Strayfire's Nokia 3310 3G (2017) review!

Introduction
I’ve had a Nokia 3310 3G for a while now, but I haven’t had enough time to review it properly. For reference I bought the Vodafone variant from Woolies for $29. I’ve seen reviews of the 3310 3G online but they seem to completely miss the whole point of the phone. It’s either a phone for the elderly, young primary school kids or someone trying to do a “digital detox” like myself. Trying to respond to 1,367 Outlook emails on the phone, 22 Facebook chats at once while playing Pokemon Go is absolutely not what this phone is designed for, sorry Tim.

What’s in the box?

• Nokia 3310 3G “Charcoal” TA-1036 (Dusty Red is exclusive to Vodafone/Coles)
• Some cheap earbuds with mic
• Vodafone $10 starter kit (1GB data + unlimited talk/text for 7 days)
• 1x SIM ejector
• 0.5A Nokia branded charger with non-removable MicroUSB cable

Physical features
A gray polycarbonate pebble shape. I have to say, going from an oversized Nokia 8 to the Nokia 3310 3G, the phone sits in the hand like a dream. It is pleasant and easy to hold. The buttons are responsive and easy to press. Unlike the classic 3310, the directional buttons are in a nice d-pad shape. Lighting up buttons thrills my inner 2000s child. Other reviwers say the buttons are terrible. Coming from a Nokia X1-01, I prefer the Nokia 3310 3G’s buttons.

Looking back onto my Nokia X1-01 from 2011, the difference in screen size is noticable. By 2018 standards the 3310 3G’s screen is tiny, but against a classic Nokia, it looks massive in the same way that a Mi Mix with a 6.44” screen would look against my Nexus 5. Giving the bigger screen to the 3310 3G was certainly the right move as it helps alleviate the eye strain I used to get with the X1-01. In 2018, the flash on the camera is greatly appreciated. Not because you’d want to take photos with this phone (camera is only serviceable) but because the flashlight function is too useful in a pinch. Camera quality is mediorce, but it will get the job done. For $29 we can’t expect much. Text can be a little blurry.

Software
It runs some version of Symbian. No unique ringtones for special contacts, no text size adjustment. Basically a reduced Symbian with fewer options. Annoying. It should have gotten the best version instead. Still servicable. Bluetooth contact sync for Android is an absolute godsend for a feature phone, but the sync is tempermental. Once I copied contacts over, it refused to sync more new contacts I’d made in the ensuing months after I got my Nokia 3310 3G. I had to reset the phone before I could sync those new contacts across.

I didn’t care to test games on my Nokia 3310 3G. I’m here for a digital detox. If you’re interested, I would like to point you to Duke’s review of the Nokia 3310 3G.

Network
3G Network Band
850/900/2100 HSPA

The Nokia 3310 works fine with a Kogan SIM inside. Haven’t gotten around to testing other Vodafone MVNOs, but I imagine the situation will be the same. Phone is network locked ($25 to unlock the phone). Like the Nokia 3, I had no trouble getting Vodafone online support to unlock the phone for free, using the classic “going overseas” line.

Performance
For a brand as storied as Nokia, I had high expectations for call quality. I have to say the call quality is very disappointing. Perhaps there’s some sort of voice codec issue, but more often than not I found weird distortions in voice calls I haven’t experienced on my Nexus 5, Nokia 3 or 8. It seems like the 3310 3G will downgrade voice quality one step; friends I’d normally get excellent call quality with only sounded okay, the real kicker is that friends with okay or bad voice quality became unitelligible, to the point where I had to guess most of the words they were saying. Going by comments on Whirlpool, I’m not alone. I have tested this phone on both Vodafone and Telstra with the same garbled voice quality issue. The other issue here is that occassionally, voice calls will glitch out and give you weird continual noises akin to a security alarm instead of dial tones. Once the person you're calling picks up, it still plays that "alarm" sound, with the only recourse being to call them again.

Symbian S40 is lightweight enough that I didn’t notice any lag or stuttering on the 3310 3G. Waiting for apps to open can be frustrating. It takes about 25 seconds to boot up.

Battery life
I managed to get about a week of usage or more, depending on how much I used the phone. Where the flaw of most smartphones is idle battery drain and losing half your charge in a day of standby, the 3310 3G struggles in sustained use. It will take a ~2.5 hour voice call or ~4 hrs of FM radio on speaker to kill it where a smartphone would last far longer.

Updates
What updates?

It’s a shame. I think the call quality issues could possibly be solved by an update. A waste really, HMD.

Other
A big gripe with this phone is that you can call without unlocking the phone. Should something in your pocket press against 9, 0 or 1 while your phone is locked it will jump directly to “emergency call” even if there is no passcode on your phone. On my Nokia X1-01, the design is far more sane – to make an emergency call one needs to unlock the phone by pressing hang up (red) and asterisk (*) in quick succession. Should the other button not be pressed within a few seconds, the phone locks again, avoiding a situation of “butt dialing” emergency services. I live in perpetual fear of “butt dialing” 000 with this phone. Our first responders are busy enough without having to deal with 000 being butt dialed by stupidly designed 3310 3Gs.

I really like having the Nokia 3310 3G. I’ve spent several days without my smartphone and only my Nokia 3310 3G. It really helps me get things done because I’m not randomly seduced by endless chat apps, websites and games. Today I managed to do a load of laundry, dishes and make lunch before going to work. Usually I just stare at my smartphone in bed until I need to go to work. It’s a liberating feeling to be apart from your smartphone, but also something that creates immense withdrawal (something I will expand on later).

Conclusion
Unlike Tim, I have reviewed the Nokia 3310 3G as fairly as I can in the designed use cases for the phone, however I have come to a similar verdict. As a basic phone, the Nokia 3310 3G fails in its most basic function: calling. Voice quality is a notch worse than all smartphones I have tested, to the point where I have to actually spend words writing about the quality of the call. Calling is also unreliable with inexplicable issues. The inability to avoid “butt dialing” is supremely annoying. My memory of the Nokia X1-01 makes me wonder why HMD has made a Nokia that has regressed so much. Yes, it helps you with a digital detox and retraining your brain to resist the urge to check OzBargain for the 10th time in an hour. Battery life is beyond fantastic. It removes so much battery life anxiety. I still don’t think the phone overcomes the issues it has with call quality.

Verdict: Would I buy this phone again? No, 3.5/10 (@ $29).

I will be reviewing the Nokia 8110 4G soon once I receive it in December. For me, price isn’t too important and I’m hoping HMD has addressed the issues I have with the 3310 3G in the 8110 4G.