A giant of the early Noughties scene is set to stage a major comeback and for once, we aren’t talking about a Destiny’s Child reunion or a reboot of a much-loved teen movie.
Instead, seventeen years after it first topped our Christmas lists, Nokia’s indestructible 3310 phone is poised to make a comeback, ready to be relaunched to the smartphone generation at the end of the month.
For many of us, the trusty 3310 was our first ever mobile phone, boasting a clutch of monophonic ringtones (including that once iconic bleeping that immediately marked you out as a Nokia convert), a store of emoticons (the dusty old precursors to emojis) and Snake II. Coupled with a seemingly endless battery life and the interchangeable cases - the blue and white shell could be easily swapped for a jazzier fascia – the 3310 became one of the decade’s best-loved pieces of tech. Looking back, it’s probably only the Motorola Razr that inspires a similar level of devotion in our nostalgic hearts – and that never had Space Impact…
Evan Blass leaked the news on venturebeat.com, revealing that HMD Global Oy, a Finnish manufacturer that markets phones under the Nokia brand, will reveal a modern version of the classic blue and white design at the Mobile World Congress which kicks off on February 26th.
The 3310 was taken off the market in 2005, with Nokia reporting at the time that it had shifted around 126 million units since its debut, making it the best-selling phone in the world.
The revamped 3310 will reportedly retail at around $59 or £50, making it far cheaper than the original model. While it’s not yet clear whether the new version will be entirely faithful to the Noughties original, it’s thought that it will be available to buy later this year.
READ MORE: This Iconic Noughties Flip Phone Is Making A Comeback