Nokia has gone full-on retro on their Mobile World Congress presentation with their remake of the Nokia 8110 model. It is presented as a banana phone that pays homage to their iconic slider handset that was used by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. This device is set to have a market value of $100 for this nostalgic piece that served as the first slider phone in 1996.
The new Nokia model will be 4G compatible, although it won’t be a proper smartphone since it will run KaIOS instead of Android. Nokia is making a statement about the smartphone industry and taking a shot at reinventing completely practical old-school devices that will meet basic functions and needs like phone calls, SMS, and more exclusive Kai apps
8110 represents nostalgia and that is its target, plus its basic features and elegance are set to be an unexpected hit for nostalgia users looking for something a bit more light on tech. It comes with a 2.4-inch screen powered by KaiOS and it is expected to be an important milestone for the software maker aiming at the creation of an amazing OS for affordable devices.
Surf, chat and stream on 4G LTE with the new #Nokia8110 4G. Slide open to pick up calls and slide back to end them. An iconic design. Now made better. Hang up in style. For the originals. https://t.co/b2oqWiWw1l pic.twitter.com/BzjN3UCGkL
— Nokia Mobile (@Nokiamobile) February 25, 2018
Nokia’s new management and KaiOS
Nokia now releases their phones under the Finnish company HMD, which goes well with Nokia by putting the design up front alongside practicality. HMD, however, has been trying to carve a spot as a leading brand on the international low-end mobile phone business. Currently, they’ve got flagships from $800 to $79, so it looks like they’re trying to fill every blank on the market.
HMD is a Google partner, which means that other Nokia smartphones are still part of the Android ecosystem. World Mobile Congress phones that were presented by the firm like the Nokia 8 Sirocco, and the Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6, and entry-level Nokia 1, won’t have any new other additions to it, other than just a new hardware design.
We are proud to unveil the next chapter in our story with five spectacular releases to suit everyone – welcome to the family: Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 plus, the new Nokia 6, Nokia 1 and Nokia 8110 4G! #MWC18 pic.twitter.com/8VC9vNmzPc
— Nokia Mobile (@Nokiamobile) February 25, 2018
Nokia’s new HMD management seems to have taken an interesting role in the company’s development after several failed attempts at breaking in the smartphone business. This ended up with Nokia delegating the area to their unsuccessful Lumia division, which developed under Microsoft’s Windows Phone.
HMD decided to bet on Nokia’s strengths, which are good hardware and design above all else, and to cover the software side of things by relying on Google’s Android and now on KaiOS for their devices on the budget end of the spectrum.
Source: HMD Global
