Back to a simpler time

Smartphones may have made some lives easier, but others long for the sturdier, uncluttered basic phone

March 01, 2017 12:15 am | Updated 01:21 am IST

The new Nokia 3310 model of Finnish HMD global at the Mobile World Congress.

The new Nokia 3310 model of Finnish HMD global at the Mobile World Congress.

My 60-year-old father has a smartphone but he uses it like a feature phone — only to make and receive calls. He never warmed up to the 5.5 inch touchscreen device, with all its impressive features, which was gifted to him. He finds it unwieldy, among other things. He says he misses his older phone, which was “simpler to use and maintain”. So when he heard that Nokia 3310 was being relaunched, he was relieved. “ Mere liye phone aa gaya (the phone has come back for me),” he said happily.

The Nokia phone reminds my father of simpler times when phones were sturdier, less cluttered, and with basic functions. “I won’t have to worry about the screen breaking, about pocket-dialling someone, and won’t have to charge it for a week at least. It will last me a good 4-5 years,” he says. Of course, his love for Nokia, like most Indians, also comes from the fact that it was his first phone. And like many college students who got their first phones from their parents, the Nokia was my hand-me-down too, a prized possession that I wrapped with a Spiderman cover. Spiderman’s eyes on the back panel lit up every time I received a call or an SMS.

Relaunch

Nokia 3310 was first launched in 2000 (it trended on social media then) and ruled the cell-phone market for years. In the technology world, where there is something new and exciting almost everyday, 17 years is almost like an era. So for HMD Global, the company which is now relaunching the phone, a lot is at stake. It is betting on nostalgia, the strong brand recall for Nokia, and the renewed demand for feature phones in emerging markets like India.

In this age of modernity, relics called feature phones still form 59% of the mobile handset shipment market in India. They “can’t be wiped off any time soon,” states a Cyber Media Research report. It estimated that mobile handset shipments in 2016 will touch 265 million this year, of which 116 million would be smartphones.

“There is a mismatch between the technology road map and the user priorities,” says Faisal Kawoosa, principal analyst for telecoms at CMR. “While the ecosystem is working to make data services more affordable, accessible and meaningful for the subscribers, the majority is still looking for a reliable voice communication.”

Smartphones may still be creating a buzz, but feature phones, the old rulers, are back to stake their claim for a place in the market. A lot of excitement is expected in this turf war among various companies such as Samsung, Micromax and Lava. For wistful people like my dad, it is heartening that devices exemplifying simpler, quieter times are making a comeback.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.