Nokia conjures up Carbon Arte mobile phone

A work of Arte

19 August 2008 13:20 GMT / By Katie Scott

Nokia's latest phone is a masculine wonder of carbon fibre, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel.

The Carbon Arte joins the Nokia 8800 Arte range but you can tell the phone manufacturer sees this phone as something different - is it to mobiles what Bugatti is to sportscars.

Just listen to how it's carbon fibre shell is described: "Carbon fibre is an ultra light and strong material that expresses a
woven pattern that is both high-tech, and sensuous".

"Custom built to ensure the precision engineering that these materials require, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte features 3D patterns that express the inherent performance and lustre of carbon fibre."

Blimey.

Feature wise - you get the new tap-for-time tool which sees a clock appear when you tap the steel surface below the display twice.

Other nifty features include the turn-to-mute silencing mechanism, which allows you to silence incoming calls just by turning the phone over, screen-side down.

Connectivity-wise - you get 3G capabilities and there's also a 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera, OLED display and 4GB built-in memory.

And just to keep your shiny, sleek mobile looking, well, shiny and sleek, it is coated with Nokia’s anti-fingerprint coating while "unsightly outer seams are hidden by an all-in-one microUSB connector".

If you want to accessorise - there's a Bluetooth
touch-sensitive volume control headset, a desk stand and a leather carrying case.

The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte will be available in the 3rd quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of £870 sim free and exclusive of VAT. Ouch!