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The Nokia 3310 has been designed particularly for young people and the young at heart, for whom the mobile phone is an important lifestyle accessory."
"I brought it in 2000 when I needed a phone to call home when I was away. I haven't needed another one since. It's been through a lot with me. I have dropped to on numerous occasions, on the floor, in curry sauce, and it's been through the washing machine. Each time I've just cleaned it up, dried it off, turned it on again and it's worked. It's like it's made of kryptonite - it's indestructible."
Dave, a former soldier hailing from Yorkshire, probably bought the Nokia 3310 at around the same time when it was first launched in the year 2000. Seventeen years hence, he has (still) no plans to replace it despite pressure from friends and family (and society) to make a switch. Dave has aged well, so has the Nokia 3310.
Even Nokia probably had little idea -- back then -- what it was getting into. That it was building a tank. That it was building something indestructible. Even Finland, the country in which the phone was originally designed and manufactured, made the Nokia 3310 a national emoji -- referring to it as The Unbreakable -- only in 2015. The Nokia 3310 was marketed largely on the shoulders of two aspects -- although it also came with many other industry-firsts -- one being SMS chat, and the other being its long-lasting NiMH battery claimed to offer up to 4 hours and 30 minutes of talk time and up to 260 hours of standby time. The durability aspect came only later, based on infinite number of (positive) use case scenarios. People like Dave are classic examples.
The world that we live in today, the world of smartphones, takes great pride in marketing a certain breed of protective glass as an added USP of their devices. Those that come without one are deemed inferior. Back in the day, nobody cared. The world that we live in today, the world of smartphones, also takes great pride in marketing new-age fast and wireless charging capabilities as an added USP of their devices. Those that come without one are deemed inferior. Back in the day, nobody cared.
So, rumour has it that Nokia is looking to bring the 3310 back from the dead. Nokia will obviously be looking to make nostalgia do a great deal of talking, at its MWC 2017 keynote where it is said to launch a string of Android-based devices under the aegis of Finland-based HMD. And honestly it doesn't get any better than the Nokia 3310, if that's what Nokia is really looking for. It is still largely expected to be a feature phone unless of course something magical happens out of the blue and HMD decides, "Hey, let's make this thing a smartphone this time round."
But then, how many would buy the idea of a Nokia 3310 smartphone? Because well, a Nokia 3310 smartphone would kill the very purpose the legend has stood for all this time. It wouldn't be as durable and it wouldn't have as good a battery life (and be as affordable) as the Nokia 3310 feature phone. How many would buy the idea of a Nokia 3310 feature phone, in 2017, is also something to ponder over by the way.
Still, I would rather bet my money on a Nokia 3310 feature phone than on a smartphone because, Nokia already has a string of smartphones coming. True, they will all carry the iconic Nokia branding and will be as nostalgic (if not more) as a 3310 feature phone, but none will capture the hearts and minds of a dedicated fan-base like the 3310 feature phone would at the end of the day. Nokia has upgraded the 3310 in the past. Chances are in the current scheme of things, it would upgrade it some more, to fit the bill. One of the features that it should bring to the table is 4G LTE connectivity and VoLTE support.
The Nokia 3310 may not be in line to become a buyer's primary phone in this day and age and I am sure HMD is well aware of the fact. But, it could become a secondary phone that one would keep always at hand without having to worry about battery life and durability aspects. Not to mention, an upgraded version of Snake and Space Impact would be an icing on the cake. HMD, if at all, it is looking to reprise the Nokia 3310 will be looking to make it a vehicle to boost sales and profits. It will be looking to make it the cornerstone -- the centre of attraction -- around which all its other smartphone offerings will likely revolve. It will be a very clever marketing move indeed.
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