Nokia launched the unique 3210 all the way in which again in 1999, however this traditional cellphone has been given a spit and polish and is again on the cabinets in 2024. It is now bought a coloration display screen, 2-megapixel digicam and 4G LTE and comes with a price ticket of £75 within the UK — round $95, AU$140.
As a characteristic (or “dumb”) cellphone, it does not have apps, NFC, wi-fi charging or a touchscreen. You may kind of browse the web and ship SMS messages by tapping on the keys many times till you get the letter you need — the fun of a T9 keypad.
Whereas the cellphone’s rerelease is arguably one thing of a gimmick by Nokia and its guardian firm HMD, the 3210 does boast an extended battery life and a really small design. So these of you trying to swap off from the hustle and bustle of recent life however nonetheless wish to be contactable in case of emergencies could nicely discover some use in it.
Right here, then, are some questions you might have about this cellphone.
Cellphone meets boot.
Can I stand on it?
The unique Nokia 3210 and 3310 turned memes over time attributable to their iconic sturdiness. The brand new mannequin feels extra plasticky to carry than I keep in mind the unique being, however I donned a sturdy pair of Nicks leather-based boots and put my whole 205 pound weight on the cellphone. It creaked unpleasantly, but it surely did not shatter or crack so I am assured it could possibly put up with a good quantity of abuse.
That mentioned, it does not have any sort of waterproofing, as has turn into commonplace on most trendy smartphones, so you may need to be very cautious round liquids or taking calls within the rain.
Snake in 2024.
Can I play snake?
Sure, Nokia’s traditional recreation Snake is preloaded and stays fairly addictive. There are additionally cut-down variations of Crossy Street and Doodle Bounce on the cellphone and when you get three makes an attempt at enjoying every recreation at no cost, you may have to then purchase every one for the price of 10 worldwide textual content messages (or about £5/$5).
Can I obtain apps and browse the web?
No. There is a Fb app emblem within the menu, but it surely’s only a shortcut that opens the Fb web page on the Opera Mini internet browser. There is no app retailer so you will not have the ability to obtain WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify or Netflix. Utilizing this cellphone means shutting your self off from social media. Possibly that is a superb factor.
CNET spends some huge cash on web site design and this cellphone ruins it.
The Opera Mini browser does let you entry the web, but it surely’s not a pleasing expertise, with web sites being extraordinarily troublesome to view and navigate utilizing the cellphone’s buttons. Nonetheless, for checking climate reviews or sports activities scores, it is most likely enough.
I wish to stay prefer it’s 1999, what else can I do?
Hit up your nearest thrift retailer for some traditional ’90s threads, ask all of your colleagues to “fax it to me” once you’re in a piece assembly and hear completely to Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee), Witch Physician by The Cartoons and, after all, No Scrubs by TLC.
Then you should buy a CD-ROM to guard your laptop from the Y2K Millennium Bug and crack open a Coors or Miller Lite as a result of sadly you have bought an extended watch for the craft beer revolution to kick in.
Do not be fooled by the Fb emblem; there are not any apps right here.
Does the battery final ceaselessly?
No, however you’ll be able to anticipate to get a number of days of use from a single cost. It will not final weeks at a time as the unique could have been in a position to as the brand new coloration display screen and 4G connectivity are means larger energy drains than the OG mannequin needed to deal with.
Can I take images with it?
There is a 2-megapixel digicam on the again, but it surely’s terrible so do not anticipate to do a lot with it. Even in good circumstances photos look poor, with horrible publicity, picture noise and colours. It is rather more akin to the types of cellphone cameras you’d discover on telephones within the early 2000s, and should you care in any respect about taking good photos, then it will not be the cellphone for you.
I’ve by no means seen a rainbow look so depressing.
What as soon as had been pretty inexperienced leaves at the moment are grim, desaturated circles of unhappiness.
No thanks.
I ponder the place Nokia even bought such unhealthy digicam models from. Did they’ve them left over from again within the day or are these new cameras merely designed to be appalling?
Can I hearken to music?
There is a radio in-built so you’ll be able to hearken to common scheduled AM/FM programing with it, if that is your factor, however you will not have the ability to use Spotify, Tidal or Apple Music. You may, nevertheless, load music information (I will not ask how you have acquired them) onto a 32GB microSD card and play them with the cellphone and you may even join a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
The again cowl comes off revealing the battery and SIM card slots.
Oddly, although, I could not get the radio to play via the Bluetooth headphones, solely via the speaker or utilizing a pair of wired headphones plugged into the three.5mm jack.
If I can not use Instagram on it, how will individuals know the way cool and retro I’m?
You will need to make up to your lack of social media visibility by going further laborious on the ’90s thrift retailer vogue. That means, there will be no query who probably the most retro is round right here. Failing that, contemplate a leaflet drop from a sizzling air balloon or a focused marketing campaign of mail-outs, despatched by service pigeon, after all.
When you keep in mind feverishly texting your pals on buttons like these, conserving the character rely low so that you solely needed to pay for one textual content message then whats up, buddy, what plans do you’ve gotten to your upcoming fortieth? How’s your decrease again? Mine’s terrible.
Ought to I really purchase it?
The Nokia 3210 is a enjoyable novelty for these of you who, like me, grew up with the unique cellphone in your pocket. Its lengthy battery life and relative sturdiness means it could possibly be a helpful backup cellphone should you’re going tenting for just a few days.
I personally would not wish to use such a fundamental characteristic cellphone as my foremost cellphone, and as CNET’s Jessica Fierro came upon, residing with out a smartphone is extra problematic than it’d seem. Nonetheless, should you’re determined to modify off from social media for some time, it is perhaps the answer you want.
