It’s dial R for retro as mobiles back in time

THE return of retro technology in the form of Nokia’s 3310 mobile phone and BlackBerry’s physical keyboards have dominated the early announcements at the Mobile World Congress.

The technology show opens in Barcelona today but some of the biggest names at the event have been offering early looks at what smartphones will look like in 2017.

The most anticipated and excitedly received announcement came from Nokia – reborn at the congress this year with the news it was releasing a revamped version of its classic 3310 mobile phone, first seen in 2000.

The 3310 now has a camera and a colour screen but otherwise remains the simple device it was in its original form – including a version of popular mobile game Snake built in.

Ian Fogg, from analyst firm IHS Markit, said Nokia and manufacturer HMD Global’s plan is to remind consumers why the brand was so popular.

Also hoping to mount a comeback at MWC is BlackBerry, which together with its own new manufacturer – TCL – announced the KeyOne, a modern Android smartphone that also carries a physical keyboard synonymous with the company’s most popular phones.

Samsung has also unveiled two new tablet computers as the Korean technology giant looks to challenge Apple’s iPad Pro.

The company revealed a new flagship tablet called the Galaxy Tab S3, which it says will offer an “enhanced mobile entertainment experience” to users via its 9.7-inch display that can support 4K definition video and an enhanced graphics chip for gaming.

The tech giant also revealed a new hybrid device called the Galaxy Book, which comes in two screen sizes – 10.6 and 12 inches – runs Windows 10 and is equipped with a keyboard folded into the case to replicate a laptop set-up.