Nokia 3310 remake could make it to Australia after all
There is still hope the returning Nokia 3310 could work in Australia, despite compatibility issues with the country’s mobile network.
Nostalgia has been the order of the week at this year’s World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, as all eyes were locked on the Nokia throwback.
HMD's decision to re-release the classic handset has stolen the thunder from much more advanced devices, despite its pared back list of features.
But Australians seemed to be set to miss out, with confirmation the new 3310 would run on 2G networks.
Australian mobile providers are in the process of killing off their old 2G networks but HMD Global President Florian Seiche told 7 News technology editor Djuro Sen the phone could still make it into Australian hands, with the possibility of a special 3G version on the horizon.
“We’re very well aware, we’ve had many conversations and now we’re busy at work taking that feedback,” he said.
“We would one day love to have the 3310 also for the Australian consumer.
“We’re working on it.”
Telstra CEO Andy Penn said his company would also like to see the 3310 return to Australia.
“If we can convince the guys at Nokia to issue the phone in 3G we’ll have it working in Australia,” he said.
The original Nokia 3310 has become the stuff of legend since its first release in 2000.
While it came with little web-surfing ability in the pre-smart phone era, it entered mobile folklore because of its tough build quality and its long battery life.
The new version is a sleeker design and comes without most of the modern smart phone bells and whistles.
Like the original, the re-release will also take a Spartan approach to features but is expected to feature the same legendary battery life and resistance to damage.
It even comes with Snake and is expected to cost about $67.
