Retro classic Nokia 3310 returns alongside three 'pure' Android smartphones by HMD Global

The worst kept secret in the mobile industry is finally official: the Nokia 3310 is back. The new Nokia 3310 debuted at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, where Nokia's Finnish owner HMD Global also showed three mid-range Android devices bearing the revitalised mobile brand.

Available in selected markets from Q2 2017, the iconic feature phone arrives for €49 (£41), while its more powerful Android siblings will head to market in the same quarter.

In terms of design, the Nokia 3310 retains the look and aura of its almost two decade old predecessor, albeit slightly thinner and lighter than before, and with a larger 2.4in colour screen.

Eschewing the computer-in-your-pocket standard of the modern smartphone market, the Nokia 3310 has a traditional numbered keypad and three physical navigation keys.

The revived classic runs the Nokia Series 30+ OS and also has a 2 megapixel camera, an Opera web browser (with 2.5G connectivity), and whopping battery life (22 hours of talk time).

The new Nokia 3310 will be available in the original blue and grey colours, as well as bright red and yellow variants. It also wouldn't be the Nokia 3310 without the classic mobile game Snake, which returns to the device as well as all other smartphones via an in-app game in Facebook Messenger.

On the Android front, the Nokia 6, which released in China in January, is receiving a global launch. The 5.5in device will be priced at €229 (£194) and includes Dolby Atmos audio technology. There will also be a brand new premium Jet Black version available for the global launch.

The rest of the trio consisted of the Nokia 5, which launches for €189 (£160), and the Nokia 3, which brings "flagship quality" for an entry-level price of €139.

HMD Global CPO Juho Sarvikas promised that the upcoming Android handsets will offer a "pure, secure and up-to-date" experience, as each runs stock Android similar to the Google Pixel. This also includes Google's personal assistant AI found on the Pixel, Google Assistant.

Nokia and HMD Global's MWC 2017 event held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Spain, marked a major comeback for the once industry leader. Despite its dominance of the mobile industry at the turn of the millennium, Nokia's transition to Microsoft Windows-powered smartphones under the Lumia banner struggled against the rise of Android and Apple's iPhone.

While simplistic, low cost feature phones continued to carry the Nokia name in recent years, Microsoft's relationship with Nokia in a multi-billion dollar acquisition of its devices division in 2014 failed to bring success to either company, with Microsoft eventually ditching the Nokia brand form its Lumia smartphone family.

HMD Global's grand relaunch has got heads turning in Barcelona, but the question remains: is the Nokia 3310 and a fleet of Android smartphones enough to bring the sleeping giant back into the spotlight?