Is nostalgia dead? Let’s talk about the classic replica models in the mobile phone circle

Some time ago, Nokia launched Nokia 150. Although the name is different, many old users recognize that this phone is a replica of Nokia 6300 from 13 years ago. Strangely enough, since the failure of Nokia 9 PureView last year, Nokia's pace of launching Android smartphones has slowed down, but "replica" sentimental phones priced at more than 100 yuan have emerged one after another.

However, Nokia is not the only one that has the patent to create “replica” sentimental phones. The iPhone SE launched by Apple some time ago and Moto’s folding-screen phone Razr last year are both replicas of classic phones, so today we’re going to talk about the phenomenon of “replicas” in the mobile phone industry.

Nokia

When it comes to words like "classic" and "sentiment", we have to mention the Nokia brand. I believe that the first mobile phone in many people's lives is the old Nokia model that was discarded by their parents. 32 chords, true color screen... these words can definitely evoke memories of your youth.

Nokia's first remake was the new 3310 launched in 2017, a remake of the 3310 released in 2000. The old 3310 is remembered by users for its indestructible quality. The jokes about blocking bullets and cracking walnuts all come from this old 3310. At the same time, the historical sales of this Nokia phone are as high as 126 million units, which is also one of the best-selling mobile phones in Nokia's history.

If the new 3310 is just a trial run for Nokia's replica phones, then the Nokia 8110, a replica from 1996, reflects Nokia's confidence in carrying out the replica to the end. A separate mold was made, which not only brought the almost forgotten slightly curved body and sliding cover shape back into the public eye, but also made fun of the "banana phone" that has been popular for more than 20 years and launched a real banana yellow color.

Having tasted the sweetness of a surge in sales brought about by its unique appearance, Nokia set its sights on the flip phone in the drawer and launched a replica of the Nokia 2720 Fold - the 2020 Flip last year. However, the high price of 599 yuan in China failed to resonate with netizens, and its sales and reputation were mediocre compared to the previous two models.

Perhaps those born after 1995 do not have a deep memory of 3310, 8110, and 2720. Their memory of mobile phones may have been enlightened in the Nokia S40 era: mobile phones with full keyboards at that time were called "business phones", those with 5 million pixels were called "camera phones", and only the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic equipped with dedicated music keys could be called a "music phone".

However, the new 5310 in 2020 lacks the rebelliousness of the bright red mixed with cool metal of the 5310XM, but has a more sleek polycarbonate feel. If you want to get a piece of the pie in the music phone market with dual speakers and independent music buttons, without a HiFi chip and large-capacity flash memory, it may be difficult to attract music enthusiasts.

Nokia has reproduced the personality and rebelliousness of that year, and has not forgotten the popular 6300, which was the world's best-selling phone in 2007-2008.

The 6300 of that year captured the hearts of many male consumers with its stainless steel frame back cover and the slogan "Fade away the glitz, steel shows its true colors". The Nokia 150 reproduced in 2020, stainless steel is changed to polycarbonate, and only the shape imitates the 6300, which may be the reason why Nokia did not name this new phone "6300".

Motorola

Nokia has a number of classic best-selling models, and Motorola has the Razr.

Last year's foldable screen phone Razr was not the first time Moto re-engraved the Razr series. Although the Moto XT910 released in 2011 did not use the clamshell shape of the Razr V3, it inherited the ultra-thin body of the V3. With a thickness of 7.1mm, the Droid Razr surpassed the Samsung Galaxy S II and became the thinnest dual-core smartphone on the market at that time.

The Moto Razr V3 means more than just a mobile phone to Moto. Not only has it made Moto's mobile phone division profitable again, the V3 series has also become the best-selling flip phone to date with sales of 130 million units, which represents an honor.

So when foldable screen technology began to mature in 2019, Moto brought out the true replica of Razr, Moto Razr. I think this is the most perfect replica phone that combines classic design with modern technology. However, the slightly outdated configuration, high price and the undecided launch date in China make it difficult for domestic Moto fans to say they love it.

apple

Apple is not a company that sells sentiment. Judging from Apple’s two generations of SE models, Apple is more concerned with pragmatism and supply chain management.

The first generation iPhone SE launched in 2016 gave Apple fans who could not accept the fact that the iPhone had a larger screen a choice of a small-screen iOS flagship for the first time. From the appearance point of view, the only difference between the iPhone SE and the iPhone 5S in 2013 is the same rose gold color as the 6s and the chamfered corners that are no longer high-gloss.

All the suspicions before the release of the new iPhone SE have vanished with an update in the Apple Store. This year, Apple fans have finally figured out the update rules of Apple's SE model. In 2024, when Apple launches the third-generation iPhone SE, its appearance will definitely be the notch screen that we have hated for three years.

TCL

The TCL brand is rather subtle. With the gradual decline of the "Momoda" series, its genuine TCL mobile phones have no longer appeared in the field of vision of mainstream consumers.

Without the pressure of making phones, TCL has put more energy into technology research and development and brand licensing. Its two major brands, BlackBerry and Palm, are both representatives of sentimental phones.

Although TCL did not actively promote the concept of replica, the BlackBerry KEYone launched in 2017 still reminded me of its first touch-screen sliding full-keyboard phone 9800.

The BlackBerry 9800 combines a touch screen, a slider, and a full keyboard, which makes it seem particularly novel in 2010, when "BlackBerry is all about full keyboards." Although it looks stunning, BlackBerry's internals do not give it the status of an orthodox flagship: a smaller battery, a plastic screen and back cover, and the nickname Torch all prevent this phone from withstanding the impact of iPhone and Android phones.

Although the later Priv and KEYone also have the three elements of touch screen, slider and full keyboard, "BlackBerry" is no longer the original "BlackBerry".

Last year, TCL made an interesting attempt to revive the long-hidden Palm. After more than a decade, it still has a 3-inch screen, but people's hands are used to 6-inch devices. The "strong rival" of the iPhone 3GS has also become a "fashionable backup phone for young people" in the official words.

Today we will talk about the memories of replica mobile phones. If you also have an unforgettable mobile phone memory, please leave a message to share with us.