Design
The 3310 is a compact, but somewhat heavy (133 g) phone featuring an 84 x 48 monochrome display. It has a lighter 115g battery variant which has fewer features. For example- the 133g battery version has the start-up image of two hands touching while the 115g version doesn't. It is a slightly rounded rectangular unit that is typically held in the palm of a hand, with the buttons operated with the thumb. The blue button is the main button for selecting options, with "C" button as a "back" or "undo" button. Up and down buttons are used for navigation purposes. The on/off/profile button is a stiff black button located on the top of the phone. It has a very sturdy design which was a big contribution for its success.
[edit] Features
The 3310 is known for having many features built in. These include many utilities, such as a calculator, Nokia network monitor,Spy Bug Phone,stop watch and a reminder function. It has four games, 'Snake II', 'Pairs II', 'Space Impact', and 'Bantumi'. It was popular for SMS because it allowed long messages three times the size of a standard SMS. The phone also has voice dialing for the quick dialing of selected numbers.
Customization
The Nokia 3310 can be customized with interchangeable covers, and thousands of different designs have been produced by various companies. It also has over 35 ringtones built in with space for seven custom tones. These can either be downloaded, or can be composed by the user using the tone composer. The phone has different "profiles" which can adjust the phone to different sets of preferences. For example, there is silent mode where the phone will not ring when inappropriate to do so. Screensavers can be made from received picture messages. It has the option to set a reminder message that displays when it is turned on.
[edit] Variants
3315, 3390 and 3395
The Asian version of the 3310 is the Nokia 3315 which has some additional features:
- A picture editor to edit pictures for use in SMS Picture messaging & screensavers on the phone
- Timed profiles
- Could use received ring tones as SMS tones
- Fixed some of the bugs found in the 3310
- Automatic keypad locking after specified time
- Peanut-like inter-connected silicon keymat
- Singaporean and Malaysian sold 3315s also had a blue backlight for the LCD screen and keypad, as opposed to green.
- Similar design to its successor (The Nokia 3410)
The 3315 was also released in Australia. Most versions of the 3310 could be upgraded to include the additional features of the 3315 by using a data cable.
There are two North American variants of the 3310; one is the Nokia 3390, which operates on GSM 1900. The Nokia 3395 is an updated version of the 3390 which includes the additional features of the Asian 3315 model, and it has poor reception if you are in a GSM 850 area.
WAP-enhanced models (3330 and 3350)
The Nokia 3330 was basically a 3310 with a SMS-based WAP capability, animated screensavers, a pinball game named 'Bumper', and phonebook in the phone memory (100 entries) as opposed to being stored on SIM-card in earlier models. It also has the capability of downloading game packs via WAP (Snake II mazes, Bumper tables, Space Impact chapters). Without true GPRS connectivity the WAP feature proved unpopular and the version was unable to replace the 3310 in the European market.
An Asia Pacific-only version, known as the Nokia 3350, was in essence an improved 3330 with WAP, rhythmic backlight alert, animated screensavers, two-way Navi-Key, dedicated call and hang buttons, Chinese lunar calendar and a 96x65-pixel screen. Some 3350s have back covers that feature a photo-insert window, allowing users to put personal pictures from photographs, magazine cut-outs, etc.
AMPS/D-AMPS-based versions (3320 and 3360)
The Nokia 3360 and 3320 are related models designed for the U.S. and Canadian markets respectively. They are externally similar to the 3310 and 3390, but use Digital AMPS ("TDMA")/AMPS technology rather than GSM.
Like the Asian 3350, they include two dedicated call and hang buttons and two soft keys. They also feature an infrared port. Unlike the 3390, the 3360 and 3320 do not support voice dialing. At 4.8 ounces each, they are also slightly heavier than the 3390, which weighs 4.2 ounces.
Modifications
Old Nokia 3310s (which are often available for a small fraction of their original price) are frequently sought out by hobbyists for their screens. These are graphical LCDs with a resolution of 84x48, and include a Philips PCD8544 controller which is easily controlled using an SPI bus.
The mobile phone features an MBus (Nokia) and FBus. [2]
