The 8310 was a successor to the iconic
Nokia 8210 which was a key device as the company started to offer more fashion-led phones.
Nokia had already established its Xpress-On interchangeable covers on several phones, but the 8310 had a more modular design making it possible to change three different elements, the front, back and the keypad.
Notably, the phone had new features that appeared on a Nokia phone for the first time: support for GPRS data transfer and a built-in FM radio.
One of the shortcomings was its black and white screen given that a rival phone maker, Ericsson, had included a 256-colour display on its
T68 which was also announced in 2001. Despite this, the 8310 was a popular, trendy phone that was much liked by Nokia customers.