Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - Nokia hopes to lure consumers to its smartphones, using the nostalgic 3310 as a gateway. Nokia's licence holder, HMD Global, aspires to cash in on the brand's iconic following a decade ago, to build a new business empire.
HMD Global SA managing director, Shaun Durandt told Fin24 that the Nokia 3310 serves as an important marketing tool, designed to attract new clients to the manufacturer’s stable of mobile phones. Harnessing the phone's brand presence and fun interface, Nokia hopes to land consumers that originally fell in love with the brand, but also to attract a new generation of movers and shakers.
“The priority and focus is on smart devices and the 3310 is one of many hooks back into the Nokia brand. The way we position our brand, the way we position our products as well as Nokia devices now running Android, are all ways we are getting people to love the Nokia brand,” he said in an interview.
Last week Monday HMD global announced that the 3310 would now be on sale in South Africa.
READ: Nokia 3310 to land in SA soon
“The 3310 is a fun and great device. We are hoping that fans of the brand will take notice of it and that it will lead to further exploration of the stable of Android-powered Nokia smartphones,” he added.
The new 3310 was relaunched earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona alongside the Nokia 3, 5, and 6 Android devices.
The Nokia 3, 5 and 6 are competitively priced smartphones featuring high-end specifications found in more expensive devices available on the market today, from competitors such as Apple, Samsung and Huawei.
Durandt said that the company was confident that fans of the brand would spot the value in the new line of HMD Global's smartphones.
While Asian manufacturers Samsung, LG, Huawei, Xiaomi and US manufacturer Apple have a strong presence in South Africa, recently launched UK brand STK along with Nokia looks to attract a significant share of the market for European makers as well.
READ: Nokia 3310 'a refreshing digital detox' for smartphone-weary users
HMD Global recently acquired Nokia's licensing rights, to produce mobile devices emblazoned by the iconic brand which saw 75% market share in numerous countries during the 90s and early 2000s.
The company’s focus is now to produce competitively priced smartphones and devices that can compete with the market's current popular and best offerings.
First launched in the year 2000, the 3310 became one of the most popular cellphones in South Africa and one of the most successful in the world, setting the benchmark for the cellphone industry in the early 2000s.
The new 3310 is currently available at Cell C and is expected to be available from other retailers by mid June.
