Once, in a time long past, mobile phones were built with batteries that lasted for weeks, LCD plastic screens, and virtually indestructible bodies.
Sure they didn’t have cameras, internet access, apps, voice recording, colour screens, or music capabilities, but the brick phone of old could always be relied on to take a phone call or send the occasional text.
One of the most iconic pre-smartphone models of all time was the Nokia 3310 range—an unassuming grey and blue block that was a back pocket staple for many in the early 2000s. The phone has gained a cult following in the modern day thanks to its indestructibility and associated nostalgia.
Since then Nokia has experienced a fall from grace, despite the company attempting to keep up with the times with a series of smartphones that didn’t quite take off.
However, recent reports from VentureBeat show the company will return to its brick phone roots and intends to reveal a re-release of the Nokia 3310 at the Mobile World Congress in late February, alongside three other new flagship devices.
The 3310 reincarnation will be modernised, but no other details apart from that are known. It will carry a price tag of €59 ($80).
Brick phone enthusiasts wasted no time in expressing their joy via Twitter.
So I hear the best phone ever is coming back? Looking forward to comparing it to the original. #Nokia3310 pic.twitter.com/Ip9zg5HfCe
— Stan Schroeder (@franticnews) February 14, 2017
#Nokia3310 is coming back. your old one probably still has a full battery. pic.twitter.com/42rRFFkZ82
— Amy Langdon (@alangdon17) February 15, 2017
Okay so Finnich is bringing the #Nokia3310 back…
I’m getting it as soon as it lands. Can’t wait to play that *Space Impact* game again☺☺— LeSa Nkosi (@LeSaBunNy) February 14, 2017
Marketing expert Michelle Gamble told SmartCompany last year nostalgia marketing isn’t for every business, saying businesses that sell physical or edible products would likely have the most success.
“You can build strong campaigns around food, gaming, and fashion, but you have to pick your product,” Gamble said.
“I can’t imagine a successful campaign being done on the PalmPilot.”
PalmPilot perhaps not, but the Nokia 3310? Only time will tell.
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Dominic Powell is a journalist at SmartCompany and a tech and music geek. When he’s not writing, you can find him reading or browsing record shops.
