Last year, vinyl record sales surpassed CD sales, and even cassette tapes are making a small comeback. What is old is new again, including electronics.
When it comes to “nostalgia electronics,” what’s changed is the underlying technology used to build them, whether it’s record players, cellphones, or double cassette boomboxes.
Nokia’s retro-inspired phones released in spring of 2024 are an example of how the same product can benefit from newer technology. Released by HMD Global, the company behind the Nokia brand, the Nokia 6310, 5310, and Nokia 230 are modern takes on handsets from 2001, 2007, and 2015 respectively.
Under the hood, however, they’re different from the original versions: They’ve got better batteries and include modern functionality such as Bluetooth 5.0, advanced accessibility features, and USB-C charging, the latter of which wasn’t introduced until 2014 and has only recently become standard with Apple’s iPhone in the fall of 2023.
The simpler, retro electronics coming to market are more complex on the inside – they’re benefiting from advances in semiconductor technology, including tinier components and lighter materials. They’re lightweight versions of older, bulkier products with all the features of the original that were loved without the nuisances that people have long forgotten they had to deal with.
Longer battery life without more weight
The most obvious improvement for cellphones has been battery life, thanks to the move from lithium-ion batteries to lithium polymer, Sukaina Yacoob, senior quality assurance engineer at Batteries Plus, told Fierce Electronics in interview. “The lithium polymer design really improved the performance and the form factor of the battery, so it made it easier to fit in slimmer devices.” The battery could also be much lighter, she said.
The older designs that are getting a second chance at life also have lower power demands, which increases battery life, Yacoob said, and the batteries don’t degrade as quickly. Charging times are also faster thanks to adoption of the USB-C charging port. “It can decrease charging times by almost half.”
Simpler retro cellphones also aren’t burning up power for GPS applications or constantly updating the owner with applications notifications, including social media, Yacoob said. “That greatly gives you a lot more battery life and allows you to use your phone for a longer period of time without charging it.”
She said there is demand for simpler cellphones as people look to detox themselves from technology and not be constantly connected to social media or checking their email.
Simpler phones mean less work, distraction
Ghazenfer Mansoor, CEO and founder of Technology Rivers, noted in an email interview that the most recent Nokia “dumbphone” relaunch, the 3210, still has a battery life that lasts for many days and feels strong when you hold it. “But now you can also take a photo or visit websites too,” he said. “It is about providing you with what you need, without including all the additional features that make smartphones seem like a non-stop task.”
Mansoor said bringing back the Nokia 3210 is not just about reminding people of old times, but providing an option for those who prefer fewer digital distractions. “There is something special about technology that works easily without any extra complications or fancy stuff.”
In Canada, simple “dumbphone” sales grew 25% in 2023 over the previous year, in part because some Gen Z and millennial users want to digitally detox from a constantly connected world.
Sean Cleland, head of the mobile division at B-Stock, one of the largest B2B marketplaces for trade-in and overstock mobile phones, said the company sees a lot of interest in older devices at the back end. Some enterprises that provide devices to their employees want simpler ones that support business communications but not social media applications, he said. “I do feel like there is some value in not having a device that has the modern antennas and circuitry in it but is free from all the social media distractions.”
One the consumer front, B-Stock doesn’t see a lot of dumb phones – they likely just end up sitting in someone’s drawer for years – but a lot of consumers are holding on to their smartphones longer. “They're learning that even after 36 months, there's still value in that phone,” he said. “The phone is a lot more robust, so what we see in the secondary market is a bit older.”
Cleland said a notable trend is Samsung flip and fold devices entering the secondary market, which are desirable and expensive. “We've definitely seen a growth in that inventory coming back and getting resold to consumers. They're open to buying them preowned.”
He said carriers are coming up with aggressive promotions to get consumers to buy the latest and greatest smartphone, but many people are content to waiting for a pre-owned or refurbished model because these devices are so robust. “They're going to last for a while.”
B-Stock sees high volumes of different consumer electronics including smartphones, tablets, wearables and even “hearables” come through, Cleland said.
The company has recently seen a quite a few of the recent Motorola Razr phones, he said. “They don't look like the old one, but the nostalgia element of the brand is still there.”
Vinyl and classic video games are having a moment
Simpler cellphones are one the most recent examples of retro technology, but nostalgia electronics aren’t new. In the last decade, the Atari gaming system has seen a rebirth of sorts with the Atari Flashback. While it looks the like very popular Atari 2600 of the 1980s, the modern version of the classic game console is smaller and lighter.
Most notably, it doesn’t use game cartridges – the various editions of the Atari Flashback come preloaded with about a hundred games. The joystick controllers are also the same size, feel and weight, but are wireless, with the Flashback console coming with ports to support original Atari paddle controllers. (This writer owns two because one has all the Activision games and the other has Atari classics like Space Invaders and Super Breakout).
Other ’80s electronics making a comeback are the all-in-one stereo systems that feature a turntable, double cassette, CD and radio in one device. They also come equipped with modern bells and whistles, such as SD card slots, USB ports and Bluetooth capabilities.
The resurgence of records and tapes speaks just as much to the kinds of experiences people want to have, whether simpler devices powered by modern technology or using new technologies to simulate experiences.
In an interview with Fierce Electronics, Donovan Wallace, VP of electronics at Design 1st, noted that DJs are using modern technology to simulate the “scratching” of vinyl records. “You have a digital stream, and you have to shift the speed of that and the pitch and the speed, and it's not a trivial thing to do.”
A classic guitar player, Wallace has observed there’s effort being made to recreate that same tube-like sound with electronics with digital electronics and fancy signal processing techniques through amplifiers on stage. “A guy on stage will have this stack of amplifiers. If he's playing in the rock group, he'll actually have a pedal on the ground that will simulate multiple different kinds of amplifiers, and each have their signature sound.”
Old technology delivers new experiences
Similarly, Wallace said, the sound of nicks and scratches are being added to vinyl records and grain is being added to digital videos. “It adds a vibe that people like.”
And even as modern vehicles adopt sleeker, futuristic looking dashboards, Wallace said there’s signs of a retro trend toward more functional knobs and dials, adding that the modern interfaces with phone-like navigation menus can prove be a huge distraction to drivers. “That's not nostalgia per se, but I think it's the overuse of technology to the harm of society.”
Mansoor said that as Technology Rivers keeps creating new things, the company also hears what people long for from before. “Blending old and new together helps us satisfy everyone's wishes, making technology enjoyable and easy to use for everyone,” he said. “Maybe going a bit retro is what we need to see how far we've come, and where we're heading next.”