Up close with the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition

While Nokia's just now starting an up-market push in the States with its older 8801, it looks like the freshened model (pictured right) is starting to filter through Europe in earnest after making some cameos last month. Newly dubbed the "Sirocco Edition" but wearing the same 8800 badge, the Vertu wannabe shares most of its predecessor's characteristics: unusually excellent build quality, hardened sapphire display, and lots of hypnotically shiny metal. Unfortunately, as phoneArena found out, it carries over a number of the original's faults as well, namely uneven keypad backlighting and a crappy d-pad. Oh, and still no expansion slot, though the re-upped internal storage (now 128MB) may hold you over -- but with prices pushing an honest grand US, the real question is whether you want to fork over some serious cash for the privilege of a circa-2005 spec sheet.

Way too many pics of the Nokia 8801




Nokia was in town yesterday, and while we're always happy to spend an hour kicking with them at the W, what really dragged us out of Engadget HQ was the prospect of getting our hands on the 8801, their new stainless steel handset. Like a few of you predicted, the stainless steel did get a little smudgy, but we have to admit that otherwise phone felt pretty nice in the hand, and altogether it felt very solid and had a good center of gravity when slid open. The 8801 won't hit stores until September, but Nokia's rep told us it'll probably cost around $700 before carrier subsidy (though that price could go down between now and then). Power users won't be satisfied with the 8801's lack of top-level features (there's no memory card slot, for instance), but Nokia doesn't care, they're going after the fashionista crowd with this one.

Way too many pics of the Nokia 8801

Nokia was in town yesterday, and while we're always happy to spend an hour kicking with them at the W, what really dragged us out of Engadget HQ was the prospect of getting our hands on the 8801, their new stainless steel handset. Like a few of you predicted, the stainless steel did get a little smudgy, but we have to admit that otherwise phone felt pretty nice in the hand, and altogether it felt very solid and had a good center of gravity when slid open. The 8801 won't hit stores until September, but Nokia's rep told us it'll probably cost around $700 before carrier subsidy (though that price could go down between now and then). Power users won't be satisfied with the 8801's lack of top-level features (there's no memory card slot, for instance), but Nokia doesn't care, they're going after the fashionista crowd with this one.


Nokia 8801









Service

Centennial Wireless
GSM 850/1800/1900 MHz23
Immix Wireless
T-Mobile
Voce

Phone Features

Voice
Integrated speakerphone for multitasking even while chatting
Voice dialing
Voice recording

Messaging
Send and receive messages containing text, an audio clip, and an image or video clip to other compatible devices1,14
Text messages1
Predictive text input

Display and User Interface
Stunning 265K color (208 x 208 pixels) TFT display
Specially reinforced glass over screen for toughness and scratch resistance
Ergonomic 5-way navigation key
3D animated Nokia theme menu icons
Slim, sleek stainless steel cover
Smooth slide mechanism
Laser-cut keymat

Camera & Video
Integrated SVGA camera and video 19
Image quality up to 600 x 800 pixels
3D image engine for enhanced graphics
Improved video recording quality (QCIF)
Video capture up to 1 hour in length

Customer Care
Enhanced Contact Center Support - dedicated phone number exclusive to 8801 owners for faster response time with highly trained representatives
Enhanced Repair Service - you have an option for receiving a replacement phone before shipping your original phone to Nokia for warranty repair
Enhanced Protection - 2-year limited warranty

Connectivity
XHTML browsing for richer mobile Internet1,2,12
High-speed data and video streaming via EDGE and GPRS15
Bluetooth wireless technology for seamless connectivity22

Organization
64 MB of internal memory
Nokia PC Suite and OMA Data Synchronization for synchronizing data (calendar, to-do lists and contacts) between phone and compatible PC via Bluetooth wireless technology22
Nokia Collector for transferring and storing images, video or music files between phone and Mac
Calendar with reminders
To-do list
Alarm clock
Calculator

Personalization & Fun
Digital music player (AAC/MP3)
FM radio (headset required, available in box)
Downloadable Java™ games and personal applications
Up to 64 polyphonic ring tones, plus support for AAC and MP3 ring tones
Themes including animated wallpapers, animated screensavers, color schemes and polyphonic ring tones
Java MIDP 2.0

Accessibility
TTY/TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) compatibility with phone adapter (sold separately)6

Specifications
Weight: 4.73 oz.
Dimensions: 4.21 x 1.77 x 0.74 Inches
Internal antenna
Vibrating alert

Service
GSM 850/1800/1900 MHz

8801 Phone Battery Life
Standard Li-Ion Battery 600 mAh


-- Digital Talk Time up to 3 hours*


-- Digital Standby Time up to 8 days*