Earlier this month, Finnish telecommunications corporation Nokia relaunched their iconic 3210 model as a commemoration of the phone’s 25th anniversary. Following the announcement, the company sold out all of its stock in China within 48 hours. It will take them until the 31st of May to replenish their second batch for the country.
The price point does not seem to be that bad. For approximately $90 customers can re-experience the supernatural wonders of SMS technology, a 2-megapixel camera, a built-in flashlight; and even (wait for it) a calculator.
Growing up in the ’90s was not all bad. Amidst the screeching noise of dial-up internet connections and the offensively bad haircuts, there were certain jewels that came along with growing up in the Backstreet Boys era.
We must remember that the ’90s was home to the miracle of the old-school Nokia cell phones. Compared to the smartphones we utilize today, these old-school Nokias were just about as useful as a doorstop. Nevertheless, I used the world “miracle” for a reason. It is because they possessed certain miraculous properties yet to be matched by their modern brethren and sistren.
Firstly, Nokias back then could last for over a week without being charged — depending on how addicted you were to Snake. If memory serves me well, I charged mine every Sunday. The Sunday schedule of my youth was clear — pray to the Almighty Lord, and charge my red Nokia 3315. All else were frivolous distractions of the sinner.
Secondly, old school Nokias were pretty much indestructible. One can sit on it, step on it, drop it on a concrete floor, or “accidentally” hit one with a hammer — and it will proudly uphold 99.9% of its form and function. There were no such things as “casings” back then either. Those old-school Nokias were tough. Just like a sturdy wise tortoise, its shell was its own casing.
They were also independent. They did not require the assistance of a supple condom-like apparatus to protect them from the batterings of daily existence. In fact, I can remember countless of times dropping my Nokia 3315 whilst running at full speed. Nothing so much as a barely visible scratch were the heights of its injuries.
Finally, old-school Nokias had this sublime property that most of us would happily pay for today — the property of not being addictive. In fact, many smartphone users today are paying good money to install apps that forcefully limit their social media intake and screen time exposures. Although screen time data were not collected back then; it is highly doubtful that they would be as worrying as the screen times of their modern counterparts today— which is averaging at 5–8 hours per day (depending on the demographics).
Given these virtuous properties (endless battery capacity, great robustness, and being inherently non-addictive), it is difficult to argue against coughing up $90 for the modern day 3210. At best, it is $90 worth of nostalgia. At worst, a $90 doorstop.
Hi Alvin. This is unrelated to the article, but have you checked your Instagram. I sent you a DM there.