HMD Global Announces New Nokia 3310 3G, Works In US

HMD Global has announced that it will be launching a slightly upgraded version of the 2017 Nokia 3310. The biggest difference with this version of the Nokia 3310 is that it will now include a 3G radio and will work in the United States.

“Our reimagining of the Nokia 3310 has been a global and cultural phenomenon. In a world dominated by smartphones, the mix of nostalgia and a beautiful phone that just keeps going has captured people’s imagination,” HMD Global chief product officer Juho Sarvikas said. “Our fans around the world have been asking for this iconic phone to support 3G. Fans asked, we listened, and today welcome the Nokia 3310 3G.”

The new Nokia 3310 3G will be available some time in mid-October across several markets. The first country to get the phone will be Australia, but the plan is to slowly roll out its availability worldwide. The Next Web reached out to Sarvikas on Twitter and he confirmed that the Nokia 3310 will indeed work in the US.

The inclusion of the 3G radio makes it faster to download large files and some apps like Facebook, Twitter and Skype. The 3G radio also makes it possible to support more networks in the US and Canada. The previous iteration of the 2017 Nokia 3310 reboot didn’t support 900 Mhz and 1800 Mhz frequencies, which are the two cellular frequencies supported in the US.

Since HMD Global added a 3G radio, this iteration of the 2017 Nokia 3310 will have some slight design changes. First off, the Nokia 3310 3G will be slightly beefier. The 3G model will actually be 13.29 percent greater in volume when compared to the non-3G model, according to TechCrunch.

HMD says that the slightly larger size will actually make the Nokia 3310 3G more ergonomic. The slightly larger size allows the keys and button to be spaced out a bit more to make the typing experience more comfortable.

The addition of the 3G radio in the new Nokia 3310 also has one disadvantage. Apparently, battery life of the phone is shorter than the 2G model. The Nokia 3310 3G will only be able to deliver up to 6.5 hours of talk time. The 2G version of the feature phone was able to deliver up to 22.1 hours of talk time. Despite of that slight disadvantage, standby time is actually longer than the 2G model. The Nokia 3310 3G can last up to 27 days on standby, whereas the 2G model could last 25.3 days.

The Nokia 3310 3G is also running a different operating system than its 2G counterpart. Sarvikas confirmed on Twitter that HMD had to create a new OS to match the added 3G support. He also said that it will be easy to use and will include “some cool new features.”

Lastly, the Nokia 3310 3G is slightly more expensive. The device will sell for €69 or around US$83. The 2G version of the 2017 Nokia 3310 is being sold for €49 or around US$58.