Nokia's Famously Indestructible Phone Rumored To Be Returning To Shelves

NPR | By Camila Domonoske

Published February 15, 2017 at 3:11 PM EST

The original caption for this photo of the Nokia 3310, which was released on Sept. 1, 2000, noted that the phone had advanced features like "voice dialing, picture messaging, predictive text input and games." No camera, though. And no Siri.

On Sept. 1, 2000, the top movie in the country was Bring It On. The No. 1 song was Janet Jackson's "Doesn't Really Matter," from Nutty Professor II. And the newest cell phone on the market was the Nokia 3310 — a sturdy little brick of a phone.

A lot has changed since then. Lin-Manuel Miranda turned Bring It On into a musical. Everyone pretty much forgot about the Nutty Professor II. The iPhone transformed the cell phone market. But get ready for a blast from the past: Rumor has it the Nokia 3310 might be making a comeback.

For some people, the phone never really went away. Sure, it was technically "retired" in 2005, after selling some 126 million units (according to Nokia.)

But a few die-hard fans refused to retire their devices, noting the convenience of a battery that lasts for days. And even those who moved on to shinier smartphones still fondly remembered the 3310 — and as touchscreen after touchscreen shattered, they thought back wistfully to the old phone's near-indestructibility.

The phone eventually gained a legendary reputation on the internet as the "Chuck Norris" of phones, with an everlasting battery and supernatural strength, destined to survive the apocalypse and capable of standing in for hammers when necessary.

Now there are rumors that the 3310 will be moving from nostalgic Internet meme back into stores — for real.

VentureBeat, citing an anonymous source, reports that HMD Global Oy — the company that now owns the right to the Nokia brand — will be releasing a "modern version" of the "classic workhorse" later this month. The new phone will cost just over $60, the site reports.

A HMD Global spokeswoman would not confirm the report, telling NPR, "We don't comment on rumours or speculation."

As we wait to see if the rumors are correct, why not play a little Snake?

Or you can watch valiant souls test the 3310's storied durability, with drones ...