Nokia launch its new 3310 in Nigeria - but the original never lost its appeal across Africa

Record ID: 877527

  • Title: Nokia launch its new 3310 in Nigeria - but the original never lost its appeal across Africa
  • Date: 31st May 2017
  • Summary: PEOPLE WALKING / COMMERCIAL BUSES ON THE STREET
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2017 18:37
  • Keywords: Nokia phone technology Africa market
  • Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA
  • City: LAGOS, NIGERIA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Economic Events
  • Reuters ID: LVA0026J67D53
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: For Europeans, Nokia's revamped 'brick' is a throwback to a simpler, more innocent age, when phones were for speaking and reading on the train meant buying a newspaper.
    For Africans, however, the jazzed-up 3310, which triggered ripples of nostalgia and curiosity when it went on sale this week in Europe, is an overpriced imitation of the simple handset that remains the backbone of communication across the continent.
    Although mobiles are now as common in Africa as they are in the United States or Europe, smart phones are rarer, making up only one in three handsets in South Africa and one in four in Nigeria, according to a 2016 study by the Pew Research Centre.
    In many cases, the cost of both handset and data is the main factor constraining smart-phone sales, but Africans also like the legendary durability of the 'brick' and its weeks-long battery - important considerations in countries where insurance and electricity cannot be taken for granted.
    The original Nokia 3310, a basic talk and text phone, was the world's most popular device in 2000 and the first handset owned by many of today's smartphone users.
    The old Nokia has another advantage - its lack of high-tech wizardry means it is untraceable and unhackable.
    The makers of its revamped cousin hope that its 22 hours of talk time and up to one month of standby time will heighten its appeal for customers looking for a break from smartphone overload or a reliable device for lively nights out.
    However, against the competition on the streets in Africa, the new 3310's $52 price tag is likely to raise eyebrows.
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