The banana phone is back: Nokia 8110 4G on sale September 20

Throw on a Billabong tee and crank the Spice Girls because the '90s are back. Well, the Nokia 8110 is, at the least. Following the success of its 3310 revival last year, Nokia is launching its 4G version of the classic 8110 locally very, very soon. 

If old school cool is your thing, you'll be able to grab your hands on Nokia 8110 4G from September 20. JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Big W, and Officeworks will have it in a choice of black or yellow, and it will set you back $129. 

Launched originally in 1996, the 8110 was the first example of a phone to feature a sliding form factor, with a cover protecting the keypad. The curved build got it the nickname "banana phone", but the 8110's prominence in original The Matrix sees it often referred to as "The Matrix phone".

The 8110 4G revival adds a couple of modern features including 4G connectivity, Wi-Fi, a rear-facing camera, email sync, Google Maps and Google Assistant, and an app store with access to extra (Twitter is already available, and Facebook and WhatsApp are said to be on the way). And it plays Snake, obviously.

When we tested out the new 3110 last year, we found the lack of over-the-top messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger quite challenging, so even basic app support could potentially make the Nokia 8110 4G a decent alternative for people sick of their smartphone, or even just a pretty good feature phone. 

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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