Is your inner kid still in love with his very first phone?

Do you love new gadgets additions, but still think a flip phone is cool?

This is for tech nostalgics only!

Despite the innovations and new releases of the beginning of this year, in terms of new gadgets, we are seeing a strong wave of phone comebacks. YAY!

Good news:

• These retro comebacks are creating a new trend
• You’re not alone in this – people are holding their breath to see them all over the world
• We have more than one device to look forward to this year

Here are a few of them, enjoy!

Nokia’s 8110 4G: the new ‘banana phone’

As with the original 8110, the sliding keypad feature – an action that also answers incoming calls – is still the defining feature.

Bonus, it’ll be available in “banana yellow” & the classic black version when released later this year.

Back in 1999, Nokia was known as the “world’s leading mobile phone supplier”, and it used this popularity to feature its Nokia 8110 “banana phone” in The Matrix film.

Image source: www.nokia.com

Surprising features: It’s got 4G. Facebook will also be available through an app store at some point and there will be some form of access to Google’s Assistant, Maps and search, as well as email, texts, Twitter and even Snake.

In 2017, we’ve also witnessed the return of the iconic Nokia 3310, the pure tech definition of simplicity and functionality. It makes calls, sends texts, has limited internet browsing capabilities and of course, an impressive battery life.

Image source: www.nokia.com

Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra

Remember the time when Sony Xperia was the it phone you were dying to get your hands on?

It was slick, fancy & water resistant.

Earlier this year, at CES 2018, it was announced that Sony might be finally on the path back to greatness with the new Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra.

Improvements are related to larger batteries than their predecessors, working fingerprint sensors placed on the back, dual-selfie cams on the XA2 Ultra and more.

Image source: www.sonymobile.com

Blackberry

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, let’s put things into perspective.

BlackBerry was bigger than Apple & it was extremely popular on Wall Street back in the day. Barack Obama is a known fan.

BlackBerry is still well-known for its QWERTY keyboard phones.

In October 2017,  the new BlackBerry Motion made its debut, but it’s an all-touchscreen model. The 5.5-inch LCD touch screen, massive 4000mAH QuickCharge 3.0-compatible battery, and an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance make Motion a competitor for other smartphones.

If you need both functionality and a walk down on memory lane, turn to the KeyOne, that has resurrected the physical keyboard some have missed.

The signature key is back with 52 key shortcuts, trackpad-like movement and suggested word-flicking gestures.

In the US, there are two versions: an unlocked edition that’s GSM and CDMA capable across the networks, and a summer-bound CDMA model for Sprint.

Palm Smartphone

If you’re not too young to remember Palm smartphones, then you might be excited to hear the Palm brand is planning a comeback in 2018, according to Android Police.

The Chinese company TCL, which bought the Palm brand back in 2015, is also in the midst of reviving BlackBerry.

Motorola Razr

Hints about the return of this flip phone have been circling around since last year, and recently, the Lenovo CEO (Lenovo owns Motorola since 2014) made similar comments during an interview.

Motorola Razr was one of the best selling clamshell phones of all time. 

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org

Are you already picturing a new Razr with premium specs and foldable touchscreen display? So are we!

Until then you can feast your eyes on the Binatone Blade, a tribute to the famous Razr. The Blade is a dual-SIM device, taking both a mini and micro SIM. It also has an MP3 player.

The device is fairly basic, and while it features classic apps including an alarm and calculator, it does not feature social media apps like Facebook or Instagram. The company described the phone as being inspired by phones we “loved nearly 20 years ago”.

As far as flip phones are concerned, we are witnessing a growing trend of “digital detox”. Some people are willing to swap a smartphone for a “dumb” one.

They still want to stay connected, but feel the need to tone down the pressure of social media and of always being responsive.

They are called “weekend phones” because they come with a side of relaxation and fun. Who knows, if teenagers would jump on the same wagon, “dumb phones” can become the cool thing to have!