Nokia goes back to the future.

 Arto Nummela, CEO of Nokia-HMD, holds up a Nokia 3310 device during a presentation ceremony at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 26, 2017. Reuters

 Nokia 3310 devices are displayed after their presentation ceremony at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 26, 2017. Reuters

 

Once the world's dominant phonemaker, Nokia in 2014 sold its by-then ailing handset operations to Microsoft for $7 billion, leaving it with its network equipment business and a large patent portfolio.

But last year, it gave the Nokia brand a fresh start by licensing its devices brand to HMD Global, a new company led by ex-Nokia executives and backed by Chinese electronics giant Foxconn.

Industry analysts say the revived Nokia 3310 has the makings of one of the hit devices of 2017, appealing to older Nokia fans in developed markets looking for an antidote to smartphone overload, while also appealing to younger crowds in emerging markets.