registrations for the device on its website.
No other mobile operators have announced that they will be stocking the device, suggesting that HMD has struck an exclusivity deal with Carphone Warehouse.
However, it is likely that the device will also be available SIM-free from retailers such as Amazon.
Design
The refreshed Nokia 3310 remains a “dumb” phone with an alphanumeric keyboard and no touchscreen.
It also retains the retro charm of the original handset, with its curved body and bright coloured design, and HMD claims it is just as durable as the original.
However, it is slimmer and lighter, and the physical position and size of the buttons has been adjusted slightly, to fit in with the new slimmer design.
Display
The original Nokia 3310 had a small monochrome graphic display, but HMD has brought it into the 21st century with a larger 2.4-inch, full colour display.
However don’t expect a high-resolution screen as seen on the latest Apple or Samsung devices. HMD is keeping the device simple, in order to preserve battery life.
Specs
The original 3310 had enough memory to store the last 8 dialled, 8 received, and 8 missed calls, as well as a selection of message templates. All the contacts were stored on the SIM.
It had a removable 900 mAh battery, which supposedly lasted between 55 hours and 260 hours in standby mode, with between two and a half and four and a half hours of talk time.
It also came with four games – Snake II, Pairs II, Space Impact and Bantumi.
