HMD Global, the Finnish company licensed to sell Nokia phones, has relaunched the “iconic” 3310 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. HMD said the phone, which has been reintroduced 17 years after its debut, will be released to the public with all its classic features including long battery life and the game Snake.
The device has also been updated with other features, including the ability to browse the internet and a memory card storage slot for playing music. HMD said the phone will be available in four variants – Red, Blue, Grey and Yellow – and will retail for €49 (approximately Rs 3451.51) in Europe.
HMD Chief Executive Officer Arto Nummela said the phone was “almost like a digital detox”, BBC reported. “If you want to switch off to an extent but you still need to have a [mobile] lifeline, it’s a brilliant solution,” he said. “Why wouldn’t you buy this like candy?”
Analysts called the release of the phone a “fantastic way” for HMD to use Nokia’s brand value to gain recognition with consumers. Technology consultancy CCS Insight official Ben Wood said there was a “massive amount of nostalgia and affection for it” for the 3310. “The 3310 is a very clever move and we expect it will sell in significant volumes,” he said. HMD has also launched three other Nokia-branded mid-range smartphones running Google’s Android operating system.
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