Nokia unveils four new phones — but the biggest applause is for the latest version of an old classic

NOKIA is making a big comeback in the mobile phone industry, not with pioneering technology, but with the relaunch of an old favourite.

PROVING that everything old is new again, Nokia made its mark on the world’s biggest mobile phone show today, unveiling four new smartphones and one old phone made new again at a packed press conference.

But while the Finnish company that once dominated the smartphone world drew cheers for its new modern phones, the biggest applause was reserved for the unveiling of a revamped Nokia 3310, revealed while a choir sang its once ubiquitous messaging tone.

The new Nokia 3310 comes with battery power capable of 22 hours of talk time.

Nokia’s comeback followed a similar scene-stealing announcement at Mobile World Congress by BlackBerry, which is also seeking to reclaim a stake in the phone market and win back old fans.

The second coming of Nokia’s basic but best-selling smartphone was revealed by HMD Global chief executive Arto Nummela in a move stolen from Apple, waiting until the very end of the event to reveal “one more thing”.

The new Nokia 3310 will be even more easy on batteries than the previous version, he said, and would deliver 22 hours of talk time, or “up to 10 times more than the original one”.

The phone also comes with “one month standby time” and a revamped version of its snake game.

Mr Nummela said the new 3310, with a slightly more modern design, would also feature “one month standby time,” the original Nokia ringtone, and a revamped version of the Snake game it made famous.

The Nokia 3310 will sell for 49 euros ($67) and, with the other new phones in Nokia’s range, are due to go on sale in the second quarter of the year.

Mr Nummela said the Nokia 3310’s relaunch was part of a larger relaunch for the brand, and revealed another four more modern smartphones designed to create “the next chapter” in Nokia’s story.

“We are very humble by this challenge but at the same time we are very, very, very ambitious,” he said.

Hours and hours of fun even on a basic phone.

Nokia’s new top smartphone, the Nokia 6 Arte Black Limited Edition phone, will feature a 5.5-inch touchscreen in a metal body for 299 euros, while Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 smartphones feature smaller screens and prices, with the latter priced at just 139 euros.

Nokia also revealed it would rebrand health devices, including connected weight scales and step-tracking smartwatches, from Withings with its own branding.

The one-time mobile phone leader’s unexpected comeback has not been the only taste of retro phone action in Barcelona this week, however.

Arto Nummela did a ‘Steve Jobs” at his presentation with a big announcement right at the end. Picture: AFP/Josep Lago

Nokia’s announcements followed a similar comeback attempt by BlackBerry this week, as TCL Communications launched the BlackBerry KEYone device: a touchscreen smartphone with a 4.5-inch touchscreen on top and a 35-button keyboard beneath it.

Both phones will go head-to-head with new releases from Huawei and LG revealed at the Spanish show today.

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson travelled to Barcelona as a guest of Sony Mobile.