Nokia announced in an effort to pay tribute to one of its important phones, the Nokia 3310. The indestructible Nokia 3310 is for the original thinkers and fun people who loved to play the famous snake game.
The original 3310 was a legendary phone of its time released in September 2000. It is amazing to see how far phones have improved with the revolution of smart phones, applications, cameras and virtual assistance.
There are so many things that we rely on with our phones today and it is crazy to look back on where it all started in 2000 with Nokia 3310 “connecting people”.
Read this review to find out if the New Nokia 3310 is still indestructible and why you should buy it in 2020.
Things to Consider Before Buying
The Nokia 3310 is a simple phone, there is one thing you need to consider before purchasing this phone.
Performance
The Nokia 3310 is a dummy phone, not a smart phone. Dont expect it to come with the specifications like a smart phone. One thing that a smart phone can’t do is last with battery for more than 5 days, without recharging it.
Battery
The battery can last you for over 30 days before you need to recharge it again. This is a fantastic feature because if your smart phone dies, it guarantees you to communicate with people that matter.
Camera
If you enjoy taking photos with the camera on your smart phone. Then you will be disappointed with the 2MP camera the quality of the photos is okay but not great. For a dummy phone, this phone produces photos that are okay.
Nokia 3310 Specifications
Display: 5.8 inches 1125 x 2436 pixels | CPU: Hexa-core (2×2.65 GHz Lightning + 4×1.8 GHz Thunder) | RAM: 4 GB | Storage / Expandable: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB / Yes | Rear camera: 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), +12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto) 2x optical zoom + 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm (ultrawide) | Front camera:12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide) | Platform: iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 14.1 | Battery life: Li-Ion 3046 mAh, non-removable
Storage
The Nokia 3310 has 512 MB, which is enough to store phone contacts and a few images. Good thing the storage is expandable with a micro SD upto 64GB.
It will force you to add additional storage on the phone in order for you to be able to enjoy any music media or store any photos that you might take using the camera.
Display
2.4-inch screen display with a resolution of 240 by 320. The Nokia 3310 is not a touch screen but it does have a polarized layer to allow you to view the content on the phone better when you are under the sun or outdoors.
The phone is generally small, it will fit perfectly in the thumb of your hand. It is made completely of plastic. The original Nokia 3310 was known to be as the toughest phones. People would throw it of building and run cars through it and it still wouldn’t break.
The updated version isn’t as strong as the original version of the Nokia 3310 but it is still made of a strong plastic that wouldn’t break easily.
Performance
The Nokia 3310 has 256MB RAM with the ability to expand up to 32 GB using an SD card. You have applications organized out nicely like an Apple IOS where you don’t have any customizability.
You will things such as notes, calendar, calculators, alarm clocks, file folders, voice recorders, apps and game folder. This phone allows you to listen to music, check the weather and watch some videos on the screen plus browse on the opera.
You do get an application store where you can add more apps on the phone, but it’s not same applications that you would find on play store.
The keys are all nice and illuminated, you will definitely enjoy writing using the pad, though it might be difficult if you are already used to touch screens.
Battery size
One of the impressive features of the Nokia 3310 is the battery life. It has a 1200 mAh battery capacity that is removable and charged via USB. The beauty is that the battery life will last up to 30 days because there aren’t many features that would consume the power such as WIFI.
Camera
The Nokia 3310 has a 2MP LED flash camera. Which takes okay photos but not impressive with the phone models that we have seen over the photos.
It would be better if Nokia upgraded the megapixel on the camera to 5 MP.
Colors
The Nokia 3310 is available in four different colors, a glossy yellow, red and a matte blue and grey
Extra
- Bluetooth 2.1 – You can share files through the blue tooth of this device
- WIFI direct
- Supports 4G/Lite
- A2DP
- MicroUSB 2.0
- FM Radio – You can also enjoy listening to the radio in your local stations
- Micro SD card slot
- Snakes – The classic game comes with the Nokia 3310 phone. You can probably try it out and see if you still got it in you.
- Applications – The phone has twitter apps, Opera mobile and Facebook application. Keeping you updates with what’s happening in the social world.
Social Proof
Here is what some of the Amazon verified purchases had to say about this product
Kevin Allmond left a 4 star review
Ok, I did it. I have officially switched from a Smarphone to a feature phone. 3 days in now and i am still functning…
Here is the truth, I don’t need my smartphone. Yes, I said that. After months of frustration over my smartphone not performing to doing the things that I wanted it to do, and having an unhealthy attachment to my smartphone, I started to ask myself, “do I really need it”? There were things for work that I certainly needed, but I have WiFi at the office and a tablet. I can work around this. What can I do though? Here comes the Nokia 3310. I had the classic Nokia 3310 back in the early 2000’s, when all that was available was this for a cell phone and loved it. For $55 dollars, there was really no reason to not try it out, in the name of science if nothing else.
What I have found in the 3 days I have had the Nokia 3310 is, I don’t need a smartphone! With the combination of my tablet in WiFi, I am able to work through all of the things I needed a smartphone for my job. What the Nokia 3310 has forced me to do is make more phone calls, which I should be doing anyway, and being more attentive to the people around me. The biggest challenge that I have found so far is texting and navigation. The texting piece is as above; I need to make more phone calls anyway. For navigation, that just tells me I need to know the lay of the land better. Forward thinking, I can download a map into Google Maps on my tablet and have the ability to navigate offline. If there is an emergency where I need navigation, I guess I can make a phone call.
This is not a smartphone! It’s frustrating to see someone compare this to an Android or iPhone. That’s like comparing balloons to tissue paper; they are not even close.
If you want to detox from a smartphone, this product is for you!
Price
The price for the Nokia 3310 in Kenya is Ksh. 4,900
Accessories
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Battery
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Headset
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Charger
Alternatives
Nokia 106
The Nokia 106 is an essential phone that allows you to talk from sunrise to sunset. You can last weeks with the 800mAh battery. The 1.8 inch screen display allows you to perform basic tasks on the phone such as making calls or sending text messages.
The Nokia 106 is cheaper as it sells for Ksh. 1,955. but when it comes to performance and delivery, the Nokia 3310 still does a fantastic job.
Nokia 130
Another great alternative is the Nokia 130, this phone allows you to take videos and photos with the inbuilt camera of 0.3mega pixel lens. The battery capacity of 1020 mAh can last you for a few days when you are listening to the radio station or playing the classic snake game.
Huawei U 3100
If you are taking a break from Nokia, a great alternative will be the Huawei U 3100. You can take photos with the 0.3 Mono camera lens available. The phone has a battery capacity of 1000 mAh and the screen display is 2.0 inch. Everything about this phone is small compared to the Nokia 3310 which has bigger specs distributed across the board.
Verdict
The Nokia 3310 is definitely not a replacement for a smart phone. If you want a device that is small, light weight and can survive a little drop, then we recommend that you buy it.
You can purchase this phone for nostalgic purposes. At the same time, this phone is perfect to be used as a back up phone or an emergency phone.
The fact that the battery life lasts up to 31 days, you will have a sound mind knowing that if your smart phone battery dies, your dummy phone will definitely take over.
Also, if you have a small kid, you could buy them the phone as a gift. The games in the phone will keep them busy allowing you to focus on your work.
Pros
Great battery life
Afforable
Strong built of the phone
Cons
Poor camera quality
Little RAM/ROM storage
