The annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is where the smartphone industry reveals its latest products and sets the tone for the months ahead. This year, there have been plenty of attractive new devices on display, but the one phone that stole the show happened to be the slowest. Nokia, the former titan of the mobile phone world, released a 2017 remix of its 3310 handset.
For those who lived through the mobile phone revolution around the turn of last century, the reappearance of the 3310, with its boxy appearance and big buttons, reminds us of simpler times. Instead of a large screen size and fast data speeds, the 3310 prioritised portability and talk time. It did it well, forging a reputation for being very dependable and for having what is now an almost unrivalled battery life.
While many of us are filled with nostalgia for a bygone era when we think about the 3310, the fact is that Nokia and other manufacturers continue to sell millions of so-called “dumbphones” around the world.
For many in emerging markets, cheap and indestructible handsets facilitate money transfers and other critical aspects of life. That is what makes Nokia’s release of an updated but still cheap (Dh183) 3310 such a compelling idea. Not only can the company brand phone nostalgia to customers looking for a cheap backup device that they could use while travelling, but the company grows its market share in emerging markets. Given the sheer numbers of people around the world who depend on “dumbphones” for their daily lives, Nokia is wise to focus on this market as the company rebuilds itself.
As such, the 3310 demonstrates a division in the smartphone industry. While we might focus on the latest advance in camera specs or screen density, people are using cheap headsets to revolutionise their daily lives. India’s recent decision to abolish 500- and 1,000-rupee notes in an effort to forge a cashless society is clear evidence that billions of people must now rely on mobile phones to carry out banking and other financial matters. While the Nokia 3310 was one of the building blocks of the mobile phone industry, its 2017 iteration should not be seen as a dusty relic. The new 3310 could well be a part of the next revolution in tech for 85 per cent of the world living in emerging markets.
