Yahoo Finance 
Nokia 3310 a no-no in Australia, but ‘dumbphone’ demand remains
It got huge reaction when unveiled to the world on Sunday, but the revamped Nokia 3310 won’t be sold in Australia.
Neither of the major Aussie telcos – Telstra, Optus will be selling the classic mobile, Yahoo7 Finance has confirmed, as it is incompatible with its networks.
The updated 3310, which boasts a super-long battery, the classic Snake game, 2 MP camera with LED flash and 16 MB storage, runs on the 2G network.
However, Australia’s largest telco, Telstra, has already decommissioned its old 2G mobile network, while both Vodafone and Optus will switch the off button on the antiquated network this year, as users embrace faster 3G and 4G devices.
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“While we think many Australians will appreciate the nostalgic value of an updated 3310, we have retired our 2G service and so won’t be offering the phone,” a Telstra spokesperson told Yahoo7 Finance.
However, there is ongoing demand for ‘dumbphones’ – devices devoid of internet and email access – despite the advent of smartphones, the spokesperson added.
Telstra sells several affordable 3G/4G handsets available for customers who use their phones primarily for talk and text.
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Optus, Australia’s second largest telco, also confirmed it has “no plans” to sell the 3310 either, amid plans to shut down its 2G GSM network on 1 April, which will also affect Virgin Mobile and amaysim customers. Vodafone were unavailable for comment at the time of writing.
However, priced at EUR49 ($A68), the much-loved 3310 will be sold in India and other emerging markets, where 2G is still working.
Just 140,000 basic mobiles or ‘feature’ phones as they are known, were shipped worldwide in the final quarter of last year, compared to 2.79 million smartphones, according to technology analysts IDC.
UPDATE: HMD, the Finnish makers of Nokia phones gave Yahoo7 Finance this statement.
“Nokia 3310 is one of the most iconic Nokia phones of all time. By reimagining it we want to show how we’re combining the best of the Nokia legacy with modern design and innovation.
We will start roll it out in Q2 to markets where a 2.5G device is demanded by our customers and consumers. We just announced it in MWC and we haven’t shared our plans for individual markets.”
