The Nokia 8110, fondly known as the ‘banana’ phone, is making a comeback in 2018. HMD Global has launched the revamped version of the iconic Nokia 8110 with 4G LTE connectivity at Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona on Sunday. The retro phone is priced at EUR 79 (or approx Rs 6285 and will become available in May. The reincarnated version of the Nokia 8110 comes in two colour options: Traditional Black and Banana Yellow.
The Nokia 8110, released in 1996, achieved cult status for its curved back and sliding keyboard cover. Many also remember the Nokia 8110 as the phone that featured in the movie “The Matrix”.
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The refreshed version looks similar to the original 8110, although the design is more contemporary. The modern version has a colour screen and significantly slimmer profile. It also retains the retro feel of the original handset, with its curved back and manual-sliding keyboard. Nokia 8110 4G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 205 mobile platform.
While the revamped version of Nokia 8110 remains a basic feature phone – HMD Global, which owns the rights to market the Nokia brand, has added a super fast 4G connection. And the addition of Wi-Fi hotspot option is a plus point, along with the support for an App store to download apps, such as Google Assistant, Google Maps, Facebook and, Twitter among others. And yes, it even has Snake game.
The Nokia 8110 was first launched in 1996. (Photo: Wiki commons)
HMD Global says the new Nokia 8110 is a ‘fun’ device that caters to anyone who wants to experience fast 4G data speeds and significantly improved browsing capabilities. The most important point to note here is that there is a segment that is content with a budget phone, and perhaps the reason why the Nokia 8110 4G exists.
With the Nokia 8110 4G, the Finnish company is once again betting on the nostalgia factor. Back in February, HMD Global got a lot of buzz for its revamped version of the classic Nokia 3310 – one of the best-selling mobile phones of all time – at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at indianexpress.com who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin.
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