Noupe Editorial Team August 7th, 2020

Once Upon a Time: Old Nokia Phones That Ruled the Roost

Technology always moves forward. That is why today we hardly see those old school phones we had in the 90s.

Going way back in time, you will remember that our phones were not always this smart. There was a time when Nokia was the biggest company in the market and Nokia phones had a glorious reputation.

Not to mention the brand was one of the first to launch a commercialized consumer handset, with the Nokia 1011 in 1992.

Nokia phones were essentially engraved on the minds of millennials as they were the first generation who were born in the era of the first-ever portable mobile phones. Who can ever forget the iconic Snake game, right?

Until today the company has released dozens of models. Make no mistake, there were some groundbreaking Nokia phones and some were not so great.

That’s why we’ve handpicked old Nokia phones exclusively for our old school readers.

Editor’s note
: This post will be a trip down memory lane and may not be appropriate for some readers. Gen Z, we mean it!

Nokia 1011 (1992)

Nokia 1011 model phone

The Nokia 1011 was highly influential in the digital handheld phone history, not just because it was Nokia’s first mass-produced GSM phone, but also it had a quite elegant design for its time. It was not huge at least. Weighed 475 grams, this archaic device was able to make calls as well as send and receive text messages. How comprehensive, right? 

Nokia 2110 (1994)

Nokia 2110 model phone

Believe it or not, Nokia 2110 was famous for being the smallest GSM phone and was one of the best you could possibly find in the 90s. At the time the Nokia 2110 was quite expensive. This phone really stuck out by being the first phone with the Nokia tune. Yes, you heard it right.

Nokia 8110 (1996)

Nokia 8110 model phone

How cool can a phone get, you asked? Well, this curvy slider used by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. Designed for the business market, the signature banana phone 8110 was the first of Nokia’s high-end 8000 series and also one of the first examples of slider phones.

Nokia 9000 Communicator (1996)

Nokia 9000 Communicator phone

Considered to be the first smartphone, Nokia Communicator had it all. It squeezed all the features of a computer into a pocket phone. The 9000 communicator was ahead of its time with a full QWERTY keyboard, web browsing, email, word processing, and 8 MB of memory features.

Nokia 7710 (1999)

Nokia 7710 model phone

This was the first mobile phone that packed wireless application protocol also known as WAP. Simply put it allowed users to access information from the internet. Even though its data rate wasn’t advanced enough to rock the world, users could still check their emails. Not bad at all!

Nokia 3210 (1999)

Nokia 3210 model phone

This model didn’t have anything spectacular, no internet connection, camera, or a slider keyboard. Yet it managed to be one of the bestsellers at the time with more than 160 million users.

Nokia 7210 (2002)

Nokia 7210 model phone

Finally, we started to see some color. Nokia 7210 had an unusual accessory that was just starting to appear in the early 2000s, an attachable camera. The camera somehow saved 7210 from downfall since its keyboard design was not only ugly but also quite impractical.

Nokia N-Gage (2003)

Nokia N-Gage model phone

Experimental yet still a disappointment. Combining a phone and a game console. N-Gage must have been the perfect phone, right? Wrong. It was not a huge hit after all as it was assumed it would be. Not to mention you had to hold it in a very awkward and uncomfortable position during phone calls. 

P.S. There are also websites that allow you to play old mobile games.

Nokia N91 (2005)

Nokia N91 model phone

Not so easy on the eyes, Nokia N91 is doomed to be one of the ugliest Nokia phones. Nothing spectacular in terms of the specifications except for its generous internal music storage of 4 GB.

Nokia 3310 (2000)

Nokia 3310 model phone

We’ve saved the best for last! Even today rock-solid 3310 finds its way into memes. Arguably can save you from a bullet, Nokia 3310 was a superphone and maybe the most iconic Nokia phone of all time.

nokia 3310 meme

Sold over 125 million, this tough boy had a battery life that won’t quit. If you’ve used it at some point of your life and still have it somewhere, you better check, it may still be on.

If you’re of a certain age, you probably owned one of these unbreakable models. These were the ones still linger in our memories. If you still have your old Nokia phone kicking around in a drawer somewhere, tell us in the comment section, which one was your favorite.

Featured Image by Jorge Barrios

Noupe Editorial Team

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11 comments

  1. Where is Nokia 1100…. it was also a best selling phone….

    Am still a active user of Nokia…. now having the Xpressmusic 5310 2020….

  2. I remember looking at the 3210 for the first time in1999, i said to myself that i would never desire another phone again if i had one.. Its still a looker

  3. Thank you for this article !
    I still have my Nokia 8110 – the original banana phone. I always feel I am in the Matrix when ever I take it out and look at it.

  4. Still have and use my Nokia 3310. Twice have dropped it on busy city streets and easily put it back together myself. I love it and it speaks to “They don’t make them like they used to”.

  5. I love 3310, E71, and N6500. With 3310, I literally could type a sms and sent it out without looking at the phone at all. Usually I did it during meetings in the office. :P
    E71 with QWERTY keys also very convenient to type, and I love the keypad surface and its metal surface. I still have my E71 phone, though the start button is already loose. It’s something I will keep for old time sake.
    And I also love my N6500. My first N6500 in silver colour was stolen after several years of using, and I bought the second hand N6500 in black colour (they don’t sell it anymore in stores). Yes, the N6500 is still here and function well. I like the slider and Carl Zeiss lens.

  6. I am surprised to see no mention of the 5100 series or what made Nokia the original consumption mobile device: fashion faceplates.

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