Nokia 3310 Mobile Phone

The Nokia 3310 vintage mobile phone was one of the most popular phones ever made by Nokia selling over 126 million units and gaining the iconic status as a classic vintage phone.


History of Mobile Phones Includes:
Cellular telecommunications history     Cell phone systems table     Vintage & classic mobile phones     GSM history     UMTS history     5G history & timeline    


The Nokia 3310 was one of the most popular phones that came from the Nokia stable. Being small, easy to carry and with a very easy to use interface while providing a god number of facilities, it was an obvious choice for many at the time.

The phone was launched on 1st September 2000 and released to the marketplace later that year. This was a time when phones were being launched very frequently to meet the needs of the market at the time.

Front view of the Nokia 3310 vintage mobile phone Side view of the Nokia 3310 vintage mobile phone Underside view of the Nokia 3310 vintage mobile phone connections Internal view of the Nokia 3310 vintage mobile phone

The 3310 replaced the very popular Nokia 3210 that had been an astounding success previously. Now, the 3310 was set to take over the mantle of being one of World's the most popular phones ever.

The Nokia 3310 was such a success because it was compact, easy to use and had a number of key features such as the game Snake that became quite an obsession to many.

In addition to this, it was possible to customise the case with one of the cases provided by Nokia, or one of the very many vendors who sold a much wider variety of highly coloured covers making it possible to have a totally personalised and unique phone.

In addition to this, it was possible to create or download different ring tones. This was something that Nokia understood would help build its following.

The phone was renowned for its durability - it was probably even more durable than its predecessor, the 3210.

The phone was produced in Europe at both the factory in Finland and the one in Hungary. However other variants for other markets and for use on other types of network, were also available. The type numbers included Nokia 3315, 3320, 3330, 3350, 3360, 3390 and 3395.


Nokia 3310 Vintage Mobile Phone Specifications & Parameters
Details are for the original 3310
 
Parameter Details
Launch date September 2000
Technology GSM
Dimensions 113 x 48 x 22 mm, 4.45 x 1.89 x 0.87 inches
Weight 133g 4.7 oz
Display Monochrome graphic
Card slot No
Phonebook On SIM only
Call records 8 dialed, 8 received, 8 missed calls
Camera No
Loudspeaker No
Alerts Preloaded monophonic and downloadable ringtone, vibrate. 6 ringtone levels
Wi-Fi No
Bluetooth No
GPS No
Messaging SMS
Clock Yes
Alarm Yes
Games Snake II, Pairs II, Space Impact, Bantumi
Calculator Yes
Battery BMC-3, removable 900mAh NiMH
Standby time 55 - 260h
Talk time 2.5 - 4.5 h

Latest Nokia 3310

So popular was the 3310 that an updated version was released in 2017 and it is still available. The style has been made a little more up to date and the phone includes a camera.

The modern 3310 phone also includes the iconic snake game, so if you want a trip down memory lane, it is possible with this phone.

However the new version of the 3310 still only runs on GSM 900 and 1800 MHz, so before buying one of these it is worth remembering that 2G won't be around forever. In some countries 3G is being withdrawn and there is talk of 2G following the same fate. So it is best to check what is likely to happen before buying.

But looking through the specification it has a whopping standby time of 31 days (eat your heart out Apple and Samsung), and 22.1 hours talk time.



The Nokia 3310 phone was one of the most successful phones of its time. Its looks combined with its functionality and robustness as well as some of the features meant that it was a real winner for Nokia and also for those who owned one. So much so that you can even buy a new one today.

More History:
Radio history timeline     History of the radio     Ham radio history     Coherer     Crystal radio     Magnetic detector     Spark transmitter     Morse telegraph     Valve / tube history     PN junction diode invention     Transistor     Integrated circuit     Quartz crystals     Classic radios     Mobile telecoms history     Vintage mobile phones    
    Return to History menu . . .