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5 things we want to see on Nokia's new phone

How Nokia can regain its mobile crown

5 things we want to see on Nokia's new phone
24 February 2016

"It needs to feel like Nokia, what Nokia was known for."

These are the words of Rajeev Suri, CEO of Finland's once mighty mobile phone manufacturer. Having sold its mobile branch to Microsoft (with varying success), Suri has stated that Nokia is looking to return to the smartphone business, but that "There doesn’t need to be a rush".

With many fond memories of indestructible handsets such as the 3310, here's everything we'd love to see from a new, carefully considered Nokia handset. 

A proper battery life

We've all heard stories of someone who rediscovered their old 3310 in the attic, only to find it still had some battery left - it's a trait that no modern smartphone can hope to match.

Sure, touch screens and fancy processors sap a lot more juice than any old Nokia used to, but if Nokia were to strive for improved, market-leading battery life, they'd turn a lot of heads. 

Give us a decent phone with a battery that can last for a week and we'll throw our money at you.


The return of Snake

The killer app before killer app was a worn out phrase, Snake and its sequel were the saviours of many tedious bus journeys and awkward social events. 

While gaming apps have surpassed this old pixel chaser, there hasn't been a Snake moment that units offices in comparing high scores since Angry Birds and Candy Crush got dull.

We'd love for the new Nokia handset to feature its own exclusive addictive gaming app - a new Snake for a new generation.


Custom cases

Okay, so maybe not this custom case.

One aspect we miss most about old Nokias is the ability to snap on a bit of our own bit of personality. Groups like Motorola and One+ have been making personal cases for a while, but we'd love for Nokia to give interchangeable cases a new, slick, durable feel - maybe even incorporating a modular design to them.

Want a bigger battery? Slap on the battery case. A camera grip? Get your hands on the camera case. A wireless charger? You get the idea. 

Make it happen, Nokia.


Indestructible build quality

Current smartphones seem to fit largely into one of two categories: those that can survive a drunken Friday night (usually cheap and chunky), and those that can't (usually expensive).

If Nokia were to build a phone that "feels like a Nokia", as Rajeev Suri puts it, it would be a handset that incorporates high-end design with enough durability to survive plunges into the toilet/encounters with pavements. 

We want a phone that doesn't need a plastic case to last longer than a year. We want a proper Nokia.


Something reliable, and quick

Nokia hasn't been lazy since it took a break from mobile phone production.

In addition to selling off its impressive mapping technology to Audi and creating impressive 360-degree VR cameras, they've also been pushing ahead with some of the most impressive LTE network technology available - paving the way to super-fast 5G connectivity.

If Nokia's new handset could line itself up with the arrival of the next generation of network speeds, we'd gladly swap our iPhone for it.