Here’s the (all-new) Nokia 3310!

For many, a Nokia was their first ever cellphone, and more specifically the Nokia 3310.

Now star of many a meme, not to mention looked back upon with rose-tinted reminiscence glasses, the chunky little cellphone with its monochrome display and tough design hardly holds up to today’s smartphones. So, Nokia – and brand licensee HMD – is bringing the Nokia 3310 back from the dead.

Of course, it’s not the same phone as you might remember from 2000. Nokia and HMD have brought it right up to date, or as least as close to that as you can get from a modern feature phone. That means, contrary to the hopes of many that the new 3310 would pack Android, it’s still intended for more basic users.

Still, it’s thinner and lighter than its predecessor, though Nokia claims it’s still as durable as before. It’ll be offered in four colors: warm red and yellow are both gloss-finish, while dark blue and grey each have a matte finish. The display is now full color, rather than the greys of the original.

The display is now full color

On that display you’ll be able to play classic games like Snake, though if you’re a fan of the tail-chasing title you won’t actually need the new Nokia 3310 to get it. Nokia has released it as a free Facebook Messenger game today, and you’ll be able to find it under the Games tab on the IM app. It now supports multi-player, too, so that several people in the same conversation can all play it at once.

Snake isn’t the only retro nod, mind. The new Nokia 3310 also has the classic Nokia ringtone – you know the one they’re talking about, in fact you probably heard it in your head when you read that – and battery life should be stellar, too. 22 hours of talktime is more than impressive, as is standby time of a month.

That could make it more than just an ironic purchase. If you need a long-lasting phone for emergencies, or a device that’s tough and safe enough for a child to use or your mother back ekhaya – without having to worry about them going crazy with app store downloads or in-game purchases – then the new Nokia 3310 could have a lot of appeal. Of course, those of us who remember the pre-smartphone days with some degree of wistful pleasure might be interested too.

Nokia says the new 3310 is expected to retail at just R649 worldwide, SIM-free and unlocked, though final pricing and release date are yet to be confirmed.

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.