Nokia 3310 is back with Android

Nokia unveiled a re-incarnated version of their iconic Nokia 3310 feature phone along with a slew of Android powered smartphones during their MWC 2017 event.

While the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 are the big ticket items aimed at the general public, it was the Nokia 3310 that was undoubtedly the star of the show and grabbed everyone's attention. An oddity, a relic of a bygone era, the Nokia 3310 is a feature phone that dares to stand tall amongst today's infinitely complex smartphones.

A feature phone in 2017 might seem like a ludicrous idea to some. But when you think about it, the mind-blowing battery life, tank like build quality and the affordable price point makes a feature phone such as the Nokia 3310 an excellent option for a secondary phone and even as a primary device for those who are sick of the ultra connected world we live in.

The original Nokia 3310 was a legend. There are instance of people still using the Nokia 3310 17 years after they bought it in the year 2000 without any problem. Can you imagine a smartphone of toady's time lasting even remotely close to that long?

Thus, it is pretty clear that the re-incarnation of the Nokia 3310 has a lot to live up-to. Does it carry forward the legacy of its predecessor? What all has changed? Let's find out!

• Unlike the original phone, which came with a 84x84 black and white display, the new Nokia 3310 has a 2.4-inch screen color screen with a polarised layer on top which helps increase readability under direct sunlight.
• The new Nokia 3310 runs on the S30+ operating system which is far more advanced than the one found on the original. The UI has been styled to honour the old 3310's interface.
• While the re-incarnated 3310 does come with Snake, it is not the original Snake game we know and love to bits, but an updated version made by Gameloft. While we cannot judge the game without trying it out first, it surely is extremely different to the black and white original.
• Nokia 3310 2.0 comes with a design which while honouring the original, is much slimmer and lighter. It also comes in a bevy of colourful shades such as red, yellow, blue and grey. The former two colors have a glossy finish while the latter two have a matte finish. While the smartphone looks smart and retro-chic in Blue and Grey, the other two colors are too loud and make the device look a little like a children's toy.
• The new Nokia 3310 has been equipped with a 2MP camera, microSD card slot, music playback support and the Opera web browser in order to bring it up to the times.
• The 2017 Nokia 3310's battery life is 10 times more than the original. The removable 1200mAh battery offers 22 hours of talktime and a colossal 30 days of standby time. Also, unlike the proprietary port on the original 3310, the new version comes with a convenient microUSB port for charging.
• Lastly, while the new avatar of the 3310 has been priced at 49 Euros (around Rs 3500), the old one was a fair bit pricier (Rs 5,800) as mobile phones were at a very nascent stage at the time of its launch.