Nokia 800 Tough: The Heir of the 3310 Throne

Have you ever made jokes about the toughness of a 3310? You might reconsider when you try the new phone from Nokia, which is meant to be the toughest ever.

Despite most of the reviews nowadays being about smartphones, sometimes old-school devices catch our attention. And that is the case with the new Nokia. The brand, specialized in basic and functional phones has recently launched one of their latest creations, which takes these features to the next level. Welcome to the Nokia 800 Tough.

The phone is presented with a rugged style and a feature soul uses a KaiOS operating system, which is the evolution of Firefox OS. The system is built to offer a basic smartphone’s user experience taking and yet taking advantage of the benefits of classic models, like a long-lasting battery (up to 43 days).

Created to Withstand the Worst Conditions

The Finnish company did an outstanding job in terms of durability: the phone is almost indestructible. Some experts have performed tests that go beyond the standard specifications and the phone survived and stayed functional with no major issues.

For example, one of the main features claimed by the company is that the phone can take a drop from 1,8m (5ft 9in) and keep functioning. Well, in this video the phone is not only dropped several times from a 5-6 (16-19ft) meters roof but also driven over by a car and yet nothing stopped it from functioning.

Not only can take impacts and withstand heavy weights, but the Nokia Tough can also survive to extreme temperatures (frozen conditions and temperatures above 50° degrees Celsius or 122 Fahrenheit) and it’s dustproof and water-resistant.

Website SmartphonesRevealed did all these tests, and the phone was still fully functional.

This phone will fit perfectly with sports lovers or those that don’t want to spend much time thinking of the maintenance of their phones.

Born to Last: The Battery

The phone has a non-removable (which can be a downside) 2100 mAh6 battery that will satisfy those who don’t like to charge the battery every day. In fact, if kept on standby, the phone can last up to 43 days. Impressive. The battery life if speaking is calculated to go up to 14h.

Therefore, it will be really hard to get disconnected, as it will be almost impossible to run out of battery under regular conditions.

Protected Keyboard

Along with the whole “tough” concept, the keyboard is built in a way that it will make it really difficult to damage and lose functionality. The buttons are covered by a special rubber that will protect them against external hazards like impacts, water, and extreme temperatures.

The whole device is designed with robust materials that will allow the phone to work under almost any condition imaginable.

Average User Experience

It is obvious that Nokia hasn’t created this device to satisfy those that are looking for advanced features.

The main selling point of the phone is its durability and its lost lasting battery life. However, we can see the effort that has been put to give a smartphone user-like experience with the use of KaiOS. After navigating the menu, it feels a bit slow sometimes, especially due to the fact that you will have to scroll a lot to go from one menu to another.

Although the navigation might not feel like the most user-friendly ever, the possibility of using apps like Whatsapp, Google Maps and GPS is a big plus, and most users will highly appreciate it.

Overall the navigation experience was okay, considering what is this phone meant for. Some features like Google Assistant is also a plus for this type of phone, and it gives extra value.

Last but not least, the phone is 16mm (0,62in) thick, which can feel a bit strange at the beginning. The handling is alright, but most people are used to thinner phones, so I guess that this can be inconvenient for some users.

Other Features

The device comes with a 3,5 mm headphone jack, and radio function, which can be very useful for the outdoors activities lovers. The flashlight placed on top of the phone can come in handy as well.

As expected, the rear camera didn’t deliver high-quality photos, especially with dark lighting.

We found very practical to have an extra SIM card slot for cards up to 32GB, as with this type of phone you will be covered for good.

The phone is available in two colors, which are black and sand. Personally, I tried the black version and it looked pretty solid.

Overall Experience

With the release of this phone, Nokia targeted a very defined group of consumers. The company realized there is a market of people that value functionality, and designed this phone for them.

Therefore, if you are a high-tech fan who wants a smooth interface and the most advanced features, this is not for you.

However, if you need a functional phone, which can be used under the worst conditions and does not have to be constantly charged, there are not many better options in the market right now.

Official Nokia 800 Tough features

(from nokia.com)