Even if you happen to be on an alien planet reading this, you know the new Nokia 3310 and the hype surrounding it. Apart from the name and that iconic design, there is nothing much to rejoice about Nokia’s blast from the past. Ever wondered, why?
The original Nokia 3310 was released in the year 2000 and ever since then, a lot has happened with Nokia. Both with the company and brand name. No matter which company owns the brand name, it will always be recollected as Nokia and their tag line.
Nokia released a bunch of Android phones and then surprised everyone with the relaunch of Nokia 3310. In a world of smartphones, Nokia released a feature phone. Isn’t this a reminder of their mistakes from the past?
That said, it is a reminder and that is all that it is what it is meant to be. Adhering to the Nokia tagline, this phone is the company’s way to re-connect with people. If you are sane enough to know the transition from feature phones to smartphones, you are undoubtedly well versed with the Nokia brand name.
New Nokia 3310 and the brand name
Although Nokia is rebranding itself as one of the best Android phone makers in the market, the release of the new Nokia 3310 marks another statement. They want to compete in all the segments they can. Releasing a feature phone with limited connectivity does fail to make sense, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Competing in a market filled with the best designs and features running on a similar platform will take something extraordinary other than brand name to leave a mark. Bring the same brand name into a market crowded with unknown names and the scenario changes.
Will it sell?
Imagine our world as an entire smartphone market. Search the number of Android, Windows and iOS users. Now you know that more than half our world’s population is either using a feature phone or awaiting wireless data connectivity.
In such a large market, the Nokia name is enough to bag in some serious numbers. It does lack most of the bells and whistles of today’s average smartphone and that is what makes it weirdly unique.
Feature phones sell in large numbers (especially in India) and most of it has to do with the best features for the price. Nokia’s latest 3310 is unambiguous when it comes to basic features and connectivity. If it is priced right in competitive feature phone markets, it will have huge sale figures.
We want it but do not need it
Marketed solely as a feature phone with an iconic history, the Nokia 3310 is a product desired by many, needed by few. We live in a world of 4G data transfers and the cell phone market is dominated by gorgeous touch screen displays, at least in urban areas.
So you have access and the budget to own a smartphone, but desire the new Nokia 3310. Does it make sense? No, it does not make sense when it comes to usability. If you desire the Nokia 3310, get it. Not for the features or for the phone that it is, but for fulfilling your nostalgia.
