The Brick Is Back: Nokia Launches Modernized Version of Popular 3310 Phone

Many folks find fancy phones extensions or enhancers of their personalities, with each application and upgrade, no matter how minor, as means to claim clout. Other individuals have a casual approach to technological consumption, and those Simple Simons and Susans will soon have a wonderful way to keep complexity at bay through the Nokia 3310, an HMD Global-developed cell that launched last month and that represents a remake of the original device released 17 years ago.

Affectionately known as the Brick, the modernized item, which its Finnish overseer unveiled Feb. 26 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, will likely see a full-scale market presence by the end of next month, according to a GSM Arena description that includes ample specifications. While the exact date remains a mystery, buyers will certainly enjoy the design’s nod to nostalgia and the gadget’s alterations with respect to the predecessor, including more than 10 times the battery life (Now, won’t that just put a charge in users’ daily lives!), a camera and a color screen.

In keeping with the theme of simplicity, though, the compact product will lack Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity and will not allow the installation of global constants such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Along with the 3310, the manufacturer has unleashed upon the masses the Nokia 3, 5 and 6, giving it a quartet of goodies to strengthen its status as a reliable entity.

The announcement comes at an interesting time in the evolution of cell phones, as Apple looks to take additional bites out of the competition with the to-be-determined release of its 10th anniversary iPhone. That desired device has made waves already, as The Wall Street Journal reported that the company might rely on a USB-C port rather than the five-year-old Lightning port, a move that would certainly alter the accessories market.

Should it catch on, the Nokia 3310, because of its no-frills nature, could fuel more discussions on trading cost for convenience and renown for reliability with respect to add-ons. (One big question: What will the extra-long battery life mean for sales of power banks and similar products?) If it merely attracts people seeking a throwback to pre-iPhone days, here’s hoping Nokia pushes all the right buttons in renewing acquaintances.