Nokia 3310 when it came out. How they find us

The Finnish company Nokia starts selling in Russia the successor to the cult Nokia 3310. The new version easily guesses the memorable design of its predecessor, but the 3310 in the 2017 version can boast not only a long battery life (up to a month from a single charge and almost a day of continuous talk) but also quite modern functions and capabilities.

Official prices for Nokia 3310 in Russia

The new Nokia 3310 will be sold in our country at a recommended price of 3990 rubles. At the moment, you can find the model in the classic blue color, but later sales will begin in other bright colors. For Moscow Tele2 customers, we would like to remind you that Nokia 3310 does not work in 3G and 4G networks and the phone will not work in the Moscow Tele2 network.

What's new in the new Nokia 3310?

Almost all. From the original Nokia, only its no less original style has been preserved. In all other aspects - we have before us a modern inexpensive push-button Nokia phone with advanced features. The most obvious innovations are a color screen (although many expected a monochrome return), a camera and a music player.

• Display: 2.4-inch (320x240) screen with polarized layer
• Operating system: Nokia Series 30+ with Nokia 3310 interface elements
• Processor: SoC MediaTek
• Permanent memory: 16 MB + slot for microSD cards (up to 32 GB)
• Camera: 2 million pixels + LED flash
• Communication: 2G (GSM 900/1800 MHz), Bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM support
• Battery: 1200mAh
• Applications: Opera Mini, FM Radio and MP3 Player

Phone for the nostalgic

The new Nokia 3310 is not an exact copy of its predecessor, but it still inherits the iconic silhouette of the original model. Yes, instead of a black-and-white display with a pleasant green backlight, a color is used here, but the contrasting modern interface is stylized to resemble the simple graphics of low-resolution screens of those times.

The 2.4-inch screen with rounded corners, according to the manufacturer's promises, received a polarizing coating, which allows you to see a clear picture even in bright sunlight. In inexpensive phones and smartphones, it is customary to save on such little things, but for Nokia 3310 is a landmark product, therefore, even in such a simple and inexpensive device, the developers have implemented many pleasant and functional little things, many of which we will consider further.

Not very high screen resolution (only 320 × 240) is compensated by small physical dimensions, so the picture will look smooth enough without pronounced graininess.

In addition to stylized graphics, the familiar Nokia Tune melody has been preserved, which many have already missed.

The new model is thinner and lighter than the original, while the battery has become more capacious, and the legendary reliability, according to Nokia's assurances, remains at its best.

For example, the bright colors of the case do not wear out over time, since the paint is added to the composition of the material, and not just applied to its surface. This and many other solutions are designed to extend the life of the device for many years, which made its famous predecessor famous. Time will tell.

How long will it last on a single charge?

Exceptionally long battery life is what modern push-button phones are worth buying. And the novelty has no problems with this.

Judge for yourself, according to official data, in standby mode Nokia 3310 will live up to 31 days under ideal conditions (in reality, you should expect about three weeks with inactive use). A non-stop conversation will drain the battery much later than all the ideas for such long conversations are exhausted - 22 hours, this is the length of calls announced by Nokia.

With regard to entertainment - then everything is on the level. The phone can play music for 51 hours and FM radio up to 39 hours. Unfortunately, the Finnish manufacturer did not specify how long you can play the famous snake, but future reviews and tests will surely show decent numbers.

The game Snake Xenzia from Gameloft acts as a "Snake", in which for this event the graphics were significantly improved and new features were added.

Easy to communicate

Fortunately, you don't need to invent any tricks to listen to music - the new phone has the classic and so beloved by everyone 3.5 mm jack, so absolutely all compatible headphones will work perfectly with the revived legend. For those who do not like wires, the third version of Bluetooth is supported.

And no more charging problems! In the days of the original Nokia 3310, each manufacturer had its own interface, but now everything has changed - the new 3310 has a standard MicroUSB connector, which is no longer the most advanced, but undoubtedly the most widespread at the moment.

Be online with Nokia 3310 ...

