Iconic Nokia 3310 makes comeback in Singapore
The iconic Nokia 3310, famed for its long battery life and durability, will be making a reappearance here from next month, complete with 3G connectivity. Photo: Nokia
SINGAPORE — The iconic Nokia 3310, famed for its long battery life and durability, will be making a reappearance here from next month, complete with 3G connectivity.
Finnish manufacturer HMD Global Oy, which owns the exclusive rights to market Nokia phones, said in a news release yesterday that the latest version of the classic phone would be available at all authorised retailers.
It would be priced “below S$100”, and more details would be released closer to the date of its launch.
In February, Nokia relaunched the 3310 model with 2.5G connectivity, but it was reported then that Singapore telcos would not be offering the phone, as 2G mobile operations would no longer be available here from April.
On the launch of the 3G-enabled Nokia 3310, Mr Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer of HMD Global, said: “Our fans around the world have been asking for this iconic phone to support 3G. Fans asked, we listened, and today welcome the Nokia 3310 3G.”
Mr Sarvikas added: “In a world dominated by smartphones, the mix of nostalgia and a beautiful phone that just keeps going has captured people’s imagination.”
The popular Nokia game Snake, which was a mainstay on the older version of the 3310 model, will also be featured in the new phone, complete with a refreshed look. The 3G edition will come in four colours — yellow, warm red, azure and charcoal — and is fitted with a two-megapixel camera.
HMD Global said the phone, which features more spacing between the buttons and can hold two SIM cards, has a battery life of up to 6.5 hours of talk time, and up to 27 days of standby time in a single SIM card. The “retro” phone interface has also been enhanced, allowing users to customise and change icon colours and positions.
The original Nokia 3310 was launched in 2000 as a replacement for the 3210 model.
Consumers who spoke to TODAY largely welcomed the relaunch.
Ms Alice Tham, 45, a homemaker, said that the phone’s ease of use and “relatively simple” interface would be “helpful” for older mobile-phone users like her 71-year-old mother. “It also helps that it is not a very expensive phone,” she added.
Events manager Hairol Salim, 32, agreed, adding that he would consider buying it for his parents, who are both in their 60s, because of the phone’s durability and functionality.
