3310 reboot was sad: Can new Nokia 105 for Rs 999 help?
HMD Global-powered Nokia caught the smartphone industry by surprise when it revealed to the world its plans of rebooting the iconic Nokia 3310. The impact was such that even though the company announced its much-awaited foray into the Android space – the Nokia 3,5,6 – what garnered the most attention at this year's Mobile World Congress was the reboot of the 3310.
A feature phone high on nostalgic appeal, the new 3310 did decent business in western markets. Apart from making money, the phone, more importantly, got people talking about the Finnish phone maker again. Yet, the new 3310's journey to India did not prove too fruitful.
With an awkward price tag of Rs 3310, the reboot of the indestructible phone from our childhood failed to make a major impact in the crucial feature phone market in India. But from what it looks like, HMD Global is not yet ready to give up on this segment of the market which it once was the undisputed champion of.
Enter, the reboot of the Nokia 105 (2017).
Specifications
The Nokia 105 (2017) is a GSM phone which comes with a curved ergonomic polycarbonate body with a 1.8-inch QVGA coloured display at the front and a Micro-USB port (USB 2.0) and a 3.5mm audio jack at the top of the phone.
Under the hood it packs 4MB of RAM and 4MB of non-expandable storage which lets users store up to 500 text messages and up to 2,000 contacts. With an 800mAh battery, the company claims the phone can offer up to 15 hours talk time, 44 hours of FM radio music playback and a month of standby time. The feature phone runs on the Nokia Series 30+ software platform and comes pre-loaded with apps like Snake Xenzia.
Learning from the mistakes of the 3310 reboot
Learning from the reception given to the reboot of 3310 by Indian buyers, the Nokia 105 (2017) has been priced more attractively. The feature phone starts at Rs 999 for the single-SIM variant, while the dual-SIM model of the phone will be made available for Rs 1,149. Both variants will be available for retail starting July 19 at over 80,000 brick and mortar stores across the country.
Available in three colour options with matte finish – blue, white and black – the new feature phone has clearly been priced for battle in the important feature phone segment that is currently being dominated by lesser known Chinese phone makers offering cheap knock-offs for as little as Rs 500. The entry of Nokia in the sub Rs 1,000 segment as such could change the status quo and create the impact HMD Global envisioned with the Nokia 3310 reboot.
Targeting "4 billion people" who remain offline
However, as was clear through the words of Arto Nummela, CEO, HMD Global, it's not just the sub Rs 1,000 segment in India, but a bigger piece of the pie that a reinvigorated Nokia has set its sights on. To cater to "more than 4 billion people remaining offline and unable to benefit from the social and economic development opportunities of the internet" the phone maker at the launch event also announced the Nokia 130 (2017).
The redesigned Nokia 130 comes with improved specs – bigger 1020 mAh battery and 32GB MicroSD slot– along with better entertainment and media-related features such as an inbuilt VGA camera and MP3 support.
Though no pricing details are available for the phone yet, owing to its improved specs, it is expected to be priced a little higher than Nokia 105 (2017) to fill the void between the new feature phone and Nokia 3310 reboot.
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