The world went crazy when the Nokia 3310 revival was announced, but will anyone actually buy it? We asked Sophie, our 25-year-old Account Executive, what she thinks.
In a questionable move to promote their latest smartphone, Nokia announced the revival of everyone’s favourite first mobile: the Nokia 3310. The limelight was instantly on the 3310, leaving any thoughts of their shiny new release in the dust. Does anyone even know what their new phone is called, or the features of it? Nope, not me.
So let’s talk 3310. Originally released in 2000, the phone was a huge hit with mobile users. At the time it was revolutionary – not only could you make calls and send texts remotely, but you could choose from multiple ringtones (and even create your own), play games and… Did I mention make calls and send texts remotely? Admittedly it’s hard to remember what the phone COULD do as opposed to now what it CAN’T do.
"A modern classic reimagined" - Nokia
So why have we come full circle? Looking back, the original 3310 has features I’m envious of even 17 years later.
It was indestructible. You could throw it onto concrete ground and it wouldn’t even crack your beloved personalised cover.
The battery lasted forever (OK, a week). Apart from when taking the phone out of its packaging for the first time, does anyone remember charging their 3310? The battery went on and on and on and on and…
Snake. Before Angry Birds and Candy Crush, there was Snake. The real MVP of the mobile gaming world, it still remains a sought-after classic.
However, there’s a huge, massive, BUT to this story. It’s been 17 years. Technology has moved on. We have moved on. We use phones differently now.
A lot has changed in seventeen years.
The new Nokia 3310 has SO MANY missing features from both modern day smartphones and the classic 3310, it’s almost embarrassing. Here are a few crucial missing features:
There is no internet. Well, with due respect, apparently there is a basic browser that can access basic versions of Facebook and Twitter. I’m not convinced.
There is no Wi-Fi. I’m not sure why you’d even bother to access the limited internet on Wi-Fi, but hey, you don’t have a choice either way.
The camera is rubbish. At 2MP, it’s a long way away from today’s phone cameras. Good luck uploading your rubbish photos to Facebook from your phone.
Snake isn’t Snake. This one I’m almost offended by. One of the main draws of the revived 3310 is that users can play Snake again, but this Snake is completely different. This one moves diagonally, in colour (reminiscent of Snake II), and it just looks wrong. Bad move Nokia.
No WhatsApp. Yep, that’s right. The new Nokia 3310 doesn’t support WhatsApp, the world’s most used messaging service.
The old-style keyboard. You’ll probably never forget how to text on a 3310 and just how fast you were at doing so. But part of the reason we were so good at texting on a 3310 was because everyone used text talk, back in the days when we were charged per character. With today’s intelligent spellcheckers and predictive texting, I think users will get fed up of the old school keyboard fairly quickly.
The battery life isn’t THAT great. Granted, any phone that lasts a whole day with vigorous use is music to my ears, but the classic 3310’s battery could last up to a week. The new 3310 battery is said to last anywhere from 22 hours up to one month (albeit on standby mode – so basically not using your phone at all). Useful.
"Play the legendary Snake" - you're not fooling me Nokia.
So who’s actually going to buy this phone? Here’s my comprehensive list:
- Elderly people
- Festival goers
- Phone detoxers
- People who only want to call and text
- Die-hard Nokia fans
…that’s it. No one else will buy, and more importantly, use this phone. At only £42, I suspect people might buy the revival just for laughs. It’s been called a “dumb phone” for a reason.
A quick “raise your hand” in our office revealed that no one will be swapping their smartphone for a 3310. Sorry Nokia, but I think you’ve gone too far on this nostalgia trip. And give us the original Snake back.