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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PCTips @ Sep 20th 2006 5:51AM
As for me sapphire display is just a fake. Few days ago my friend and I tried out this model. We bit it on the wall. Zero effect. Then we take hammer and this "sapphire display" just crashed. Now the phone is lying and reminds us, what "sapphire displays" Nokia produce. We'll see what will be with this new model
Jeff Kent @ Sep 20th 2006 6:09AM
Wow, what does #1's comments mean?
Roy @ Sep 20th 2006 7:12AM
#1 is clearly a bit mad - He goes around battering his phone with a hammer to see if it will break!?
SLVRMUSTANG @ Sep 20th 2006 7:28AM
and he does it for around a grand a pop...
Keith @ Sep 20th 2006 7:36AM
A mineral glass lens is designed to be scratch-resistant, not hammer-proof. I'm more interested to know what it means to have "bit it on the wall"
Biz @ Sep 20th 2006 11:30AM
#1 is obviously Paris Hilton looking for a new way to blow cash. It's "hit it on the wall" Paris....not "bit." The "h" is the one that's open at the bottom...the "b" is closed. So stop typing and look pretty.
PCTips @ Sep 20th 2006 5:28PM
Yikes, how many comments. Guys! Comment post, not my comment :). Answering your questions:
Roy - the owner of the phone was VERY angry. Not about the phone, but the phone was near. And he thought better the broken phone, than my head.
Keith - I mean we throw it to the wall.
Biz - maybe funny, but, sorry, I don't understand your humor.
Oyinko @ Sep 21st 2006 3:50PM
Here is a review of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition
http://www.evenmobile.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2758
Kayzee @ Sep 26th 2006 8:04AM
Wow I still don't understand #1,7... The owner was angry, but not about the phone and the phone was near.
Hmmm....
Anyway, for me the new version isn't worth upgrading from my current 8800. I don't like the construction of the new one as much- too much plastic.
dandan @ Apr 5th 2007 8:19PM
How can you tell the nokia 8800 sirocco is fake ? and its not the real 8800 sirocco.....
For example someone changed the face from the normal nokia 8800 to sirocco