The sad truth about the excitement over the Nokia 3310

The industry hype around the classic 'dumbphone' betrays a pointed fact - there is only so much you can improve a smartphone that already does it all

Mobile World Congress - the showcase of the most cutting-edge technology on the planet - is in full swing in Barcelona this week. Phones, wearables and everything else with a microchip is showing off fantastic new features. But all anyone really seems interested in is a remake of a phone from 17 years ago, the Nokia 3310.

There are a few ways to look at the Nokia 3310. It could just be a marketing ploy, or a Hollywood-esque remake because the industry has run out of ideas. Or maybe it's trying to tap into the feeling that modern life is too connected, harking back to a simpler time. But whatever you think the Nokia 3310 is, it tells us something interesting about the state of the smartphone industry in 2017.