First details of Nokia’s ‘new’ 3310 revealed

February, 24, 2017

Retro handset will have color display and be thinner and lighter than the original

  • The original 3310 was released in 2000 and achieved cult status
  • Revamped version is one of four handsets Nokia is rumoured to be revealing
  • The new 3310 is likely to cost just €59 (around £49)
  • More details expected at the Mobile World Congress being held later this month

Rumours the classic Nokia 3310 could be reintroduced took the internet by storm earlier this month - and now the first details of the new handset have been revealed.

According to Chinese site Vtech, it will not run Android, but will be a 'feature' phone.

The design is expected to stay very similar to the iconic original, although will be  thinner and lighter, the site claims.

However, instead of the original  display, a monochrome 84 x 84 dispaly, there will be a new colour version, although it is not expected to be high resolution to keep battery life high.

The handset, expected to be unveiled at MWC next week,  will also come in multiple color variants including red, green, and yellow, it is claimed.

An update to the Nokia 3310 is thought to be one of a number of new models that will be announced at one of the world’s largest gatherings for the mobile industry.

The handset could bring a distinctly turn of the millennium flavour to proceedings at the Mobile World Congress (MWC). 

Once the undisputed king of the mobile market, Nokia's fortunes took a turn for the worse after its decision to support the Windows mobile operating system exclusively.

With stiff competition from iOS and Android, the flagging firm's handset activities were sold in 2014 to Microsoft to allow Nokia to focus on mobile network equipment.

But the Finnish company behind the latest models of Nokia, HMD Global, may be hoping to cash in on nostalgia to help its new handset compete with more high-tech offerings from smartphone favourites like Apple and Samsung.

The 3310 revamp is among four new handsets Nokia is thought to be revealing details of at the MWC, which is being held in Barcelona from 27 February to 2 March, 2017.

The new 3310 model is likely to cost just €59 (around £49), according to reports in Venture Beat.

Speaking on Twitter, mobile reporter Evan Blass said: 'HMD Global will launch the Nokia 3, 5 and 6 at MWC, plus a 3310 homage.'

The launch of the Nokia 6 in January marks the first new smartphone carrying the iconic handset name since 2014 when Nokia Oyj chose to sell its entire unit to Microsoft.

The new handset has a 5.5 inch screen of 2.5D Gorilla Glass, 64 GB of on-board storage, a 16 megapixel rear camera and a 3,000 mAh battery.

The smartphone is set to hit the market early this year for about $245 (£196), but the Finnish company says it is only releasing the device in China for now.

As well as the 3310 revamp and more details of the already revealed Nokia 6, other stars of the show are thought to be the Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.

The original 3310 was released in 2000, as a replacement for the previous fan favourite - the 3210.

Like its predecessor, it was widely adopted by consumers thanks to its reputation for reliability and became one of the best-selling handsets of all time, selling more than 100 million units worldwide.

These classic models helped Nokia to become a byword for long lasting battery life and tough-as-nails construction that allowed handsets to be dropped and bashed about with minimal impact.

As well as reliability, features like Snake, programmable ringtones and customisable fascias, helped to give the 3310 its cult status.

 

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