Nokia's 4G Banana Phone Is A Blast from the Past

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The Nokia 8810, popularized by The Matrix, is making a comeback as a 4G flip phone.

Nokia wasn't just rolling out a line of entirely new smartphones at Mobile World Congress today. It also unveiled a new version of an old favorite that's certain to stoke some serious nostalgia among flip phone fans.

Credit: Caitlin McGarry/Tom's Guide

(Image credit: Caitlin McGarry/Tom's Guide)

The Nokia 8110 4G is an updated version of the late '90s stalwart made famous by both its appearance in The Matrix and its distinctive curved shape. HMD Global, which now develops phones under the Nokia banner, rebooted the 8110 with 4G connectivity. But this is still the same design that made '90s kids utter a Keanu Reeves-like "Whoa." You slide down the phone's front panel to answer a call.

While the Nokia 8110 4G comes in the traditional black, Nokia is also offering a yellow version of this €79 device, for those who take that "banana phone" description quite literally.

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The Nokia 8110 4G is more than just a nostalgia trip, though. Even though it's a flip phone, it's loaded with device-friendly versions of Gmail, Google Maps and Outlook. You'll also find Facebook on the phone, along with some games. (And yes, that includes a revamped version of the Snake game that proved so popular on flip phones back in the day.)

This is the latest entry to Nokia's Originals family, which updates the flip phones of yesterday to meet the demands of today. Last year, Nokia rolled out a 3G version of the Nokia 3310 to much acclaim.

It's unclear if the new 8110, launching in May, will find its way to the U.S., as flip phones remain far more popular in other markets. Still, the 3310 eventually landed on these shores, many months after it debuted at the 2017 edition of Mobile World Congress. Here's hoping we see a U.S. release of the 8110, if only to allow flip phone aficionados in the U.S. to enjoy their modern-day Matrix moment.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.