The Nokia 3310 is one of the most popular handsets to come out from the Finnish manufacturer’s sheds. Launched at a time when smartphones were considered a luxury item, the 3310 struck a chord with the masses for its simplistic look and durability. So when Nokia announced the brand new version of the 3310 almost 17 years later, it begged the question as to whether the company was trying to seriously offer a decent feature phone or merely try to piggyback off of the success of the original.
This question can’t be answered yet, although it feels like the 3310 is a fad that won’t stand the test of time. Here’s why.
The pricing
One of the key selling points of the original Nokia 3310 was the pricing. It allowed users to get the cellular experience without shelling a bomb out of their wallets. Not only this, but the phone was so popular that it almost turned into a cult favourite. I still have the original lying in my desk drawer to this day.
The new Nokia 3310 is slightly upgraded, and hence comes with a price tag of over Rs 3,500 (estimated). Keeping this in mind, the handset surely won’t appeal to the owners of the original. People will have to get it only for the sentimental value and for the fact that it reminds them of their past with the phone.
The features
The new 3310 comes with pretty much the same features as the original, but with a camera on board and a revamped user interface. Although it’s nothing to write home about, it’s still pretty decent for a feature phone. Initial reviews have suggested that the features on the device are less than flattering. So you’re basically spending more money than you would on a conventional feature phone, but for less features. A big no in our books.
The keyboard
It’s surely a welcome change compared to the array of touchscreen keyboards that we see around us. However, the 3310 cannot quite match the typing speed that some touchscreen keyboards offer. The spaced out keypad was one of my favorite features of the handset, but it’s not quite on par with the current crop of keyboards.
The user interface
It’s a basic Nokia user interface that you might have seen on other feature phones. It’s pretty simple and doesn’t offer the versatility of some other devices. Given how cheap Android smartphones are today, the fact that a feature phone like this one doesn’t offer the same experience is disheartening to say the least.
The last word
While the Nokia 3310 might not be for everyone, there’s no denying that there is a market for a phone like this. If you’re solely going by your love for Nokia and/or have owned the 3310 in the past, there’s no better way to pay homage to the classic Nokia handset. But if you’re looking at this like just another handset, you can surely get better handsets elsewhere.
