Why that old phone rocked
Remember that sturdy phone, built like a tank? It’s coming back. And we’re looking forward to its rebirth
Along, long time ago, way before smartphones such as Apple and Samsung became objects of desire, there lived a humble hero in the mobile world called Nokia. The unassuming Nokia 3310 didn’t just have the best features of the times... it sort of strutted with a kind of aura around it.
How can you forget the wily snake (in the only game featured on the set) you spent manoeuvering for hours or the retro charm of the early SMSes? But you have to admit, just for the features, it still remains one tough nut to match.
For instance, the battery. No battery lasts longer than the 3310’s. I once remember running the phone for 10 days at a stretch without recharging.
My association with the 3310 began during the turn of the century. I remember cutting back on my ‘vices’ to cough up enough cash to buy my first mobile phone. It cost around Dh1K then (if memory serves me right). Before that, I used to be a mighty proud owner of a pager — a gadget worn around the waist, which bleeped every time someone wanted you to call them back. Owning a pager itself had made me stand out among my friends, imagine what a 3310 could do to my status! I wanted to be the first among my friends to lay my hands on this cult gadget that sold 126 million units.
When I finally bought it, playing a small part in the history of Nokia 3310, I actually took off from work to spend the entire day getting to know the gadget before flashing it around.
Compared to the ‘delicate darling’ smartphones of today, the Nokia 3310 was built like a tank, actually like a ‘Transformer’.
I recall a time when the 3310 slipped out of my pocket and landed on terra firma from a height of about 12 feet! I raced to the stairs. When I reached down to pick it up — all that was left of the gadget were three fragmented pieces. I could feel a lump in my throat as I picked up the pieces, but a faint buzz of the battery told me there was hope.
I then snapped the pieces on to the main body of the mobile and restarted the device. Voila! The little wonder box kicked back to life with its evergreen Nokia signature tune. No cracked screen or spider webs, no dents or scratches on the body — the device worked like it was just out of the factory. Various YouTubers have, as an experiment, put the 3310 through torturous tests, but it passed all tests without a scratch.
Does anyone remember the joy of playing ‘Snake’ — a game on the device? I would spend hours glued to the ‘only’ game on a mobile device back in the day, that too in monochrome. Never did I get bored of playing it. Talking of boredom, the 3310 offered another great feature — you could swap the shell (cover). Third party manufacturers wasted no time in producing an entire spectrum of covers in various shades. Some members of the opposite sex stashed a few coloured covers in their vanity box to match their outfits.
After manufacturers stopped the production of the 3310, I replaced my set but retained the old one for posterity. If I rummage through my gadget collection today, I am sure I’ll find the 3310 somewhere in the pile.
Nostalgia can play on your emotions real hard. Why else would people still treasure their old Sony Walkman or swap their CD collection for vinyl records? Nostalgia. That’s what will swamp you when the spanking new, reissued 3310 arrives in the market.
I will probably get my hands on the reloaded 3310. Perhaps for nostalgia, or who knows, it could even become my go-to digital assistant forever.