 |
|
Welcome to the Nokia 3310 (2017) review. Arguably the most anticipated and widely reported mobile phone release for 2017 is the re-imaged Nokia 3310. The version we tested was the 3G version hence 'series 2'.
There are very few known brands that still make entry level mobile phones and the new brand owners have decided to remake the old 3310 essentially a retro phone. The model's release is essentially a marketing ploy by the new Nokia to relaunch the brand and it worked. Every news outlet regardless of specialty covered the release. So every country the original Nokia 3310 was sold in knows about the the new Nokia.
In terms of construction the 3310 is very good like the original. It's light and tight in the hand and completely built with a a little dash of shiny plastic or almost matt colors. For a cheap phone it is perfectly acceptable build quality.
In terms of hardware it has all the basics that where state of the art 16 years ago. 2.4 inch screen, single 2 Megapixel camera. However modern inclusions include a microSD memory expansion and music player hardware. The updated version with 3G connectivity for sale in some countries or dual sim versions in others is a nice addition to the minimal spec sheet. The only thing missing is WI-Fi but with so little CPU power having that sort of data is pointless for the complex websites everyone seems to have these days.
In terms of use the Nokia 3310 is very fast and responsive however any data or internet related functions it is going to be slow as it is using 3G. The physical buttons and old school keypad with predictive text are old school but work if you have patience. All the basics are there including MMS however the internet browser is basic and the low power CPU is incapable of modern webpages. Unless you have some numbers stored on your SIM card you will be busy typing them on the 3310. There is an App store and there are plenty of 'classic' games to choose from but they are relatively basic and don't have the essentials of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and so forth.
The Nokia 3310 (2017) 3G edition is a phone for a niche set of people. Calls and TXT messages are its forte and of course the Snake game. There are a few very basic mobile phones like this still for sale in many parts of the world that don't the data network capability so this is perfect for them. In other parts or the world with high speed mobile data the 3310 is pointless. The 3310 is a retro ornament for a collector or enthusiast. It was great in the day but not in 2017.
We'd like to note that the commonly promoted use for the new 3310 is at concerts, parties etc.. where you don't want to damage your main phone, however we all know that this is PR rubbish. We take our good phone to parties and concerts to get good quality selfies for Instagram, pictures of people doing stupid things, for Facebook etc... for posting in real time. Anyone saying or writing this as an excuse to purchase the 3310 is not worthy of your attention.
Specifications
- Nokia 3310 (2017)
- Network
Quad-band GSM
Dual-band 3G (Dependent on country)
- Design
Candy bar
- L109.8 x W45 x D11 mm
Weight 188 grams
- Display/s
2.4 inch TFT 240 x 320
- Camera
2MP
- Video Camera
640 x 480 pixel @ 15FPS
- Connectivity
Bluetooth V3
- CPU
???Mhz
- Memory
Up to 64MB available to user
32Gig micro-SD card slot
- Ring tones
MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration
- Features
JAVA MIDP 2.0
FM radio with RDS
Speaker Phone/Hands free
USB charging
LiPo 1200mAh
Up to 30 days Standby
Up to 22 hours Talk Time
- Price history
Approx $80 AUD 2017 (Outright)
