This week, Nokia is expected to announce two new Windows Phones, alongside Microsoft"s BUILD developer conference in San Francisco. But ahead of that event, Nokia surprised us by announcing the launch of yet another device, the Nokia 3310 with PureView.
The new handset is a striking homage to the original 3310, which sold in spectacular volumes around the world. After its launch in 2000, over 125 million of them were sold, and Nokia is evidently keen to relive those glory days. But with today"s launch, Nokia has brought the 3310 right up to date.
The 3310 with PureView features the stunning imaging technology from Nokia"s own Lumia 1020, including a 41MP sensor, ZEISS optics and twin LED and Xenon flash. Curiously, though, you won"t find a front-facing camera here.
Nokia seems particularly proud of its achievements, particularly in managing to condense the massive 41MP PureView camera into the 3310"s form factor. The dimensions and weight of the new 3310 with PureView closely mirror those of the original device: 113 x 48 x 22mm, and 133g.
Up front, the device includes a highly unusual curved 3-inch ClearDiamond touch display, eschewing the traditional rectangular format of most smartphones. Nokia has carried out extensive modifications to the Windows Phone OS to accommodate the unconventional shape of the display. Below the screen, the familiar Windows Phone trio of hardware buttons have been neatly incorporated into the 3310"s design.
2GB of RAM is included, along with 32GB of on-board storage and microSD card support. A 1.5GHz dual-core processor is less than we would expect for a modern handset, but at least the 1430mAh battery is removable.
Initially, the 3310 will support only 3G networks; a second version supporting 4G LTE connectivity will launch later this year. All 3310s will come with include Snake II pre-loaded.
Four colour options are available: yellow, blue, red and green. Nokia has not yet announced details of pricing or availability.
Source: Nokia | Happy April Fool"s Day! ;-)