Not every gadget in a Bond film comes from Q Branch. In Matera, in the middle of the car chase in the Aston Martin DB5, Madeleine Swann reaches into her bag and takes out a small grey Nokia: no apps, no maps, no pretence. The Nokia 3310 from No Time To Die is the relaunched version of the 2000 handset, and it is, in our view, the most sensible object in the film.
In the film
Madeleine Swann, played by Léa Seydoux, uses a light grey Nokia 3310 in Matera, and takes it from her Tod’s bag during the chase. Daniel Craig’s Bond seems to carry a similar phone in dark blue in the graveyard scene in the same town. Nokia was the official phone partner of the film, and the 3310 is the one phone in it that asks nothing of anyone.
The details of the Nokia 3310 from No Time To Die
A matte finish. HMD, the maker of Nokia phones, sells the 3310 in four colours: Warm Red and Yellow in gloss, Dark Blue and Grey in matte. The grey is the one Swann carries. HMD says the colour runs through the material rather than sitting on the surface, so the phone looks better for longer.
The rounded form, updated. The silhouette follows the original, but the screen is now 2.4in, with a polarised, curved window that HMD says reads better in sunlight. For a phone you take out of a pocket in the open air, that matters more than a camera would.
A battery measured in days. HMD quotes up to 22 hours of talk time and up to 31 days on standby. Charging is by Micro-USB. It is a phone you can leave the house with and not think about the charger.
Snake, on a colour screen. The game returns with an update for the colour display. It asks for nothing but a spare minute, which is rather the point.
Using it now
This is not the phone for a man giving up his smartphone in a single weekend. It is the phone for the second pocket: the weekend away, the long walk, the evening when you want to be reachable by the three people who matter and nobody else. Calls and texts arrive, and the rest of the world stays in the other jacket.
Grey or dark blue? We would choose the grey. It is the colour seen most clearly on screen, and the matte finish is quieter than either gloss option. The dark blue is the version Bond seems to use, and it is equally matte.
Check the network first. HMD has made the revived 3310 in 2G, 3G and 4G versions, and lists a Dual SIM model. Before you buy, confirm which bands your carrier supports, since the version that works in one country may not suit another. It is the one piece of homework a phone this simple asks of you.
Where it sits. It belongs with the other gadgets and electronics that earn their place by doing one job well, and it makes an easy way into the world of the films without a costume in sight. It also works as a gift for someone who has said they would like a quieter life.
Specifications
| Model | Nokia 3310 (relaunched design), Dual SIM |
|---|---|
| Colour | Grey, matte finish (also Dark Blue matte; Warm Red and Yellow gloss) |
| Screen | 2.4in with polarised, curved window |
| Battery | Up to 22 hours talk time; up to 31 days standby (maker’s figures) |
| Charging | Micro-USB |
| Games | Snake, updated for colour screen |
| Price | Check current price with the retailer |
Full specifications are on HMD’s own page for the Nokia 3310.
Questions
Is this the exact phone from No Time To Die?
It is the same model and colour as far as we can tell. Madeleine Swann uses a light grey revived Nokia 3310 in Matera, and the matte grey version is the match. Bond seems to use a similar phone in dark blue.
Is it the same as the original 2000 Nokia 3310?
No. It follows the original’s silhouette, but the 2000 phone had a monochrome screen of 84 by 48 pixels. The revived model has a 2.4in colour screen, a new interface and a Micro-USB port.
How long does the battery last?
HMD quotes up to 22 hours of talk time and up to 31 days on standby. Those are the maker’s figures; real-world use will depend on the network and how you use the phone.
What colours does the Nokia 3310 come in?
Four: Warm Red and Yellow in gloss, Dark Blue and Grey in matte. The film’s grey is the matte one.
For more on the men who have played him, see the Bonds.
