Re-birthing a dinosaur: Nokia 3310

The phone sired by phones, the great grandfather of hardy hardware, the Nokia 3310 is back and more modern than ever. A cost effective, durable phone that is fabled by internet memes, this is the relaunch we have all secretly been waiting for. Like looking back at your primary school photos or listening to a Disney song, this is the embodiment of nostalgia – and that right there is the selling point.

A new offering from Nokia, launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, this much anticipated product looks and feels like the original, with a few modern alterations to it. Embracing the old look of a sturdy phone framed in the classic blue and grey shell, only the colour screen and two megapixel camera make you realise this is the modern take on a much loved phone model. And what would the 3310 be without snake? With the slithering friend back in action, this is better than stepping into a time machine.

While holding a much more advanced interface than the original Nokia 3310, as one would hope in this 2017, it is still seen as the affordable, durable and trustworthy phone option. Perfect for the common man who doesn’t have time for flashy apps and complicated systems, this is taking the cellphone back to its roots – a phone as it’s meant to be. While not quite on par with the smartphone market of today, this is not the app heavy, flashy, high-tech phone we are used to these days, but given that it is reliving a classic it is the draw of the nostalgia that Nokia seek to achieve.

An affordable phone model that gives you what you need, perfect for anyone who needs to work on a budget, this is a perfect option for those wanting to stay in contact without forking out heavy bills for a phone. The only hindrance that could halt the South Africa release would be the fluctuating stock markets and interest rates, making import and export a tricky business. A simple design with elegant additions, this is the phone for those without endless money to burn. Saving your wallet and giving you everything you actually need, is this one step back and two steps forward?