WhatsApp may have just announced that it’s soon to end support for some phones but it also appears some new devices will get the popular messaging app for the very first time.
The hugely popular Nokia 3310 and 8110 feature phones were recently refreshed and updated for a new era of users.
These devices include improved designs, colour displays and the addition of a camera – something that was sadly lacking on the original device launched in 2000.
One huge bonus of owning a new Nokia is the ludicrous battery life which can last almost an entire month on one charge.
When HMD Global, the company behind the relaunch, first revealed these new devices they were met with a huge amount of enthusiasm.
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With a cheap price and that endless battery, the 3310 and 8110 are perfect for festivals or as a second device.
However, there was one big missing feature as, despite being able to connect to the web and download apps, WhatsApp has not been available for these devices.
But that might be about to change with HMD’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, recently tweeting that WhatsApp is coming to the KaiOS platform.
In the post on social media Sarvikas said: “Oh look, #Whatsapp on #KaiOS!”
KaiOS recently got a huge boost from Google with the internet giant investing $22million in its development.
One of the devices that uses this software is the new 4G ready Nokia 8810 and that could mean apps including WhatsApp will arrive very soon.
There’s no word if the popular 3310 will also get an update but, if it does, it will certainly add more appeal to these phones.
WhatsApp has over 1.5 billion monthly active users but it will be abandoning those who can’t afford to upgrade their smartphone.
The company quietly announced the move on a blog post saying: “If you currently use an older operating system, we recommend upgrading to a newer version.”
From December this year, the Nokia S40 will no longer receive WhatsApp support.
One of the world’s most popular messaging services now won’t be supported for Android 2.3.3 or older, Apple iOS 6 or older meaning no iPhone 3GS help, Windows Phone 8.0 and older, Nokia Symbian S60, BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10.
WhatsApp will no longer support Apple iPhones with iOS 7 and older as well as Android versions 2.3.7 and older from February 1, 2020.