What Is it?
The new Nokia 3310 is a spruced up feature phone based on the iconic 3310. Manufactured by HMD - the relatively new owners of the Nokia brand name - the revived 3310 is more so designed for markets where smartphones have yet to become ubiquitous. Or if you're feeling a little more cynical, and incredibly successful PR stunt.
The new 3310 only offers 2G connectivity, which means the device won't work in Australia. Telstra has already shutdown its 2G network, and Optus and Vodafone will follow shortly. The 3310 doesn't have Wi-Fi either, so its pretty useless without a cellular connection.
In terms of specs, the new 3310 has a 2.4-inch polarised colour display, 22 hours of talk time, a month of standby, 16MB of expandable storage, and a 2MP camera. Most importantly, it plays Snake.
What did we think?
Even though the new 3310 won't see an Australian launch, I decided to spend some time playing with one to sate my overwhelming sense of nostalgia. The new 3310 immediately feels familiar yet different, with the colour screen and thinner body giving away the fact that it's just a touch more modern.
Build quality is solid, the glossy orange and yellow options remind me of Nokia's Lumia smartphone, while the matte navy and grey are classic Nokia through and through.
The new 3310 is pitched more as a secondary phone than a smartphone replacement, at least for markets with greater smartphones penetration. As such, the phone itself is pretty bare-boned. It can send texts, make phone calls, play MP3s, take terrible photos, run a terrible stripped down web browser, and play Snake (which is still pretty great, hey).
The biggest issue I can see of using a new 3310 as a secondary device is the lack of apps. Sure, you don’t need social media access or streaming services, but my increasing reliance on communication solutions like Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, WhatsApp, and iMessage means I almost never text anymore. If I were to use a 3310 as my daily phone, I'd be completely cut off from most of the people I use my phone to talk to.
At the same time, there is something nice about the idea of throwing your SIM in feature phone for those times you want to disconnect from our crazy tech-heavy world. Or even if you just want a cheap, disposable device for occasions when you don't want to risk your $1,000 smartphone.
A Nokia spokesperson told me a 3G version of the 3310 isn't on the cards, but I'd love to see one in the future. And it would probably sell like hotcakes.
When can I buy it?
The new Nokia 3310 will be available in the second quarter of 2017, but won't see an Australian launch.
How much will it cost me?
The new Nokia 3310 will retail for €50, which is about $80. If you want to import one just to have a dedicated Snake device, expect to factor in some more for shipping.
Alex Choros
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