NYTimes reports that joining the makers of purses, watches and shoes, the manufacturers of cellphones are trying to convince us that an everyday item can be an objet d'art. With the comforting heft of a Zippo lighter and a vaguely Art Deco look, the Nokia 8801 is one of the first luxury phones accessible to the chattering classes.
The 8801, which T-Mobile recently began offering for $550, is made of stainless steel and snaps open with a resounding click. Its tri-band GSM frequencies mean you can use it just about anywhere in the world.
The 8801 is not lean on features. Its camera can take still pictures and video, and Nokia says the 8801 is the first phone that can stream wireless Bluetooth audio in stereo. That means you can use a stereo Bluetooth headset to listen to music from the phone's built-in player, without worrying about getting tangled in the cord.
Though the phone has all the trappings of high style, its simple design won't force the fashionable to spend time figuring out what all those fancy buttons do.
The 8801, which T-Mobile recently began offering for $550, is made of stainless steel and snaps open with a resounding click. Its tri-band GSM frequencies mean you can use it just about anywhere in the world.
The 8801 is not lean on features. Its camera can take still pictures and video, and Nokia says the 8801 is the first phone that can stream wireless Bluetooth audio in stereo. That means you can use a stereo Bluetooth headset to listen to music from the phone's built-in player, without worrying about getting tangled in the cord.
Though the phone has all the trappings of high style, its simple design won't force the fashionable to spend time figuring out what all those fancy buttons do.