Nokia's next classic phone re-release is inspired by one of the best mobiles ever made

Nokia has been teasing the launch of its next retro phone release.

It first made that announcement at MWC 2024, alongside the Barbie phone while teasing the HMD Pulse smartphones – now fully launched. But it seems that Nokia is about to relaunch the Nokia 3210, too.

I had speculated about classic Nokia models that might make an appearance, but dismissed the Nokia 3210 because of its close relationship to the Nokia 3310. Now, according to details coming from NokiaMob, it seems that this is the next icon to get a nostalgic makeover.

According to the source, HMD Global held a launch event for the HMD Pulse phones in Kenya, and one of the things that was teased at the event was the Nokia 3210. The original source of the images seems to have been removed, but a thread remains from the launch event and details some of the other devices that HMD has recently announced.

Exactly when this phone will appear remains to be seen, as it's not listed on the company site. The fact that the source removed the post from Twitter suggests it's not yet getting a full reveal.

We don't actually know much about the new Nokia 3210, except that it will offer 4G connectivity, Bluetooth and the classic Snake game and there's a camera on the back.

What was so good about the original Nokia 3210?

The Nokia 3210 was launched in 1999, so the new model comes 25 years after its original release. The Nokia 3210 was also the first consumer device with an internal antenna, allowing Nokia to focus on design.

A big part of the design was the changeable cover, allowing personalisation of the phone and creating a thriving third-party accessory market. Personalisation was also reinforced through ringtones, with the Composer software allowing you to create your own tunes and sent them to friends.

It's said that Nokia sold 160 million units over the 3210, beating Nokia's famous 3310, which is said to have sold 126 million handsets. The Nokia 3210 doesn't have the same infamy as the 3310, which has been the subject of many memes thanks to its durability, but these phones were closely related in what they offered.

As mentioned, there's no word on when we might see the new Nokia 3210 officially announced, or how much it might cost – but HMD's Nokia Classics range has done well, providing feature phone choices for those who don't want a smartphone.

For reference, the Nokia 3310 costs £59.99 and we'd expect this new model to be somewhere in the same ballpark; the Nokia 3210 cost £149.99 when it launched in 1999.