THE world’s largest smartphones manufacturers use the annual Mobile World Congress event to unveil the latest innovations in technology.
While cutting edge is exciting, it’s the rumoured return of the ‘unbreakable’ Nokia 3310 that is creating a buzz around the upcoming event.
According to a report from VentureBeat, sources from the Finnish company with exclusive rights to make phones under the Nokia name, claim the company will launch a “modern version” of 3310 at the MWC in Barcelona this month.
HMD Global Oy is tipped to be announcing a total of four new phones, including a revamped $80 version of the retro handset from the early 2000s.
In addition to its near-indestructible build, the legendary brickphone’s relatively small 900mAh battery was able to last 55 hours on standby — something modern smartphones struggle to rival.
When released, the 3310 introduced vibration, an extended SMS character limit, screen savers and other features taken for granted on today’s devices.
The popular phone also included four new pre-installed games, including the highly-popular Snake II.
Similar to its predecessor, the 3310 allowed users to chop and change the design of the phone, with both the front and rear covers interchangeable.
Besides the already revealed Nokia 6 — available only in China — HMD is tipped to be announcing two other mid-range devices powered by Android 7.0 Nougat.
The Australian availability of all four Nokia devices is yet to be announced, but there is no doubt the 3310 would sell based on nostalgic appeal alone.
HMD would just have to make them compatible with modern day SIM cards, the 4G network and modern messaging standards — all without losing the durability and battery life that made the original so appealing.
Would you buy a modern version of the 3310? Continue the conversation in the comments below or with Matthew Dunn on Facebook and Twitter.
