While everyone else is chasing colour screens and cameras that take photos resembling a bag of flour, Nokia has quietly released the 6310i, a phone so fundamentally perfect that some people will still be using it in 2026. Launched in early 2002, it is the refined “i” version of the 6310, and it is the ultimate expression of the “business” mobile. It sticks to a high-contrast monochrome display with a gorgeous blue backlight that is readable in any light, from a boardroom to a blackout. It’s tri-band, meaning you can take it to the States, and it includes Bluetooth as standard, making it the only choice for the thousands of Mercedes and BMW owners whose car kits were designed specifically around this handset.
The 6310i is a technical masterpiece of reliability, powered by a 1100 mAh Li-Polymer battery that provides up to 17 days of standby time—a figure that seems like sorcery in the current market. It’s got a massive memory for its time, storing 500 contacts and featuring a voice recorder that actually sounds like a human being. The keypad is widely regarded as the best ever made; the buttons have a tactile “click” that makes T9 texting feel like playing a grand piano. It might not have a camera or a colour screen, but for the serious professional who needs a phone that simply works for a week without a charge, the 6310i is the greatest handset Nokia has ever built.