Nokia 3310 coming back: Will you choose the unbreakable feature phone over smartphone?

Nokia 3310 design could make you nostalgic. HMD Global's plans to relaunch the Nokia 3310 are already creating ripples. Now the question is will you buy the Nokia 3310?

The Nokia 3310 was released back in 2000 and in many ways marked the beginning of the phone era, at least in India. The phone is all set to be re-launched at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2017 on 26 February. And, this bit of news comes from Evan Blass, the prolific tipster who is known to offer accurate information of yet-to-be -announced devices.

The Nokia 3310 was the successor to the Nokia 3210 and brought along features like vibration, ability to add screen savers and go beyond the SMS character limit set earlier. While these features may not sound very exciting today, they were worshipped 15 years ago when phone industry wasn't as buzzing as today. It could be probably for the first time that mobile enthusiasts will be excited to see a feature phone rather than a smartphone.

An alternative to your smartphone?

Well, the answer is 'No'. And, Nokia clearly understands that. The company isn't even pitching it as one, and rather wants to convince users to opt for a reliable second phone. Yes, with features like unbreakable and sturdy body along with a battery that can go on forever. A perfect second phone, isn't it? This incarnation of the 3310 will be priced at €59 (approximately Rs 4171). 

Could work wonders in India, if priced well

India is still dominated by feature phones compared to smartphones. In 2016, more than 50 percent phones shipped were feature phones. Recently, Reliance Jio and Lava introduced feature phones supporting 4G VoLTE.

This gives Nokia a segment of Indian market that it can still target. However, a lot of water has flown over the years, and the prices of feature phones are no where close to Rs 5000. At Rs 5000, a decent entry-level smartphone is available. Nokia can make a nostalgic connect with users, but selling devices could still be hard. 

Nokia 3310 won't be the only device

While the Nokia 3310 is Nokia's surprise element, the company will be unveiling two other smartphones - Nokia 3 and Nokia 5. The Nokia 5 will come with a 5.2-inch 720p display, 2GB RAM and 12MP rear snapper, cutting down the specs compared to the Nokia 6. It will be priced at €199 that translates to roughly Rs 14,079.

On the other hand, the Nokia 3 is said to be a entry-level device that will cost no more than Rs 10,500. Besides, we could see the Nokia 6 on display that comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 430 system-on-chip, 4GB of RAM, and 16MP rear camera.