Nokia launched the unique 3210 all the way in which again in 1999, however this basic telephone has been given a spit and polish and is again on the cabinets in 2024. It is now bought a coloration display, 2-megapixel digital camera and 4G LTE and comes with a price ticket of £75 within the UK — round $95, AU$140.
As a characteristic (or “dumb”) telephone, it would not have apps, NFC, wi-fi charging or a touchscreen. You’ll be able to form of browse the web and ship SMS messages by tapping on the keys time and again till you get the letter you need — the thrill of a T9 keypad.
Whereas the telephone’s rerelease is arguably one thing of a gimmick by Nokia and its father or mother firm HMD, the 3210 does boast a protracted battery life and a really small design. So these of you seeking to swap off from the hustle and bustle of recent life however nonetheless need to be contactable in case of emergencies could effectively discover some use in it.
Right here, then, are some questions you might have about this telephone.
Telephone meets boot.
Can I stand on it?
The unique Nokia 3210 and 3310 turned memes over time as a consequence of their iconic sturdiness. The brand new mannequin feels extra plasticky to carry than I bear in mind the unique being, however I donned a sturdy pair of Nicks leather-based boots and put my complete 205 pound weight on the telephone. It creaked unpleasantly, but it surely did not shatter or crack so I am assured it may put up with a good quantity of abuse.
That mentioned, it would not have any sort of waterproofing, as has turn out to be customary on most trendy smartphones, so you will need to be very cautious round liquids or taking calls within the rain.
Snake in 2024.
Can I play snake?
Sure, Nokia’s basic recreation Snake is preloaded and stays moderately addictive. There are additionally cut-down variations of Crossy Street and Doodle Leap on the telephone and whilst you get three makes an attempt at enjoying every recreation totally free, you will 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 net browser. There isn’t any app retailer so you will not be capable to obtain WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify or Netflix. Utilizing this telephone means shutting your self off from social media. Perhaps that is an excellent factor.
CNET spends some huge cash on web site design and this telephone ruins it.
The Opera Mini browser does can help you entry the web, but it surely’s not a nice expertise, with web sites being extraordinarily tough to view and navigate utilizing the telephone’s buttons. Nonetheless, for checking climate studies or sports activities scores, it is most likely adequate.
I need to dwell prefer it’s 1999, what else can I do?
Hit up your nearest thrift retailer for some basic ’90s threads, ask all of your colleagues to “fax it to me” while you’re in a piece assembly and hear solely to Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee), Witch Physician by The Cartoons and, in fact, No Scrubs by TLC.
Then you should purchase 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’ve got bought a protracted await 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 perpetually?
No, however you may count on 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 and 4G connectivity are approach greater energy drains than the OG mannequin needed to take care of.
Can I take images with it?
There is a 2-megapixel digital camera on the again, but it surely’s terrible so do not count on to do a lot with it. Even in good circumstances pictures look poor, with horrible publicity, picture noise and colours. It is rather more akin to the kinds of telephone cameras you’d discover on telephones within the early 2000s, and in case you care in any respect about taking good pictures, then it will not be the telephone for you.
I’ve by no means seen a rainbow look so depressing.
What as soon as have been pretty inexperienced leaves at the moment are grim, desaturated circles of unhappiness.
No thanks.
I’m wondering the place Nokia even bought such dangerous digital camera 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 may hearken to common scheduled AM/FM programing with it, if that is your factor, however you will not be capable to use Spotify, Tidal or Apple Music. You’ll be able to, nonetheless, load music recordsdata (I will not ask how you’ve got acquired them) onto a 32GB microSD card and play them with the telephone 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 by the Bluetooth headphones, solely by 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 folks understand how cool and retro I’m?
You may need to make up to your lack of social media visibility by going further onerous on the ’90s thrift retailer vogue. That approach, there will be no query who essentially the most retro is round right here. Failing that, contemplate a leaflet drop from a scorching air balloon or a focused marketing campaign of mail-outs, despatched by service pigeon, in fact.
When you bear in mind feverishly texting your folks on buttons like these, preserving the character rely low so that you solely needed to pay for one textual content message then whats up, good friend, what plans do you’ve 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 telephone in your pocket. Its lengthy battery life and relative sturdiness means it might be a helpful backup telephone in case you’re going tenting for a couple of days.
I personally would not need to use such a fundamental characteristic telephone as my foremost telephone, and as CNET’s Jessica Fierro came upon, dwelling with out a smartphone is extra problematic than it would seem. Nonetheless, in case you’re determined to modify off from social media for some time, it could be the answer you want.