The return of the Nokia brand to smartphones and revivals of classic feature phones, all manufactured by HMD Global, has seen its popularity grow sharply.
In some territories, the combination of a deep affection for the brand and striking new design has put the Nokia brand in the top two or three manufacturers in terms of sales.
Last year's success story, the Nokia 8, has had a resurgence in the Nokia 8 Sirocco, while lower-end smarties like the Nokia 3.1 and higher-end but keenly priced options like the Nokia 7 Plus have all contributed to the brand's success.
But it's the classic-phones-revived which have made the brand especially visible. Even if the low prices and less-than-universal availability have meant the Nokia 3310 and Nokia 3310 4G haven't made substantial differences to the company's bottom line, they've made visible statements.
The arrival of the next classic, the Nokia 8110, known as the banana phone because of its face-fitting curved shape, is an event to be welcomed. The original, seen in a modified form in The Matrix, only came in matte black. But this time around there's a matte yellow option as well, which is utterly unmissable and highly attractive.
There's no spring-loaded keyboard cover, as there wasn't on the original - only Keanu had that one - but the yellow slider is a nice little mover, smooth and slick. It guarantees there are no accidental pocket calls, and does so more convincingly than most smartphones.
It feels great to use, once you remember what pressable number keys feel like. And the slam with which you can close the slider when you're finishing a call is a satisfying move to make.
Of course, the display is much smaller than we're used to, but it's a reminder that this is a phone designed for different things, and may even help to break your screen addiction into the bargain.
So, what's new in the phone and what is its value beyond the novelty of a classic relaunched?
It's not a touchscreen
This has been the hardest thing for me to get used to. Over and over, especially when the keypad cover is closed, I tapped on the display. To no avail, obviously. After all, it's not a big screen but it's still attractive and inviting enough to make you want to touch it. Even with the keys exposed and the instructions showing which button to press still left me hitting the glass sometimes.
This is the first change in your perceptions that you need to make with this handset. It's tougher than you'd think, just because, seriously, when was the last time your phone didn't have a touchscreen?
There's an app store and some apps
All those basic apps you might remember from the Nokia phone you owned 15 years ago, are here. Like a calculator, unit converter, the inevitable modern version of Snake. They're all waiting to be found. More surprisingly, there's a voice recorder, a native email app and several more games.
Still, these all keep this phone very much in the feature rather than the smart category. But there's also YouTube, which is cool. The KaiOS App Store (you'll need to create an account to access it) includes several more games, a weather app and Twitter. In other words, the store is pretty sparse for now, even though there are unofficial statements that Facebook and WhatsApp will be coming.
And then there's Google. The Nokia 8110 4G becomes much smarter thanks to Google. Google Maps is there because the mapping and other stuff is in the cloud, though there is a GPS transceiver on board. It isn't the experience you'll be used to on an Android or iOS phone but it could be enough for you to get by in a pinch. It's good.
Even better is the presence of Google Assistant. Since the Assistant is in the cloud, all you really need is a fast enough data connection and you can speak to your phone. And it'll speak back.
I'd say that it is the presence of Google Assistant and Google Maps that is key to the success of this phone. These are the items that make me say you should think about your phone differently as a result.
Sure, there's no high-end gaming, it's difficult to key in tweets, let alone long social media updates when the apps arrive. But Google Assistant adds elements no other feature phone really has been able to match.
So much so that it might be enough for you to put your sim card in here for a day off, a holiday, a bit more. All those times you fancy some digital detox but not the whole out-of-contact shebang. You don't need to leave your phone behind, only the endlessly addictive parts of it that make your fingers twitch for it when boredom hits, even if that's in the middle of a dinner party. You might not reach for your phone when you know it won't give you that hit of satisfying your craving.
I haven't touched on the camera on this phone because it's pretty basic - 2MP. That's the same as on the first iPhone, so don't raise your hopes. Music capabilities are similarly very limited. But that's not what the Nokia 8110 4G is for.
This, in other words, is not a replacement for your smartphone. But it's a great-looking, highly affordable and deeply fun handset that is hard to resist. With battery life quoted in weeks rather than hours, it offers something genuinely different, and while it might not appeal as the phone to dump your Galaxy or Xperia for, it is a compelling alternative as a second handset, one for weekends, perhaps.
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