The Nokia 3210 is back! Mini phone targets millennials

This month, Nokia released a newly designed 3210 4G version to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original 3210 phone. While the replica retains much of the original's design, it offers more colour choices and incorporates new features like 4G connectivity and QR code payment to appeal to Chinese consumers. Despite its unassuming appearance, the Nokia 3210 4G caused a sensation online, selling out during live sales broadcasts.

The classic Nokia 3210 phone, initially launched in 1999

The Nokia 3210 has been reintroduced with a fusion of its iconic and fresh colour schemes. Unboxing images are from RED

The "battleground" where this retro phone has sparked discussion is on RED, where numerous posts recommending the product have emerged. There are a few reasons behind its popularity:

1. Retro design: In today's era where smartphone performance is overflowing, this model, which has a 25-year history, is now available in new colors and new functions. It coincides with the trend in recent years where millennials have made everything related to retro, including clothing, music, and electronic products, into a fashion statement.

Fans on RED share the retro appearance of products and the operational interfaces of software. Images are from RED.

2. Old-skool cameras: The phone launched a slogan of "Replacing CCD Cameras." On RED, consumers are discussing its photography features extensively. In an age dominated by high-megapixel cameras, some youths aspire to capture retro-style photos with lower resolution using CCD sensors from the previous century.

The ability to take retro-style photos is the biggest selling point of this phone, attracting young people. Even though the price of ¥379 ($52.50) is slightly expensive, it still offers good value for money for fashion-conscious young people. Images are from RED.

Of course, this phone's drawbacks are quite apparent. Apart from its eye-catching design, its lack of support for the WeChat app, extremely low battery capacity, and a mere 2.4-inch mini screen may see interest wane. Many users have expressed returning to iPhone after losing the novelty. However this may hold some appeal:

3. Although most comments on social media cover its retro style and photography, we believe its simplicity holds appeal with some Chinese consumers as they opt for a simpler life with less distractions, bells and whistles on their phones - not that this is something Nokia has promoted in its marketing.

The key words used in the product promotion on Taobao are mainly "millennials," "student groups," and "retro styling." Images are from Tmall

It's worth mentioning that the Nokia 220 phone ranked first on the JD 2023 hot mini-phone sales chart with a total sales volume of ¥250 million ($35 million). Does this, once again, indicate that in today's highly saturated smartphone market, mini phones still have a place?

In 2023, the Nokia 220, priced at ¥297 ($41), topped the JD Mini Phone Rankings with a total sales volume of ¥250 million ($35m). The image is from JD