Nokia 3210 vs.3310: the less-memed phone sold 34 million more
The Nokia 3210 predates the 3310, hides its antenna and leads its successor in reported sales. The 3310’s smaller body is the more tangible comparison.
The internet gave the Nokia 3310 an afterlife as an indestructible brick. The older 3210 has the larger sales figure in Wikipedia’s historical record: 160 million against 126 million.
| Original models | Nokia 3210 | Nokia 3310 |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 1999 (Wikipedia) | 2000 (Wikipedia) |
| Reported units sold | 160 million (Wikipedia) | 126 million (Wikipedia) |
| Weight | 151 g (Wikipedia) | 133 g (Wikipedia) |
| Length | 123.8 mm (Wikipedia) | 113 mm (Wikipedia) |
Subtract the sales figures and the 3210 leads by 34 million. Divide 34 by 126 and the lead is about 27%. That arithmetic says nothing about which handset survived more drops; sales and toughness answer different questions.
The physical difference is easier to feel: 18 grams and 10.8 millimeters disappear in the 3310. Wikipedia describes the 3210 as having “a total weight of 151 g.” The 3210 had already brought the internal antenna to a mass-market handset. A durability meme can make the next phone seem like the beginning of the whole era.
The next useful comparison is with the handset in your own drawer. Was it the famous one, or the one that quietly sold more?