The second
After May’ s relaunch of the Nokia 3310, tech journalist Shane Richmond asks: does every customer need the latest and greatest gadgets, or is less sometimes more?
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Mission Impossible 2 hit the box office and the Spice Girls had their last number one single. France won the European Championships and the Sony PlayStation 2 was released. The year 2000 wasn’ t that long ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago.
That’ s especially true for mobile technology. In 2000, it was at such an early stage that it’ s almost unrecognisable today. Hand most people a Nokia 3310( released that year) and they wouldn’ t know what to do with it. No Snapchat, no Facebook, no apps at all really, unless you count primitive Snake. But at the time, it was a huge hit.
It was a breeze to use, it was virtually indestructible, and Nokia produced 126 million of them before phasing it out in 2005.
And now it’ s back. At Mobile World Congress in February, HMD Global, which owns the Nokia brand, unveiled a revamped 3310 with a larger screen but a similar design to its predecessor and, of course, a new version of Snake.
Digital detox
It will be 2G-only at launch and will appeal in developing countries as a cheaper mobile option that doesn’ t need daily charging. The new 3310 will last a month on standby and gives 22 hours of talk time.
CONNECTED | June 2017
Nevertheless, it might also appeal to Brits who fancy a digital detox and are tired of being distracted by the call of social media apps. It makes a good backup phone, stashed in the drawer or the glove compartment, and its durability means it’ s a cheap option for summer festivals.
In other words, sometimes a device like this is just right. The new 3310 is not unusual in that respect. It’ s easy to think that someone who comes into the shop should always walk out with the latest and greatest bit of kit, but actually the key is to make sure that they get something that suits them.
For example, imagine that someone walks into the store looking for a device to use for reading e-books. A tablet would do that and more but they might have no use for the extras. An e-reader could be just right. Someone who comes into the store wanting a camera to take snaps at a family birthday probably doesn’ t need to walk out with a digital SLR and several lenses.
The technology world marches on but, as Nokia have realised, sometimes it’ s best to take a step back and give customers what they really want and need.
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