The “remastered” Nokia 5310 doesn’t even have 3G in 2020

Based on recent behaviour, Nokia appears to have found a niche in the vastly saturated world of mobile devices: the throwback champions, the nostalgic category of feature phones. We’ve seen the re-release of iconic phones like the Nokia 3310 with 4G support (yay!), and theoretically, the phones are probably aimed at developing markets.

Now, HMD Global have announced a new addition to the Nokia Originals cast: the Nokia 5310.

Just like the original, 2007-edition 5310, Nokia’s latest throwback device is seemingly geared towards users who use their smartphones as music devices—basically everyone in 2020. There are dual front-facing speakers, a 1,200mAh battery (MicroUSB) that “will be there for you day after day”; Nokia promises a standby time of up to 22 days. That said, using it as a music playback device will certainly affect battery life, I’m guessing.

You also get an FM radio receiver, which… might come in handy for some of you, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s Bluetooth 3.9, and there’s also a MicroSD slot which can support a 32GB card. You’re definitely going to need it—the Nokia 5310 only has 16MB of onboard storage and 8MB of RAM.

It runs on Nokia’s Series 30+ OS, and is powered by MT6260A, and there are two variants available: Dual SIM and Single SIM models. Unfortunately, it looks like the Nokia 5300 is missing one very crucial thing: 3G.

The reality is that even with improved speakers and internals, even for its nostalgic value, the lack of 3G is a pretty big surprise. The Nokia 3310 reboot (which also runs on Series 30+) had a 3G version—even a 4G variant.

Maybe Nokia are betting that those who do buy this phone won’t be relying on it for much connectivity needs. This is, after all, the Nokia Series 30+ platform, so no WhatsApp. Still you’ll get internet access, and a 3G variant might still appeal more to the Nokia 5310’s target audience.

We don’t have exact details on Malaysian pricing for the Nokia 5310 just yet, but HMD Global says that there will be White/Red and Black/Red variants available at a global average retail price of EUR39 (about RM184).

[ IMAGE SOURCE ]

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