Former mobile market leader Nokia has re-released its classic 3310 model at Mobile World Congress, 17 years after it was first launched.
The iconic handset was a massive hit with users back in 2000 and now the mobile phone giant is relaunching it with a month-long battery, 22 hours of talk-time, and even its popular game, snake.
The 3310, with a slick new look that pays homage to its original design, was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.
Available in four colours, the updated device will cost £41.While the handset looks similar to its predecessor, Nokia has brought its new model up to date and instead of the original display, a monochrome 84 x 84, it has a colour screen.
However, it has limited internet capabilities, relying on 2.5G connectivity, with users browsing at speeds slower than if they were using 3G.
It also has a single camera which has just two megapixels.
The phone, which sold 126million handsets until it was phased out in 2005, will be sold by Finish company HMD Global.
The new version will bring back its predecessor’s popular “Snake” game and distinctive ringtones, said Arto Nummela, the head of Finnish start-up HMD Global which will produce the phone under a licensing agreement with Nokia.
“The telephone will allow you to talk for 22 hours, ten times more than the original,” he said during a presentation in Barcelona on the eve of the start of the Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest mobile phone show.
Launched in 2000, Nokia’s original 3310 sold nearly 120 million units worldwide before it was discontinued in 2005, making it one of the world’s best-selling mobile phones.
Last year HMD bought Microsoft Mobile’s handset business and the right to use the Nokia brand.
Under the agreement, Nokia will receive royalty payments from HMD for sales of every Nokia branded mobile phone or tablet.