Nokia 3310 & pagers: What were the devices that shaped the 90s?

These days, the nostalgia for old technology seems to be returning.

I had seen various unboxing videos of different old devices online, but was unsure of where to find them.

When I asked about it in the company chat, my colleagues did not hesitate to let me know they had devices ranging from gameboys to tamagotchis.

To them, these gadgets were the highlight of their childhood, with many recalling fond memories bonding over them with family and friends.

A number of them have kept the devices even to this day, and still play with them from time to time.

As someone who was only born in 2001 and spent most of her childhood watching cartoons instead, I must admit I was intrigued.

What were some of these devices that have left their mark on their childhoods?

Nokia 3310

Most of us are now familiar with and appreciate the speed that comes with smartphones.

But that wasn't always the case.

So I spoke to a colleague who grew up with a Nokia 3310, who used it in the early 2000s, while he was still a student.

Calling it a "durable brick", he recalled that it only had a "snake game" and was good for sending succinct text messages.

He remembers being able to "press thrice on a button in record time to get the letter of the alphabet" he wanted, and type without looking at the keypad "because of tactile muscle memory".

Both are things he knows would not make sense to younger people these days.

Despite having lost his old phone, he doesn't exactly miss it, as he feels that "phones these days are magic".

Pager

Another colleague recalled seeing his father use a pager when he was in primary school in the 1990s.

"I remember sometimes there would be a buzzing sound, he would sigh, take a look at letters on a small screen I could not really make out and hurry over to our phone to make a call," the colleague said.

He added that one call would take up his father's entire dinner time, so his father would often quickly gobble down whatever food he could before leaving the table.

As an adult, he now finds that the family can sit at the table for as long as they like, but are now more distracted by communications on their devices.

'A Walk Through Time' exhibit

If you also miss the sentimental value and nostalgia of retro devices, here's your chance to take a journey back in time.

From Oct. 19 to Dec. 20, the exhibit "A Walk Through Time" will give you a sneak peek at the nostalgic setups along memory lane.

It will showcase various devices of yore and also allow members of the public to experience these relics through interactive experiences.

Past

The first event zone will take visitors down memory lane with four different exhibits.

Go back in time to the Mama Diam exhibit featuring items such as a coin phone, old school snacks and the old school marble folding table.

You can also check out the Retro Living Room exhibit with an old school television, radio cassette player and a VCR player.

At the third exhibit, Retro Study Room, take a deep dive into how people used to get their work done with devices such as a CRT Monitor, typewriter, floppy disks and a fax machine.

Other nostalgic items on display include phone cards, Walkmans, MP3 players, and old phone models such as the Nokia 3310 and BlackBerry 9790.

Present to future

The second event zone features three AI exhibits for visitors to explore it in an interactive way.

At the AI Prompt Lab, you may experience an AI prompting framework that can improve AI outputs.

Keen to predict the future? Visit the AI Grandmaster exhibit to prompt your fortune reading.

Finally, explore how different AI tools can assist you in your daily life and work at the AI Interactive Hub.

You may explore common AI tools used to complete tasks, as well as take a quiz to see if you can identify which photos or voice recordings are AI.

Dates and locations

From now to December 2026, you may experience this at the following locations from 11am to 8pm daily:

• Suntec City, near Shake Shack: Nov. 16 to Nov. 22,
• Downtown East, Level 1: Nov. 23 to Nov. 29,
• Bugis Junction, Level 1: Nov. 30 to Dec. 6,
• Leisure Park Kallang, Level 1: Dec. 7 to Dec. 13, and
• Kinex Mall, Level 1: Dec. 14 to Dec. 20.

The best part? Admission is free.

For more details and the latest exhibition locations, visit A Walk Through Time's official website.

Looking for time to kill with your family or reconnect with your inner child? Here’s your chance.

This branded article by SDA made this writer want to try using her parents' old Nokia phones now, if she can find them.