It’s Thursday and what a befitting way to start your throwback Thursday than with news about the biggest throwback in the mobile market right now? Right on cue, HMD Global waited until a Thursday to make public news of the arrival of a 3G version of the iconic Nokia 3310.
The Nokia 3310, as pointed out in our review, has several features that elevate it above its 17-year-old predecessor. Like a headphone jack, access to the internet via 2G networks, a camera at the back, a new version of Snake, a bigger coloured screen and an operating system that they year 2000 model would’ve never dreamt of.
It’s not just the network bands getting a bump. The device’s all-white keypad is now silver in colour and the device will have a matte finish in all the 4 colour options (Yellow, Warm Red, Azure and Charcoal). Previously, models like the yellow-coloured one had glossy finishes. Not anymore.
Another big change is the change in operating system from the Nokia Series 30+ to one called Feature OS which, according to HMD Global, “has been improved to deliver an enhanced, customisable experience”. The last bit about customizability refers to users now being able to play around with icons and changing their colours. Interesting.
A true classic – reimagined. Say hello to the #Nokia3310 3G. Colorful, customizable and more connected than ever! #Nokiamobile pic.twitter.com/2QTViTyyyr
— HMD (@HMDdevices) September 28, 2017
There have been some fine tuning done on the back of the device. It’s not just getting matte all over, the camera’s LED flash has been moved up while the speaker, which used to sit pretty at the top of the camera, has been transferred to the lower half of the device.
The rest of the device’s specifications remain largely the same.
The bump to 3G doesn’t seem to interfere with the Nokia 3310 (2017)’s super battery life with HMD noting in its announcement that the device boasts of 6.5 hours talk time and 27 days standby time.
HMD Global’s decision to provide a 3G variant of the Nokia 3310 (2017) may have been informed by the impending obsolescence of 2G networks around the world. Already, in some countries like Australia and Singapore, 2G networks are no longer available, something that informs the choice of the two countries as the earliest to get the new 3310. The device is set to go on sale in Australia starting mid-October and Singaporeans can expect to lay their hands on it in late October.
If like yours truly, you decried the 2G model’s Kshs 5,300 pricing then you are in for a shock. The 3G model’s stated price is EUR 69, approximately Kshs 8,400 as per current exchange rates. Yikes!
