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

Record ID: 877528

  • Title: Nokia launch its new 3310 in Nigeria - but the original never lost its appeal across Africa
  • Date: 31st May 2017
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (MAY 31, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN A PHONE MARKET STREET VARIOUS OF PHONES ON DISPLAY ON STALL VARIOUS OF FRANKLIN AGALI IN HIS SHOP VARIOUS OF NOKIA PHONES ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRANKLIN AGALI, PHONE DEALER, SAYING: "I sell, like, 150 or 100 in a week because Nokia is a very strong phone and they have a good battery, you know, and people likes it." PHONE STORE VARIOUS OF BANNER READING: (English) "NOKIA 3310" VARIOUS OF NEW NOKIA 3310 PHONE ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLINS NWOSU TAKING ABOUT THE NEW NOKIA 3310 SAYING: "This is how the famous 3310 looks like, it is pretty smaller than the usual 3310 that we are used to but this is more beautiful, I would say. And pretty handy to use. This time it comes with a very beautiful camera at the side and a very nice colour, very unique." NWOSU HOLDING THE NEW NOKIA 3310 PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLINS NWOSU, PHONE DEALER, SAYING: "Nokia has always being the fastest selling device in Nigeria in time past, and people were attracted to Nokia especially because of its battery life. The famous thing about Nokia has been the battery life and the design is so strong, when it falls on the ground and then the battery, everything falls off, people just put it all together and your phone is back in shape. So people love the Nokia device because its is durable and of course the battery lasts for a very long time. So expectation is very high and people have started buying already." PHONE DEALER IN MARKET
  • 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: LVA0016J67D53
  • 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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