Nokia 8800 Arte Review

Does the style conscious mobi have the style of a prêt-a-porter suit or the glamour of haute couture?


From the illuminated keypad, to the precision glass and metal body and matching headset, the Nokia 8800 oozes quality. It's the Audi R8 of the celluar chic parade. Good looking, instantly desirable and frighteningly expensive.Forget touch screen, it's just Nokia's standard interface. It's a breeze to use next to some of the other fiddly phones on the market. We scrolled through the menu with the grace and style of Madame Moss in Milan.

Although its features can't rival other fashion blowers such as the Sony Ericsson, it has the essentials. You get a 3MP camera with autofocus, 3G and a decent music player. But this isn't about media gumph, it's the individual touches that make the 8800 Arte so special. Turn the handset over to mute an incoming call, reveal an analogue clock by tapping the front or choose from some specially designed wallpaper.

At over £300, it's expensive, but with a timeless design and superior build, you're paying for quality. A phone classic.