Relentlessly Purple

I was sent a Nokia 8110 4GB Slide Phone from Ao to review last week in black! Full of nostalgia, this mobile phone is based on the iconic 1996 model featured in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix. With a more modern, sleeker look and feel with 4G capabilities and even a 2MP camera, the retro Nokia 8110 is available in black or yellow from Ao.com for £65. HMD is producing a ‘Nokia Originals’ range which started with the 3310 followed by the 8110.

Inside The Box

• Handset
• Battery
• Charger
• Headphones

Specifications

• Slide Phone
• Dimensions – (H)13.3 x (W)4.9 x (D)1.5
• 2.4 Inch Screen
• MicroSim 
• MicroSD Slot – Expandable up to 64GB
• Micro USB charging 
• 2MP Rear Camera with LED Flash
• KaiOS
• 4GB Memory
• 4G & 3G
• Bluetooth 4.1
• Dual-Core (2×1.1 GHz Cortex-A7) 

Handset

The new Nokia 8110 is a much sleeker version than the original Nokia 8110. Still keeping its curve but doing away with the aerial makes the 8110 nice to look at and hold. The curve can make it a little awkward to carry in pockets but if you’re looking for a touch of nostalgia this is the perfect phone.

Unfortunately, unlike in The Matrix, there is no spring-loaded action for the slider although this was considered. It’s a shame as I think this would have packed the perfect punch but then I guess if it had any issues it could be quite costly for a budget phone.

I love the slider, it locks and unlocks the screen with a satisfying click. It definitely gives off that nostalgic look and feel of the 90’s

 

Setting Up

The 1500mAh battery needs to be put into the handset and charged before use and only took just over 2 hours to fully charge. I inserted a microSIM and turned the device on. 

The phone runs on KaiOS and turns on fairly quickly. When the phone turns on you are prompted to connect to a wifi network. I connected to our home Wifi using the T9 input which I found easy reverting back to, even after all these years! The wifi connected quickly and I was taken to the next screen where I was prompted to create a KaiOS account with an anti-theft service. A KaiOS account allows you to remotely lock or wipe all the data on your phone.

Once the set up was all done I just needed to synch the time correctly and the Nokia 8110 4G was ready to go!

Display

For a phone with a tiny 2.4inch screen, I expected to find a blocky looking interface. The QVGA resolution means although it is a tiny screen is displayed really well although as it is LED it isn’t easy to see in sunlight and you definitely won’t be watching HD videos with it.

Unless you open the slider you can’t really use the phone as it isn’t touchscreen, however, you can turn on the screen to check the time by pressing the power button on the right-hand side.  

Menu

I wasn’t sure what to expect when opening the Menu, I guess I only expect 5/6 items. There are all the typical options you’d expect from a mobile phone, Call Log, Contacts, Messages, Settings, Clock, Calander, Camer, Gallery etc. There there’s the KaiOS Store, Youtube, Assistant, Music, Video, Google, Google Maps, Note, Calculator, Recorder & a unit converter.

For a remake of a phone over 20 years old they have managed to squeeze quite a bit into this funky phone.  I was surprised to find not just a remake of the classic game Snake but 3 other games preloaded too.

Snake

Snake is the one game we ALL miss and remember about our beloved Nokia phones from the 90’s. Who didn’t love playing Snake, beating your top score? The remake of Snake is quite different, now the game is in colour and the snake can CURVE! As with the classic Snake, there are several levels getting harder as you go along. Collect the apples and make sure you don’t crash into the end of your snake.

The new version of Snake just isn’t quite the same. Whilst I can appreciate the need for a more updated version I think people will find the new version of Snake a bit too modern. It is still fun to play but just doesn’t have the same feel.

KaiOS Store

Running on KaiOS, the 8110 has access to the store which has 3 categories, Games, Social and utilities. I was quite impressed that there are several games available for the Nokia 8110. Social and utility apps are lacking slightly with just Twitter for Social and Weather & Maps for Utilities. When you consider the 1996 model though this is a hugely modernised phone!

Camera/Video

The 2MP camera, you can’t really expect a lot from but it will take a quick snap. You won’t be able to edit the image and you are very limited with sharing on social media but the Nokia 8110 does have a camera, flash and records videos.

Battery

The 1500mAh battery in the Nokia 8110 is designed to last 600 hours on standby and 7 hours talk time which is pretty impressive these days! Nokia is well known for their long battery life and users won’t be disappointed with the new Nokia 8110. Using Micro USB for charging makes it easy to charge anywhere.

Connectivity

With 4G and 3G capability, you can browse the web and access the internet. You can access Twitter, Google Maps, Assistant & browse the web. The Nokia 8110 does have limited access however it can be used as a wifi hotspot making this phone the perfect festival/holiday phone for everyone to connect to.

Overall Thoughts

The Nokia 8110 is a more modern version of the classic with a much smoother, sleeker look and feel. For a limited feature phone with a long battery life, it would be fantastic for festivals, holidays, backpacking & more.

At £65 this retro phone would be an ideal back up. It’s been fun playing snake again even if it isn’t quite the same and I can definitely see why the Nokia 8110 will appeal to a lot of people. As a blogger, I like the idea of being able to check twitter but not be bothered by other social media notifications when I need a break too. This phone could certainly serve several purposes. After the success of the 3310, I can see the 8110 doing just as well.

What do you think of the Nokia 8110 4G?