Let me get this straight out of the way: I’ve never used the original Nokia 3310 before, and there won’t be any “Nostalgia” factor affecting my review.
Unless you’ve been lying under a rock, you would be aware of the fact that Nokia, one of the most trusted smartphone brand ever has made a comeback of sorts recently. HMD Global, a Finnish startup has acquired licenses from Microsoft to sell products with Nokia branding.
Right off the blade, HMD conducted a survey about which previous Nokia smartphone would Nokia fans love to see in 2017? And the winner was the 17-year old Nokia 3310, which was one of the most successful smartphones of Nokia back then. The company had sold a whopping 127 million Nokia 3310 units before killing it.
The Nokia 3310 has resurrected in 2017, promising to offer all the exceptional features of the original Nokia 3310 and much more.
The whole tech industry is at whelm with the ‘Nostalgia’ factor. Almost all the industry majors have used the original Nokia 3310, and in fact, it was the first ever phone they have used (for many). And, going by the numbers, the old Nokia 3310 is a legend. I have been through various YouTube videos of late in which the legendary phone was seen surviving even after a Hydraulic Press crush. And that’s incredible.
This is the main reason why Nokia was famous in early 2000. The brand is known for manufacturing some incredible mobile phones, which never refuse to die. For example, my first mobile phone was the Nokia 2690- a feature phone, which I purchased back in the year 2010. I used the device for two years and, my college management took it from me during my first year of engineering. Guess what – I went to the management after four years and took the device back from them and surprise, surprise! The Nokia 2690 was working just fine, how it used to four years ago. And yes, my grandmother is currently using the phone.
A feature phone which was kept switched off all the time was found to be working even after four years — this probably sums up why Nokia is famous and why people are excited about Nokia’s comeback in 2017.
Well, the Nokia 3310 landed in India last month (Android-powered Nokia phones will launch on June 13), and is priced aggressively at Rs 3310. Some may feel that the device is slightly overpriced since Reliance’s LYF brand and other Chinese brands are selling Android-powered smartphones around Rs. 3,000. So, should you choose the Nokia 3310 over similarly priced Android phones? This is the common question I have been asked ever since the Nokia 3310 launch in India. Well, this article should solve all the confusions whether to go for the Nokia 3310 in 2017 or not. Let’s begin.
Build and Design
The 2017 Nokia 3310 is slim, sleek, and has a better design than the old-age Nokia 3310. In fact, the new Nokia 3310 is the best looking feature phone available right now. It comes in four different colours - blue, gray, yellow, and orange. HMD has managed to hit the bullseye, especially with the glossy yellow and orange colours.
The phone is entirely made of plastic, and it is not as sturdy as the old Nokia 3310 since it picked up a few scuffs when dropped from five feet height. Also, with every drop, the back cover of the phone along with the battery popped out.
The new Nokia 3310 has a 2.4-inch QVGA display, carrying a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. It’s a colour screen, unlike the black and white screen present on the old Nokia 3310. There are no complaints with the display of the Nokia 3310, but it’s profoundly reflective, and you may end up covering the screen with one hand while using the phone in bright light conditions.
Software: No Additional Apps Support? Meh!
The Nokia 3310 runs Nokia’s Series 30+ operating system, and it’s colourful with all the necessary features made available for the users. Lighting up the screen, we have the menu option — which takes you to the apps menu, Go To section — where you can quickly browse through all the essential features, and a camera button — that opens the camera app.
The user interface is very simple and can be quickly learned by everyone. Additionally, Nokia has thrown features such as voice recording, FM Radio, stopwatch, converter, etc. on the phone.
Lastly, there’s the Snake game, which is a revamped version of the previous one. It took me two weeks to completely finish off the game. All in all, the Nokia 3310 offers all the essential features required for a standard user, and most importantly, it won’t lag like Android smartphones in the market.
Connectivity is a Huge Letdown for the Phone
HMD has added support for Bluetooth on the Nokia 3310 (2017), but the lack of 4G and 3G support is making users furious. It does offer support for 2G connectivity. But really, Nokia? This is 2017, and 4G LTE support is the way to go. Moving forward, the phone supports two SIM cards, and also has a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion.
Furthermore, the lack of 4G LTE option means you can’t use a Reliance Jio 4G SIM card on the phone. I used the phone with a Tata DoCoMo SIM card in Hyderabad region, and the call quality during my usage was completely fine. But, the internet speeds were underwhelming. This time around, HMD has thrown a micro USB port along with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Battery: Lasts Easily for a Week
Following the footprints of its predecessor, the new Nokia 3310 also offers insane battery life. In the entire review period (which is three weeks in this case), I charged the device only four times. The phone just offers one-week of screen-on time with moderate usage. The battery capacity of the Nokia 3310 is 1200mAh.
A Basic 2MP Camera With LED Flash
The Nokia 3310 also has a 2MP rear-facing camera with support for a LED flash. The camera performance is nothing to speak about, but the addition of torch light certainly helps in low-light situations.
And yes, the title of this article was given based on the battery life itself.
Conclusion: Should You Buy it?
The Nokia 3310 (2017) does not turn any heads when it comes to specifications, but it offers all the basic features such as calling, messages, etc. That said, if you’re an avid traveller and are desperately in need of a secondary smartphone with battery life getting the most priority - go for the Nokia 3310. Otherwise, invest some more money and get the Xiaomi Redmi 4A for Rs. 5,999.
Also, do note that the Nokia 3310 can be your secondary smartphone, but it does not stand a chance to become your primary smartphone.
