Nokia introduces new ‘Arte’ and ‘Sapphire’ 8800 handsets

Nokia Corp., the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer, has this week rolled out a European duo of new premium smooth-slide Nokia 8800 handsets that offer style-conscious customers a blend of elegance and sophistication while also bringing speedy 3G technology to the 8800 series for the very first time. Nokia Corp. has unveiled its new Nokia 8800 'Arte' and 'Sapphire Arte' 3G handsets. Credit: Nokia.

Nokia Corp. has unveiled its new Nokia 8800 'Arte' and 'Sapphire Arte' 3G handsets. Credit: Nokia.In the week following the launch of Apple’s iPhone, which, beyond use of Wi-Fi hotspots, is tied to the slow 2D EDGE network for its Web connectivity, Finland-based Nokia has chosen to bolster the flexibility of its existing Nokia 8800 line-up by introducing the 3G-equipped ‘Arte’ and ‘Sapphire Arte’ mobile phone handsets."These two new handsets set the benchmark for quality and craftsmanship," commented Heikki Norta, Senior VP of Mobile Phones at Nokia Corp. "The high-end materials and seamless surfaces are pleasing to touch while the sophisticated, minimalistic design is equally satisfying to the eyes. An obsessive attention to detail means that the Nokia 8800 Arte and Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte are engineered to last."With a focused design theme that "takes inspiration from nature and sets it apart from the crowd," Nokia claims that its new ‘Arte’ range offers seamless metal and glass body construction (nature?), while its internals are "driven by pure innovation."How driven? Well, by tapping the steel surface located beneath the handset’s screen, users will bring up an analogue clock that displays the time "in its most classic form." The new Nokia 8800s also come equipped with the graceful "turn-to-mute" function, which allows users to instantly mute the sound of an incoming call by simply turning the phone over, screen-side down.Various other features integral to the new ‘Arte’ handsets include a 2.0-inch QVGA OLED display screen (240 x 320), a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and 8x digital zoom, 1GB of onboard memory, a MicroUSB all-in-one connector, and anti-fingerprint coating on the metal and glass exterior.While both handsets offer the same array of features and functionality, the ‘Sapphire Arte’ model, as the name might suggest, comes with a genuine imbedded sapphire gem stone along with soft leather accents for – believe it or not – "an even more rich, sensual feel." It’s a mobile phone by the way.And, that’s not all. Nokia has also invited "internationally-acclaimed master producers" Kruder & Dorfmeister to create a unique musical compilation for addition to the new Nokia 8800 ‘Arte’ handsets, which come accompanied by visuals by Fritz Fitzke no less.And now for the price tag that comes with such elegance and sophistication. The new 3G Nokia 8800 ‘Arte’ will start shipping throughout Europe before the close of 2007 with an estimated retail price of 1000 EUR (before taxes and subsidies). The 3G Nokia 8800 ‘Sapphire Arte’ will follow in Q1 of 2008 and retail for approximately 1150 EUR (before taxes and subsidies).