Nokia Adds a Touch of Class

We like to think that we’re above the current fad for all things “bling” here at Pocket Gamer. But Nokia, bless their little Finnish hearts, thinks that they’ve got something that’ll catch our eye in the shape of the 8800 handset.

So far, so ordinary, except that this mobile is considerably more suave than your usual phone, with a case constructed entirely from stainless steel and a toughened glass display. The screen slides upwards to reveal a keypad that’s also fabricated from metal and the mechanism uses stainless steel ball bearings in a design influenced by the pop-up headlights of classic sportscars. The screen also reveals an SVGA camera lens on the rear of the phone.

But perhaps the most indulgent part of the 8800 is it’s collection of ringtones and alerts that have been especially composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who composed the soundtracks for The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence (ask your parents). This opulence comes at a cost, of course, and that’ll be around the £500 mark when the 8800 launches this summer in the UK. It’s a little out of our price range but we can always dream…