Nokia 3310
The brick phone that became a meme—Nokia's 3310 was the phone that survived drops that would kill any modern device. Released in 2000 and sold over 126 million times, it was famous for its indestructibility, the built-in Snake II game, interchangeable colored covers, and the iconic Nokia tune ringtone. It was the anti-smartphone years before the smartphone era, representing the peak of durable simplicity.
Nokia released the 3310 in 2000 as the successor to the hugely popular 3210. It was a study in industrial design: a rectangular brick wrapped in durable plastic, with a battery that lasted for days and a predictable feature set. The phone became famous for its indestructibility—a Nokia 3310 could survive a fall down stairs and years of pocket lint without missing a beat. This durability became its legend; decades later, memes circulated claiming Nokia 3310s would survive a nuclear apocalypse.
The 3310's killer features were simple and beloved: the built-in Snake II game that you could play for hours, the ability to compose your own monophonic ringtones, and the Xpress-on interchangeable colored covers that let you customize your phone. The Nokia tune—a simplified version of 'Gran Vals' by Francisco Tárrega—became one of the most recognizable ringtones in history. With over 126 million sold, it was one of the best-selling phones ever, representing the apex of the durable mobile phone before the smartphone revolution rendered it obsolete.
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