5 reasons why Nokia 1100 and not Nokia 3210 is the greatest phone ever

Nokia made some extremely memorable phones. One of these was Nokia 3210 and recently The Guardian asked if it was the greatest phone ever made. While the article posed the question, overall the argument of the piece was that it indeed was the best phone ever made. But I feel that The Guardian probably did not take into account what Nokia did in countries like India. Yes, the Nokia 3210 was iconic in many ways. It was an amazing phone that, before anything else, offered reliable phone experience, something that smartphones of 2015 lack. But as great as it was, it couldn't match another Nokia phone - Nokia 1100 - in terms of what it did for people.

There are many reasons to call a gadget or electronic device great. The iPhone is, for example, great because it totally changed the whole phone market and brought billions of dollars in profit to Apple. Some of the Android phones are great because they brought mobile computing to the masses. The Nokia 8110 of the late 90s was great because, well it was the coolest thing in the world at that time. It was so cool that it was the phone of choice in the futuristic film, The Matrix.

But in terms of impact a device had on people, in terms of what it offered to people, at a price that was within the reach of millions, it was the Nokia 1100 that ruled the roost. This is the best phone ever made and here are five reasons why I think so:

It was cute, compact and light

Unlike the huge phones of today, the Nokia 1100 was light and compact. It weighed less than 90g, which made it easy to slip into the top shirt pocket. It was slim enough to fit well in hands and had rounded edges that helped users while using it. Best of all, it was cute, unlike most of the other phones available at the time. There was something comforting about its design. It was easy to connect to this phone in a way that was not possible with other phones in the market that had blocky shapes and sharp edges. The screen with its convex sides too gave the phone a cute personality.

It was durable

The Nokia 1100 didn't feel as stiff and tough as the Nokia 3210. But it was a very sturdy phone, even though it's plastic had a soft feel to it. It was a phone designed for developing countries and hence Nokia had used several techniques to make it durable. One of these techniques was the use of rubber keyboard instead plastic keys. The rubber membrane all over the keyboard gave the phone limited protection against dust, sweat and water, which is very important in a country like India. The rubbery part was more resistant to scratches compared to the tough plastic that companies used on other phones. The soft rubbery feel also made the phone feel better in hands. The durability of the phone was amply highlighted in that iconic truck advertisement where the phone was left hanging in front of the vehicle. At the end of the journey, we see the phone survive without a scratch.

It came with a torch

This was a killer feature of the Nokia 1100. In a country like India where power supply was (and is) an issue, the Nokia 1100 was an instant hit owing to its in-built torchlight. As the truck advertisement explained, it was a phone that was supposed to work even at night. "Is mein torch kyon hai," asks the helper. "Kyonki ye raat ko bhi chalta hai," says the driver as he stops his truck to rest at night. Nothing more was needed to be said. Indians were sold out on the Nokia 1100.

It is the bestselling phone of all time

Nokia has sold over 250 million units of the Nokia 1100. This is a huge number. It became ubiquitous in the rural areas of India and in parts of Africa. No wonder then that when Nokia sold its one billionth phone, it was the Nokia 1100. In comparison, around 160 million units of the Nokia 3210 have been sold.

It was made for people who never used a phone earlier

The real reason why Nokia 1100 is the greatest phone ever made is its positioning in the market. It was priced low - less than Rs 5,000 - and it offered people a hassle-free experience. Everything in the phone was tuned to make the first time users comfortable. It had a very easy-to-use interface, allowed people to call by pressing a single key, had an option to change font size, offered battery life that was legendary and came with cool features like the torch. It even offered people some customisation options, if they wished to change the looks of their phone. Best of all, it offered an extremely reliable service. The call quality on this phone was fantastic and typing on its rubbery keys was extremely easy.

By today's standards the Nokia 1100 may look dated - though it is still more durable and offers better battery life than smartphones - but in 2003, the phone was a complete package in a design that was very likeable. No wonder, 12 years later after its launch, it is the best smartphone ever made.