Precision-crafted Nokia 8800 premium phone arrives in Middle East markets

The phone was introduced into the Middle East at a ceremonial gala dinner held at the Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai.

With ring tones exclusively commissioned for the phone by award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, a solid, cool metal feel in the hand and eye-catching, burnished surfaces, the Nokia 8800 gives users a rare and refined mobile phone experience. The Nokia 8800 will be available in the UAE exclusively from Nokia Concept Stores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi until June 30, when it will be available from all Nokia authorised distributors. In other countries within the Middle East, phones will be available from all Nokia retail outlets.

"This is a premium handset for a premium customer who appreciates the Nokia 8800's precision craftsmanship, meticulous commitment to detail, modern lines and sculpted body. This device sets a new standard in the premium mobile phone category and reaffirms Nokia's leadership in crafting phones for the premium market," said Eddie Maalouf, General Manager, Nokia Middle East and North Africa said.

Among its most compelling features is the gracefully smooth slide mechanism that shifts up on a bi-stable spring and ball-bearing mechanism to reveal the metal-injection-moulded function keys. Composed of stainless steel for tensile strength and resin materials for its organic properties, the phone is a statement of character that is destined to age with grace.

"The Nokia 8800 doesn't just evoke iconic beauty with its looks but also sounds distinctly iconic as well. Building on its heritage in premium mobile phones by bringing together all the right elements, Nokia called upon Sakamoto, an internationally recognized composer and Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy awards winner, to compose the ring tones and alerts," Eddie Maalouf added. Among Sakamoto's creations is the phone's signature ring tone: "Dharma".

Careful construction matched only by the process of fine watch making has gone into each component. The specially reinforced fine-pitched glass of the front display is the same as that used for luxury timepieces and provides toughness and scratch-resistance, while the Nokia marquee has been chemically etched on the back plate using a process favoured by fine watchmakers.

The tri-band phone also features many of Nokia's latest mobile communications features such as an integrated SVGA camera, web browsing, Bluetooth™ connectivity, an active TFT display with 262,144 colours (208 x 208 pixels), a 3D image engine for enhanced graphics, video recording and streaming, a digital music player and device-to-device synchronization.