Maria Glotfelter

Features Editor

Technology companies must compete with each other in the realm of mobile phones to gain the upper hand in the consumer market. This week is the Mobile World Congress will be held, which is the world’s largest gathering for mobile industry. Held in the mobile world capital Barcelona, the MWC hosts companies who will announce their new phone models for the 2017 year.

The HMD Global’s company Nokia has announced a new model that is reminiscent of a model released 17 years ago: the 3310. Will bringing an old model phone into the modern era of mobile technology backfire on Nokia or boost its customer base? The new 3310 will only have access to a dumbed-down version of Opera as its browser. However, a key asset of the new phone is its battery life: the 3310’s battery life can last up to 31 days in standby time. The new phone will have a 2-megapixel shooter and a 2.4-inch, 240.320 screen, which is by no means outstanding but still a better resolution than the original model. The phone is projected to cost $51. HMD announced three other models: the Nokia 3, 5, and 6. The Nokia 3 will be available for $150. It will have a 8-megapixel camera and a 720p display.

Listed at about $200, the Nokia 5 will have a 5.2-inch display of the same 720p resolution, a 13- megapixel camera, and a more updated Snapdragon 430 processor.

The new Nokia are described as “well-designed” by David Pierce, who wrote an article about the Nokia releases for “Wired.” The Nokia’s competitive pricing might just push them to the top of the competition to stand with Samsung and iPhone.

I have to give HDM credit for being true to the aim of “shooting for the middle.” They will be releasing phones of different price ranges which will be suitable for a variety of users. When I bought my Nokia phone, the key appeal to me was the price. I did not want to dish out hundreds of dollars for a top-tier phone. In my case, the expression “you get what you paid” is apt. My phone is the 634 model. However, some of my problems stem from the Windows processing system rather than the actual phone. The browser on my phone is horrendously slow, and over the past few months, I have been experiencing several glitches which will probably result in my getting a new phone.

For my Nokia, the greatest downfall to me is the lack of compatibility with apps because of the Windows processor. Often, for the newest apps, I find that they only have compatibility with Android or iPhone, but not the Windows processors. If I do download an app, it often does not work. To give Nokia credit, the phone was very cheap.

The Nokia 3, 5, and 6 will all run a clean, untouched version of Nougat. Nougat is the latest version of Android. According to Pierce’s article, all of HMD’s future Nokia phones will have the Android processor. Nokia may be making a comeback with its unique approach to its “new” model, and with the upgrade of Nougat for its actual new models. These models with the new version of the Android browser appeal to a variety of users, and I will definitely be keeping an eye on the latest Nokia developments.