Finnish brand Nokia recently unveiled a revamped version of its iconic 3310 model and telecommunications company Digicel plans to make it available in Jamaica this summer.

“The Nokia 3310 was one of the best-selling devices among our customers as it was not only durable but ahead of its game in terms of technology,” Michelle Anderson, Digicel’s director of distribution and retails channel, told DigIT in an email conversation recently.

The company broke into the Jamaican market with the Nokia 3310 in 2001 and amassed 100,000 customers in its first 100 days. Its clientele continued to grow and within just over a year, its customer base had surpassed 350,000.

Anderson said, “Digicel is always looking to deliver the latest innovation to our customers; as such, we are already in discussions with the supplier on the release of the new Nokia 3310 this summer. As always, we will assess the demand for the device to ensure our customers’ needs are met.”

The telecoms company ceased selling the Nokia 3310 in June 2002 after acknowledging that there were problems with the device, including that some of the screens were fading, creating a problem among customers.

Despite being phased out more than a decade ago however, the re-launch of the 3310 with the classic ‘Snake’ game was a hot topic among Jamaica Observer readers, many reminiscing on the robustness of the handset and expressing interest in buying the latest version.

“As long as them build strong as the first one I would trade my note for it,” Mortica P said on Facebook, while Lois A Clarke commented: “I must get one when it reaches Ja.”

Described as the armoured truck of cellphones, readers recalled that the device could withstand rough conditions and was easily reassembled after a heavy fall.

“The 3310 was the boss of phones. I was so addicted to the snake game omg. I realise more and more people are buying one high-end phone and keeping a low-end one as well. The 3310 could fall a million times and would still work. Hope this model will be durable,” commented Alexis F.

On social media, the sentiments were similar as users praised the long battery life and durability of the Nokia handset.

“I had one. I remembered once it dropped in a pot of water and still worked,” said Jalisa R.

The new 3310 will offer a two-megapixel camera with LED flash for simple snaps, colour screen and a longer-lasting battery with 22 hours of talk-time — more than ten times the battery life of the old model — or up to a month on standby, once the battery is fully charged.

“Remember when you could leave the house without a charger? Well, with the new Nokia 3310, you can,” Nokia promised in its official press release.

However, responses to the re-launch were not all glitz and glam. Among the praises were also disapproval from Jamaicans, as some thought the new device could not match up to its predecessor.

University student Melissa W believes that Nokia already had its chance and could not compete with smartphones currently available.

“Based on what I’ve heard so far, there’s nothing spectacular about this phone. It’s not even a smartphone. We’ve moved past this a long time. And, in a time when we are up to 4G LTE connectivity, why would anyone want to go back to 2G? Maybe this will be a good phone for ‘schoolaz’ (schoolchildren). Less distraction for them,” she told DigIT recently.

May J, a Facebook user, also thought it would be perfect for students, saying: “Very good news for parents whose kids spend too much time on social media than on their school work.”

DigIT sought the opinion of a few high school students, some of whom claimed they were unaware of the re-launch but knew of the previous model through older siblings and parents.

After naming the features of the new 3310, one male student, who didn’t wish to be named, said it was pointless and he would have no interest in anything outside of a smartphone.

“If my mother or father want to waste dem money then fine, but I wouldn’t use it. That’s something from their time. Texting and calling outdated. Matter of fact, I make most of my calls with WhatsApp anyway and that is free once you have (data) service or Wi-Fi,” he said. His peers agreed.

Meanwhile, tech experts have already expressed that the 3310 might be useless in the US, Australia and Canada where the 2G connectivity for calling and texting offered with the handset is becoming increasingly outdated.

In addition, Nokia retained the 900MHz and 1800MHz frequencies when networks in North, Central and South America use 850MHz and 1900MHz, making the 3310 unable to connect to and use those networks.

The phone maintains most of its simplicity as it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity and cannot install apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram.

Being 115.6 x 51 x 12.8 mm in size, the new 3310 is thinner than its predecessor and includes an FM radio and MP3 player for music as well as 16 MB storage plus a MicroSD card slot with support of up to 32 GB.

It also comes in four colours — glossy red, glossy yellow, matte dark blue, and matte grey.