Yes, it sounds strange, but through the 3310 you can now access the Internet. And not just leave, but with comfort - using the super popular Opera Mini browser, which was developed specifically for the Nokia Series 30+ platform (interface for Mediatek systems-on-a-chip). Of course, a simple phone has a fairly simple version of the popular browser, with a simplified interface straight from the first versions, which does not support many of the capabilities of the modern Internet. However, for basic surfing and social networking, it will be more than enough.

Hopefully, developers of popular messaging systems like WhatsApp will make a special version for the novelty. It is no longer very convenient to use only SMS for messaging - besides, the new 3310 has a camera, so it can be used to exchange impressions with friends. By the way, there is no selfie camera in the Finnish phone.

How much is an ageless classic?

Official Russian prices have not yet been announced, but a European price of 49 euros was announced at the Barcelona exhibition. In our area, the phone should be sold for no more than 3,500 rubles, and possibly even cheaper. The exact information should be available shortly.

Yes, for this money you can already take a smartphone (for example) with incomparably wider possibilities in all aspects. But no one hides that the classic device from Nokia does not compete with smartphones - it is rather a gadget for nostalgic, those who sadly remember the beginning of the era of cell phones and want to return to those times for a while. Or for those looking for a robust and reliable voice communication device with the most basic functions.

Let's add that we hope for glass protection of the display, as was the case with the excellent phones of the Nokia Asha 311 series, which also work perfectly as "workhorses" thanks in large part to the excellent Gorilla Glass. Many "long-livers" from Phillips and other companies quickly deteriorate due to easily scratched plastic screens.

We are waiting for the appearance of Nokia 3310 in retail in Russia in order to get a more complete picture of it in a detailed review.

I would like to hope that the return of the legendary "thirty-three ten" will be successful, although, whatever it was, Nokia has already received such powerful advertising thanks to the restart of its mega-hit that further sales should not worry them too much. Perhaps we have witnessed one of the most ingenious advertising campaigns in the telecommunications world.

And a small postscript specially for the residents of the capital - in the new 3310, to our great regret, will not work, because it does not support 3G \ 4G networks.

A lot of words have been said, songs sung and stories of varying degrees of reliability composed. Sooner or later, the model had to be revived - even the "photo-toads" pushed for this. In the end, it’s more late than early, but the 3310 is back in service. Updated, invisible, but still push-button - here it is, the new Nokia of our dreams. Having got hold of the device, we immediately compared it with the ancient progenitor.

What is in the box?

The original 3310 has sold over 120 million copies worldwide. An incredible achievement for one model! The name of the phone has almost become a household name, and the device has been ranked among the legends more than once. Not surprisingly, the announcement of the reincarnation of the Nokia 3310 at MWC 2017 aroused more interest than all the other events of the exhibition combined. It was extremely difficult to approach the stand with the telephone - they wanted to see and touch absolutely everything. Only the new iPhone can boast of such excitement.

We can hardly stop the trembling in our hands - here it is, the brand new Nokia 3310! Coming back 17 years after the release of the legendary progenitor! Did everything fit into this small box the size of several matchboxes? But it really did fit.

The kit comes with microUSB charging, and not proprietary, like its predecessor. Here is the documentation and headphones. The phone itself looks out of the box with the big eye of a huge display, but stylistically it still resembles an ancestor. The similarity is not least achieved through the color scheme. Let us clarify that we specifically, for comparison with the ancient Nokia 3310, bought a new product in a blue casing, but there will still be at least yellow, gray and red colors on sale.

Convenient or not?

We take the baby in our hand and are surprised. The device is light, all of itself is so bohemian, like Lada XRAY in comparison with a "penny". The old Nokia 3310 is much more brutal, first of all, due to almost twice the thickness (22 mm versus 12.8 in the new product) and weight (133 g versus 79), as well as a small screen. But our today's guest is a few millimeters wider and longer. How did this affect ergonomics?

Pay attention to the power connector of the new Nokia 3310

As for the convenience and user-friendliness, here we cannot fail to mention the mockingly rigid fastening of the cover of the new phone. Remember how it was in the first Nokia 3310? Pressed a button, pushed the lid up - voila! In order to remove the cover of the modern 3310, we needed four hands and two screwdrivers. It never happened! Nails on the ledge, which, as the designers assumed, you will cling to the panel, break like chips.

