Nokia has officially re-launched everyone’s favourite indestructible phone, but if you’re planning to get your hands on one you may be left disappointed.
The new Nokia 3310 has a battery life of one month on standby mode, 22 hours of talk time and the original Snake game – but it won’t work in much of the world.
While many parts of the phone have been updated, the new version still communicates with networks with old frequencies used for the kind of connections before mobile Internet caught on.
The problem? Those frequencies (2G) have already been turned off in many parts of the world, including Canada and the United States, and are on their way out in many other countries too.
If you happen to buy the Nokia 3310 in Europe, but live in another part of the world – or travel to another part of the world – it may not be possible for your phone to do anything because it won’t be able to connect to the network.
So far, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan and the U.S. have shut down most of their 2G networks or will do so in the near future.
Unfortunately, this means that the phone will eventually become obsolete even in the markets that Nokia is targeting.
Considering Nokia is aiming the phone at people who like to travel as a robust alternative to a smartphone, this small but major design flaw could have huge consequences to those not blinded by the nostalgia trip.
The issue is that the phone only supports GSM 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, which is primarily used in most parts of the world like Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
But North, Central and South America use 850 MHz and 1900 MHz – frequencies that the new Nokia won’t be able to connect to.
The good news? If you’re planning on using your phone anywhere that’s not in the Americas – whether it be for everyday use or travel – you’re in the clear, for now.
