Not so smart but oh so simple: Old handphones make a vintage comeback

Not junk just yet: Consumers fatigued by the smartphone wars are returning to the 'good old days' of GSM-handphones, fueling a growth in vintage handphone sales in Europe.

They fit in a pocket, have batteries that last all week and are almost indestructible: old-school Nokias, Ericssons and Motorolas are making a comeback as consumers, tired of fragile and overly-wired smartphones, go retro.

Forget apps, video calls or selfies, old school handsets like the Nokia 3310 or Motorola StarTec 130 allow just basic text messaging and phone calls. But demand for them is growing and some of these second-hand models are fetching prices as high as €1,000 (RM4,390) apiece.