Either we had such a copy, or the problem is more extensive - time will tell, but it will not work to install the battery and SIM card without chipping in the area of ​​the cover recess - checked. Moreover, all the time there is a risk of breaking this socket to hell. In our case, even the place of the fracture was identified, although the matter did not come to deformation.

But the updated remnant of the Nokia 3310 fits perfectly in the hand. But the feeling of beauty leaves you as soon as you decide to call someone. The fact is that, in comparison with the ancestor, the keyboard unit, displaced by a large display, has become smaller, and even shifted downward. Because of this, reaching the buttons with your thumb is inconvenient.

Not a cake at all

In general, if we compare both phones directly with each other, then the first enthusiasm about the novelty very quickly gives way to skepticism. Take governance, for example. A little higher, we have already noted the inconvenient location of the keyboard unit. But there are also other misses.

Buttons have become completely different, despite the similarity of shape. They feel differently - cheaper, perhaps - tactile. In addition, for the sake of the "soapy" design, they are much more recessed into the body and much worse grope. The response is quite feeble - go and understand whether the button has been pressed or not. The backlighting of the keys is white and uneven, but you can see everything well in the dark.

The layout of the navigation block has changed. And the very fact of this is not bad. In all honesty, today the control system of the old Nokia 3310 is hopelessly outdated and instead of three buttons it is really more reasonable to introduce a joystick in the form of a quad-band frame and a confirmation key in the center. Another question is that the developers of the novelty for some reason could not make the "new" control system convenient. The frame almost merges with the center button, which leads to frequent erroneous clicks. Elderly people (and these phones are now often called "grandmothers") are unlikely to adapt to this.

Compare the plastic thickness of the new and old Nokia 3310

The quality of the materials used was also disappointing. Thick, rough, practically non-bending plastic has given way to thin and flexible plastic. Glossy red and yellow models look even worse - the device is instantly covered with scratches and looks like a cheap Chinese toy.

Another disadvantage compared to the original is the inability to change the front panel of the device.

Cake

But, of course, it would be foolish to argue that a modern phone, albeit a push-button, came out in all respects worse than the ancient ancestor. Yes, the Nokia 3310 still lacks 3G and Wi-Fi, but look at the screen!

Yes, this is not a five-line loophole with a resolution of 84 × 48 pixels. Fans of antiquity were pleased with a 2.4-inch color screen with a resolution of 320 × 240 pixels. Nothing special against the background of modern dialers, but next to the old man, the new 3310 looks like an alien from the future. In a sense, this is how it is.

Thank the phone gods, the device is charged via microUSB and not via a proprietary connector. Autonomy is not inferior to the classic 3310. During three days of intensive testing of the model, the battery was discharged by about a third. That is, you can safely count on a week of work. This result is even better than that of the progenitor! Plus, the phone is just as fast. Fortunately, it will not work to load it with complex tasks.

Other advantages include the presence of a flashlight, microSD slot, 16 MB of its own memory and a camera. No, wait ...

Polutort

Oh yes, there is a whole 2-megapixel camera - the dream of the owners of the first Nokia 3310. In fact, you are unlikely to shoot anything with this device, because the quality of the pictures does not stand up to criticism. For some year 2000 - a breakthrough, but a modern phone shouldn't have such a camera, it's better without it at all.

The flash is only useful as a flashlight

Another dubious achievement is the presence of a radio that works when the bundled headset is connected to the 3.5 mm jack. Checked - not any headphones can act as an antenna (for example, from an iPhone, they do not fit). Well, don't, because the sound quality here is such that it will make you hate your favorite tracks.

20-25 years ago it was cool to walk through the village with a radio. The current Nokia 3310 evokes those same feelings. Everything in my ears hisses, squeaks and squeaks, but how cool it is to hear at least some hints of music in an open field! It is a pity that today such a trick does not work, and the attack of nostalgia passes too quickly to cry, squeeze the device to the chest and not let it go anywhere.

