Besides the RAZR, few handsets have milked longevity like Nokia's 8800 slider -- first introduced in April 2005 (spied in March). Unlike RAZR, however, the 8800 somehow manages not to annoy... too much. The latest Carbon Arte model brings 3G, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 4GB of flash memory, and OLED display with anti-fingerprint coating. Fine, but it's the rocket-esque carbon fiber, titanium, and stainless steel materials that help push the price tag to €1,100 (that's about $1,600) before taxes and of course, carrier subsidies. Expected to brazenly appear in the smoking dens of Europe's finest gentlemens' clubs sometime in Q3.

Crave UK had a chance to check out Nokia's 8800 Arte and Sapphire Arte luxury sliders recently, and the reviewer discovered one... uh, "feature" of the Sapphire model not shared by its cheaper (but still very, very pricey) sibling. The box -- it's colossal. Not for any reason, mind you; no, Nokia just saw fit to line up the accessories contained within in a very linear, spaced-out fashion. Pretty weird for a Greenpeace-praised company with an obsession for everything environmental, isn't it?

[Thanks, T.I.]

From afar, it's really, really hard to understand the concept of a €1,000 (about $1,470) cellphone. Touch one, though, and it starts to make sense. The 8800 Arte -- the latest in a long line of luxury phones from Nokia dating all the way back to the trick 8110 "Matrix phone" in the mid 90s -- is a feast for the senses, thanks in no small part to a simply gorgeous 2 inch full color OLED display front and center. Of course, it also helps that the 8800 Arte once again sets a standard for quality materials and craftsmanship in Nokia's line, featuring perhaps the most satisfying slide mechanism we've ever had the pleasure of actuating. Put simply, this little beast feels as though it's crafted from a single hunk of metal, and indeed, that's probably not too far from the truth. The 3.2 megapixel camera is decent for a phone of its size and target demographic, and the same can be said of the 1GB of integrated storage; if it weren't for the lack of US 3G, we'd be just a hair away from being able to fully justify the monstrous price tag. For most of us, these gallery shots will be as close as we ever get to an 8800 Arte, so savor them, won't you?

Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!