Nokia 3210: Iconic Features and Specifications

Nokia 3210: Detailed English Noun Explanations & Full Specifications

Unveiled on March 18, 1999, the Nokia 3210 is an iconic 2G candybar – style feature phone, renowned as one of the best – selling mobile phones ever with 160 million units sold globally. It pioneered the internal antenna, T9 predictive text, and interchangeable covers, shaping the early mobile phone industry. Below is a detailed breakdown of its key nouns, specifications, and features.

Core Terminology & Definitions

Term	Definition & Key Details
Nokia 3210	Nokia’s 1999 2G candybar – style feature phone, a landmark device with 160 million sales, famous for internal antenna, T9 text input, and interchangeable covers.
Internal Antenna	Built – in aerial replacing external antennas, boosting portability, signal reliability, and durability, a major design breakthrough of its era.
T9 Predictive Text	A predictive typing tech mapping 26 letters to numeric keys, using a dictionary to guess words, which sped up SMS typing without a QWERTY keypad.
Interchangeable Covers	Removable front/back casings enabling users to customize the phone’s look with various colors/designs, a hit for personalization.
Monochrome Graphic LCD	84×48 pixel monochrome screen with backlight, showing text, basic graphics, and game visuals; standard for feature phones then.
Ni – MH Battery	Nickel – Metal Hydride 1250 mAh removable battery, offering long standby/talk times, typical for mobile devices in the late 1990s.
Smart Messaging	Nokia’s early tech for sending/receiving simple images (logos, animations) via SMS, laying groundwork for MMS.
Snake II	Preloaded classic game where players control a snake to eat food and grow, a defining mobile gaming feature of the 3210.

Full Technical Specifications

Physical & Build

Category	Details
Form Factor	Candybar (classic bar – shaped)
Dimensions	123.8 × 50.5 × 16.7–22.5 mm (4.87 × 1.99 × 0.66–0.89 in)
Weight	151 g (5.3 oz)
Build Material	Durable hard plastic
Color Options	Original: Grey, Blue, Red, Yellow; interchangeable covers in various colors
Antenna	Internal (first mass – market Nokia with this design)

Display

Category	Details
Type	1.5 – inch monochrome graphic LCD with green – yellow backlight
Resolution	84×48 pixels, 4 lines of text display
Features	Basic contrast adjustment, no touch support

Performance & Memory

Category	Details
Chipset	Nokia proprietary 8 – bit MCU (no official SoC name)
RAM/Storage	Minimal on – board RAM; phonebook/storage rely on Mini – SIM (up to 250 entries)
No Memory Card Slot	No external storage expansion

Communication & Connectivity

Category	Details
Network	GSM dual – band (900/1800 MHz) 2G, no 3G/4G
SIM Type	Mini – SIM (standard SIM)
SMS Support	Yes (160 – character limit), Smart Messaging (simple images)
Call Management	8 dialled, 8 received, 8 missed call logs
Connectivity	None (no Wi – Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or USB data port)
Ports	2.5 mm charging port, no 3.5 mm headphone jack (uses proprietary audio accessories)

Battery & Charging

Category	Details
Battery	Removable 1250 mAh Ni – MH (BLB – 2)
Talk Time	Up to 4.5 hours (270 mins)
Standby Time	Up to 7.1 days (170 hours)
Charging	Proprietary 2.5 mm charger (no fast charging)

Software & Features

Category	Details
OS	Proprietary Nokia Series 20 (S20) firmware
User Interface	Icon – based monochrome menu system
Phonebook	SIM – based, up to 250 names/numbers
Ringtones	40 preloaded monophonic ringtones, 6 volume levels
Preloaded Games	Snake II, Space Impact, Pairs II
Productivity Tools	Calendar, calculator, currency converter, alarm clock, call timer
Security	Keypad lock, phone lock (PIN – protected)

Key Legacy & Impact

Gaming Pioneer: Snake II became a cultural icon, establishing mobile gaming as a key user engagement feature.

Mass – Market Accessibility: Affordable price, durability, and user – friendly design made mobile phones mainstream, selling 160 million units worldwide.

Texting Revolution: T9 predictive text and SMS functionality popularized mobile messaging, changing global communication habits.

Customization Trend: Interchangeable covers started a trend of personalizing mobile devices, influencing later phone design.