Do you remember your first phone? The thought of mine brings a tear to my eye. It was a beautiful blue Nokia 3310 — and it was borderline indestructible. Best of all, the handset had the greatest mobile feature of all time: Snake.
It also offered calls and SMS, but I had little use for those extravagances. I had a pay-as-you-go contract, and money was tight back then. I also had a home phone — and Mum footed the bills. As for SMS, what was the point of that when you had the joys of MSN Messenger available for free?
Mobile calls and texts were strictly reserved for emergencies — like getting attacked in the street. Unfortunately, when that moment came, the assailants also stole my beloved Nokia 3310.
Those were the days. They were also the days when Europe led the world in mobile telecoms. Finland’s Nokia was the world’s largest handset manufacturer, with Sweden’s Ericsson holding down third place. US rival Motorola sandwiched the two Scandinavian competitors.
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Yet none of them could maintain those positions for long. Europe lost its lead due to slow adoption of smartphones, weak software ecosystems, and fierce competition. American and Asian manufacturers now dominate the industry.
But Europe’s old mobile guard isn’t finished yet. The continent’s phone makers are still finding new routes into the market.
One of them stems from the resurgence of dumbphones. A reminder of simpler times, the basic bricks offer a digital detox and an escape from relentless data harvesting.
A range of new versions have recently been launched. Older ones are also enjoying comebacks — including the legendary 3310.
Hackaday recently spotlighted a technique that revitalises the classic handset: installing a USB-C socket.
The mod is the brainchild of Andrea Salvadori, a developer based in Italy. Salvadori adds the USB-C port by integrating a small adapter into the phone. He’s selling the parts online for €25.
My beloved 3310 would have cherished the upgrade, but the old device is sadly no longer with me. Thankfully, a host of modern dumbphones are now available.
Europe’s dumbphone rally
Many of the new dumbphones are made in Europe. One that’s caught our eye is the plastic-and-fantastic Barbie Phone. Built by Finland’s HMD Global in partnership with Mattel, the handset launched last year.
HMD bills the handset as a tool to “take a vacation from your smartphone.” It features a few basic apps and one extremely intriguing game: Malibu Snake. Digital wellbeing tips and “Barbie Meditation” are also available on the flip phone.
TNW contributor Siôn Geschwindt was dazzled by the device. Well, his four-year-old daughter was. “I love that pink one,” she said. “Wow stickers. I want it!”
Adults have also been impressed, but the lurid pink and Barbie branding aren’t for everyone. Fortunately, there are numerous other dumbphones on the market.
An impressive number of them are built by European companies. Among them are the Nokia 2660 Flip, the Swiss-made Punkt MP02, and the 6820 from Swedish firm Doro.
Europe may have lagged behind in the smartphone era, but the continent is now leading the dumbphone revival.
