For many of us, there was a time where cellphone was a term more used than smartphone. Out of this era, Nokia 3310 was a very popular phone. Till now, the strength of 3310 has been admired. Further, the battery, which lasted weeks, is something smartphones still haven’t overcome. 17 years have passed since the initial release of this phone and Nokia has decided to make a tribute to it by releasing an updated version of the 3310. For easier understanding, we will refer to the new phone as 3310 (2017). This Nokia phone is not powered by Android, but reviewing an iconic phone was something we did not want to miss out. Read further to find out our thoughts on this updated version and some nostalgia which many of our readers will relate to.
To live up to the original Nokia 3310 is a very big task even for Nokia itself. The 3310 became popular due to its smaller size, a graphic display, reliability and obviously, the quality of its plastic body. The internet has admired and even exaggerated some of these features. The 3310 (2017) tries to improve on each one of these. The size has been shrunk, a full color display has been added, it still runs Nokia’s simple OS and the plastic has remained. Despite our focus on Android and Android related content, we couldn’t give up the opportunity of covering this tribute to one of the most iconic cellular devices to date.
The Nokia 3310 was a feature phone, similarly, the 3310 (2017) is a feature phone as well. Feature phones tend to have normal calling and messaging functions but apart from that, they don’t have the extra capabilities as a smartphone. For many users, still, this is quite enough. Also, you have to note that in developing countries, an average person might not prioritize having a smartphone rather that person will look for a good feature phone. This is also why Nokia has gone through the effort of mass producing this tribute.
Nokia 3310 (2017): Design and Hardware
Right when you look at the Nokia 3310 (2017), you are reminded of the original. This must have been very hard to pull off but props to Nokia for actually executing it. It carries that same signature Nokia logo on the front and the same keypad style. In order for better navigation through the OS, the navigation buttons have slightly been modified but essentially, even they look like the originals.
The strength question for the new 3310 (2017) has to be addressed. The original phone was deemed un-breakable. This one, well, quite isn’t so. Before we get critical, it is to be expected. The 3310 back in the day came with a plastic screen overlay and no LCD panel. These components were much more rigid however they sacrificed quality and flexibility. The new Nokia 3310 (2017) ships with an all-glass front along with the TFT screen. This is the only component that breaks when tested with drops. Otherwise, the plastic is quite strong, just as in the original.
On the back, is a key detail which most overlook. The Nokia 3310 didn’t ship with a camera but the Nokia 3310 (2017) does. It seems quite odd to imagine any sort of phone without a back camera module. And exactly so, it is there to make the phone viable in today’s time. Fortunately though, the back pops off revealing the Dual SIM slots and microSD card expansion. Again, something very common but these features didn’t ship in the year 2000.
We don’t have any benchmarks in this review for you. The phone works exactly as it is designed and it is quite snappy as well. The OS is limited so benchmarks shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence with the Nokia 3310 (2017).
Nokia 3310 (2017) : Connectivity, Memory and Battery
Over the years, these components have experienced massive improvements. Starting off with the connectivity, with the Nokia 3310 (2017), you get Dual SIM slots. You can manage two separate SIM cards on one phone, you would have needed two Nokia 3310 to have the same functionality. Further, Bluetooth has been introduced for easier file sharing and receiving.
On the memory side, the phone does come with its own storage but to a very limited 16MB. Gladly, there is microSD card support which can accept up to 32GB. All in all, quite a major upgrade.
The battery on the Nokia 3310 lasted weeks on standby. I am glad to report, the Nokia 3310 (2017) does that as well. You can leave the phone with a full charge and come back to it after couple of weeks, it will still have juice to make calls and send messages. This is all due to Nokia’s decision of not adding bloatware and only adding functionality which is absolutely necessary in 2017.
Nokia 3310 (2017): Camera
The camera is something which we can’t compare with the original as it didn’t have it. However, what we can do is, attach some photos to give you an idea. Obviously, the 2MP camera module is below par even when compared with front facing ones on smartphones. But you have to judge it on its own. Having that functionality over not having it at all is what matters.
Nokia 3310 (2017): Snake Game
Snake, a game that has captured many hours of our childhood, has been recreated on the 3310 (2017). Nokia 3310 and other phones that were released by the brand during that time came with the Snake game pre-loaded. It was the most simplest game that anyone could imagine but, as with many things, simple is more engaging. The update to Snake has been made in co-operation with Gameloft, a popular Game Creation Studio on Android. It has the same idea but with some added obstacles and graphics. For me, this iteration wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I expected that same retro look by Nokia. However, they have decided to go with this more modernized version of it.