The new Nokia 3310 is here in India. Well, technically not yet. Although the phone has been launched, is already reaching stores, it will be available to consumers from May 18. But then a few days here and there don't matter between friends. The more interesting bit about the phone, so far is that it will be available at a rather cool price of Rs 3310. The India Today Tech will take a better look at the Nokia 3310 in the coming days but for now let's talk about the oddity of a feature phone in 2017.

It will be two more days before people in India can buy the Nokia 3310. But already questions have started coming thick and fast. Is the Nokia 3310 worth it? Is this feature phone a right fit for consumers in 2017? Why buy a feature phone for Rs 3310 when you can get a smartphone for Rs 3000? It doesn't even look like the old Nokia 3310, is it really worth? And so on and so forth. These are all very valid questions. But they miss something really important here. The new Nokia 3310 is not a phone that has been made and brought to market by HMD Global, the company that is behind the new Nokia phones, because there is a demand for feature phones or because HMD wants to be known for feature phones. It is phone created and brought to markets solely for one reason: It's special.

This is also the reason why at a price of Rs 3310, the Nokia 3310 is one hell of phone. Let me quickly break it down and for you - and predict in advance that the Nokia 3310 is going sell like hot cakes before its stock runs out. The buzz is real, guys.

The special edition

Before we talk of this: just a quick specs rundown:

-- Name: Nokia 3310 (sounds familiar, no)

-- Made by HMD Global, a Finland-based company full of senior ex-Nokia executives, and which now has licence to sell Nokia-branded phones.

-- Network: Dual band 900/1800 MHz. In other words GSM and Edge.

-- Support for Dual SIM

-- Available in dual SIM variant (microSIM)

-- Software platform: Nokia Series 30+

-- Dimensions: 115.6 x 51.0 x 12.8mm

-- Weight: 79.6 g (including battery)

-- Display: 2.4" curved window colour QVGA (240*320)

-- Connectivity: micro USB, 3.5mm AV connectorBluetooth 3.0 with SLAM

-- Camera: 2Mpxl camera with LED flash

-- MicroSD card support up to 32GB

-- LED torchlight

-- Battery standby time: up to 25.3 days

-- Battery talk time: up to 22.1 hours

-- Available from May 18 in India at price of Rs 3310. Available in four colours: Red, Yellow, Dark Blue and Grey.

As these specs suggest, Nokia 3310 is not for everyone. But it is for people who already have a smartphone, or for people who will never buy a smartphone (more this later).

It is also a collector's edition phone. There will (most likely) never be a Nokia 3310 V2 edition. Next year Nokia will not launch a new updated Nokia 3310. This is one special occasion. The company is trying to tell consumers that despite the name HMD Global, it is actually the same old Nokia that once made the iconic Nokia 3310. And it is doing that by giving the old Nokia fans a redesigned, re-imagined Nokia 3310.

Also Read: Nokia 3310 launched in India at Rs 3310, available from May 18

Seen in this context, the price of Nokia 3310 seems to be on the lower side. For a phone that you can probably put in a glass display case in two years, price of Rs 3310 doesn't seem too high. With this price, you are not just buying a phone. You are probably buying a piece of history. If Nokia - read HMD Global - succeeds in the market again and goes on to write one hell of a comeback story, you will be able to tell in party five years from now that you were one of the people who bought that special edition Nokia 3310, the phone that marked the comeback of Nokia, the phone that bridged the gap between 2013 and 2017.

For a phone that you can probably put in a glass display case in two years, price of Rs 3310 doesn't seem too high. With this price, you are not just buying a phone. You are probably buying a piece of history

There are thousands of people who paid over Rs 70,000 for a really bad concert by Justine Bieber. They didn't do it because they expected some electrifying performance or magic from Bieber. Everyone knows that the boy creates music that has no soul in it. But people bought those expensive tickets for the experience, for the exclusivity. It's the same with the Nokia 3310. A price of Rs 3310 for this phone is like paying that price for a piece of nostalgic memory as well as for a device that could be iconic in couple of years. It's worth it.

Simplicity in 2017

While the Nokia 3310 is a special phone, it is not without its merits. It also makes a lot of sense to people who don't ever want to use a smartphone. Or for those who want an amazing feature phone as a sidekick to their smartphone. The India Today Tech will take a detailed look at the Nokia 3310 soon, but earlier when I checked out this phone I came away very impressed. The design, with its rounded edges and cute looks, is fantastic and modern, making the phone fit well in 2017. The build quality is great, that colour screen looks very nice and the software is smooth. In other words, the Nokia 3310 is a feature phone that doesn't look like other feature phones in the market. It looks sophisticated, modern, especially in its glossy finish variants (red and yellow).

Sure, it also costs more than what the other feature phones do. But that makes sense. In a way, this is the best feature phone will be able to buy in the market in the coming months. Now, in this world of smartphones that may not count for much, but to users who want simplicity, the Nokia 3310 could be one great option. You will only use it for the calls and messages (unless you love 2G network) and there is no WhatsApp. But its battery will last you at least 2 days and call quality - I am assuming - will be fantastic, similar to how it was on the older Nokia phones.

Good price

Given the fact that the Nokia 3310 is a phone that is larger than life, or in other words a phone that has more to it than what meets the eye, I believe the price of Rs 3310 is absolutely fantastic. No, it's cheap. For a feature phone, the Nokia 3310 is quite expensive. But does it really matter? With Rs 3310, you are not just buying the Nokia 3310. You are buying so much more, the fact that it is also probably a fantastic feature phone is just a bonus. I have a feeling that lots of people would have bought this phone for even Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000. But at the price of Rs 3310, it is probably just going to fly off the shelves.

Chances are that regular consumers still won't buy the Nokia 3310, but then the brand Nokia still have enough fans in India and they are going to make a beeline for Nokia 3310 on May 18.