Bluetooth 3.0! This is what Nokia was missing! Finally, you can share hazy pictures captured with a 2 megapixel camera with your friends! Let's face it, this phone doesn't need Bluetooth at all. Any smartphone is better suited for content exchange, and conscious users of only telephone functionality will not even activate wireless communication.

Now it's called "The Snake"

In general, a bunch of menu items have been added to the new Nokia 3310 for some reason. Only nine shortcuts fit on the screen, but in fact there are 24! Scrolling down is really boring. At the same time, it is completely incomprehensible why it was necessary to make so many icons, because many of them are completely useless. Weather, an application store, a browser - all this, with the phone only supporting the 2G network (GSM 900/1800 MHz), is completely useless. Few people in our time will try to "surf" through the slow EDGE.

But few know the insider information about the true state of affairs. The company went even further, unofficially stating that it was tired of the dominance of monotonous smartphones and decided to revive the very legendary 3310 in its original form. The initiative was supported by employees of many government agencies in which the use of cameras is prohibited, and this is just the scourge of modern phones. Also, the initiative received the support of a huge Internet community, in which the phone has long become a meme, and in 2015 Nokia 3310 was even chosen as the national emoji of Finland with the caption "unkillable".

Well, let's go, let's get nostalgic. How can the Nokia 3310 surprise the current generation?

• Dimensions (edit): 113 x 48 x 22 mm
• Weight: 133 g
• CPU: MAD2WD1
• GPU: PCD8544
• Built-in memory: No
• Memory cards: miniSIM
• Screen: 5 lines, LCD, 48 x 84 pixels, monochrome
• Battery: 900 mAh, Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
• Camera: ¯ \ _ (ツ) _ / ¯
• SIM-map: miniSIM
• Wi-Fi: No
• USB: No
• Bluetooth: No
• Communication standards: GSM / TDMA

The power button is located at the top - an obvious borrowing from the iPhone of the first generations, as they would say now.

The back cover is easily removable - an echo of the ancient fashion for removable batteries. There is also a service connector hidden under the battery. SIM card format - mini. They say that it can be removed without turning off the phone, but this skill is achieved with long training. There is also a legend that disconnecting the phone from the battery for less than 5/10/15 seconds does not reset the clock.

Quite a bold decision with the keyboard: the long-boring QWERTYs have been replaced by the familiar and time-tested ABCDEFs, which fit only 8 buttons - an excellent optimization, Jobs never dreamed of. The buttons are physical, so sensor glitches are excluded, and it's more difficult to miss here.

There are 3 connectors on the bottom: power, dock and headset - and they are all unique. This diversity and proprietary nature is sure to envy Tim Cook. Incidentally, this provides a high degree of protection, because no one can connect their Chinese microUSB or, God forbid, Lightning to your phone. So the phone out of the box is insured against improper charging and computer viruses. And for flashing the phone, two different cables are required, so that no viruses will fly through the air.

The color gamut of the display is very narrow, falling short of sRGB. There is no camera and it is not necessary.

The phone fits perfectly in your hand, pocket and bag. Dropping it is almost impossible, but if you succeed, try not to drop it on the tiled floor, so as not to damage the tiles. Unlike iPhone rectangles, the glass is plastic, so you can drop your phone thousands of times before it breaks.

The phone is preinstalled with the legendary Snake and Space Impact, which are much smarter and more complex than the newfangled runners and spinners. In the subway, everyone will look at you with undisguised envy. Enthusiasts say that you can download new games, but it's not easy - don't risk it, contact the professionals. In addition, you need a data cable, which is not included in the package. There is no Internet here, not even WAP, however, as they say, it is “unnecessary”.

In fact, Nokia, of course, did not resume the release of the old 3310, but it was resumed by the Chinese, who are simply restoring old phones. Previously, it could be bought for about 300 rubles, now the price has increased, but the whole of China is still inundated with them. So this is still the same "tube" 3310, produced in Finland, but restored in China. Of course, the phone won't keep a charge for a week in standby mode, but it's enough for three days. And it is not known how plausible the legends about its endless charge are, because 18 years ago everything was different, even time passed differently.