Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte Review
Phone rating: 
In a nutshell: The Carbon Arte is a refined version of Nokia's
most exclusive phone to date, and you won't see many of these on the
street. The 8800 Carbon Arte is crafted from carbon fibre, titanium,
polished glass and stainless steel, and is unquestionably a stunningly
beautiful phone. It also has most of the latest gadgets, including 3G,
a 3.2 megapixel camera, a music player, video ringtones, 4GB of built-in
memory, and comes with a Bluetooth stereo headset.
Review: October 2008. Updated June 2009.
The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte is a further refinement of Nokia's premium range
of 8800 Series phones. Based on the 8800 Arte,
the Carbon Arte pushes materials, exclusivity and price further than ever, leaving
you with hardly any change from £1000, if you buy sim free.
Constructed from carbon fibre, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel,
the Carbon Arte is without question a beautifully constructed luxury item. Everything
about the phone is gorgeous: the smooth sliding action of the slide, the weighty
and solid feel of the phone in your palm, the attention to detail in its craftsmanship,
it just oozes quality and luxury through every fibre of its being. It looks
very similar to the 8800 Arte, with the same size, weight and shape, but the
colours and themes have been changed. Nokia have commissioned special visuals
for the design of the Carbon Arte, from the multimedia designer Fritz Fitzke.
The ringtones were also specially produced for the phone by Kruder & Dorfmeister.
There are many subtle design details to be enjoyed, such as the way that a clock
appears on the display when you tap the phone, or the way that you can reject
am incoming call by turning the phone to lie face down.
The 8800 series has in the past been criticised for being all looks and no
features. After all, if this is the Aston Martin of phones, you expect it to
have the performance of a sports car, not just the looks. The Carbon Arte definitely
excels in certain areas. For instance, Nokia have equipped the Carbon Arte with
a best-in-class display: an OLED panel with beautifully crisp graphics rendered
in 16 million colours and at a high resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The memory
of the Carbon Arte has been upgraded to 4GB, so although there's no memory card
slot, there's really no need for one, as this matches the capacity of all but
the top-end smartphones. The music player plays all common formats of digital
music, and a stereo Bluetooth headset is included in the box. One feature that
doesn't match the competition is the rather average camera. Rated at just 3.2
megapixels and with no flash, this doesn't seem to be the camera you would expect
to be included in a £1000 handset. There's also no radio included, and
no 3G video calling.
Nevertheless, despite lacking a few features, the Carbon Arte still delivers
on its promise to be an absolutely beautiful, premium quality luxury item. Credit
crunch? What credit crunch?
Features of the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte include:
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 8x digital zoom
- Video camera (640 x 480 pixels, 15 frames per second) with Image stabilisation
and 8x digital zoom
- Display: OLED, 16 million colours, 240 x 320 pixels (2.0 inches)
- Music player (MP3, WMA, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+ formats)
- 64-voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones / Video ring tones (7 built-in
tones)
- Speakerphone
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, email, Nokia Xpress audio messaging
- Java games
- WAP, GPRS, EDGE, 3G
- Memory: 4 Gbytes
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, USB 1.2
- Internet: Web browser
- Tri-band GSM 1800/1900 plus 3G WCDMA 2100
- Size: 109 x 46 x 15 mm
- Weight: 150g
- Talktime: 2.75 hours (3G) - 3.3 hours (2G)
- Battery standby: 300 hours
Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte User Reviews
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people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
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Average rating from 29 reviews: 
Reviewed by Ahmed from uk on 5th Jan 2012
This phone is amazing if you have a genuine 1. there are so many fakes
on the web selling for £200 or less make sure its real or you will not
understand the true quality of the masterpiece from nokia.
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Reviewed by Saeed from England on 1st Dec 2011
I'm really impressed with this phone. i have had this phone since 2009.
it is a very good phone.xxx
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Reviewed by Iky from England on 17th Jun 2011
I never liked the 8800's when they first came out, i got the 8600 luna
instead which was miles better than the sirocco's. But when i got the
carbon arte, it made my luna look ugly and weak even though that was
made out of glass and the key pad would light up through the dark glass.
The Carbon arte has to be one of the best phones i have ever had. It
would have cost me an arm and a leg if brought in 09. I played the waiting
game and got one this year. The phone even though second hand is still
brand new! This clearly shows the phone has been made using the finest
quality materials available to nokia. scratch resistant and anti smudge
and fingerprint coating and the key pad feels and looks like no other
phone. The guy who designed must have got a heafty bonus! Iphone 4,
one can pick it up for around 300. Cabon arte made in Korea version,
you will be lucky to find one still go for 800 to 600. This looooks
so gooood, when out in public, it turns heads left right and centre.
Truely the Aston Martin of all phones!
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Reviewed by hassan omar from england on 9th Dec
2010
i love this phone i had all of not the nokia 8800 Carbon Arte now i
wont to have this phone on pay monthly to
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Reviewed by Rani Paul from UK on 3rd Apr 2010
I'm really impressed with this phone, not had a nokia for a while but
this is great love it - good features and works great in day to day
life very practical and stylish so happy xx
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Reviewed by neil from uk on 18th Dec 2009
a beautiful mobile but its not as classy to look at than the 8800 astonmartin
from a few years ago
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Reviewed by Rosh from UK on 18th Nov 2009
I have had mine for about 2 days now, i love it and its a great addition
to the 8800 series.
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Reviewed by David Haworth from England on 13th
Sep 2009
I have the carbon arte its simply excellent its not cutting edge for
pictures i have a panansonic Lumix I use for photo's its not packed
to the brim with music I have a n i pod touch for that but what it does
is make calls and for that it's simply excellent it works in areas of
finge coverage where other handsets haven't/don't its locked up twice
in 12 months and it oozes class its reassuringly weighty but so what
I have not had problems with the battery perhaps because I dont keep
topping it up I let the battery rund down in another standard aret and
swap them back when I have charged them. Purely personal but the gold
arte looks a bit too bling bling for me and seems aimed at the ladies
but bmost ladies who have seenj it seem to like the look of it
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Reviewed by Amir Khan from England on 7th Sep
2009
Nokia.What a phone! beautiful, and very glamorous i never use it that
much but the battery is ok.the features are ok aswell but i have the
carbon arte with 4gb memory so that is good as i know that most nokia
8899 series lack this.the caarbon is just beautiful and did you know
mike tyson has one? i met him back in january and we had a good chat
so yeah guys get it.VERY GOOD!!! XxX Amir Khan XxX
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Reply by Mike Tyson from USA on 4th
Sep 2012
Yea, Amir, how did you know I had one??? Yea it's a nasty ole' phone
man....I wish Nokia keep comin' with these bling phones....I sure do
likes me dat phone man....Anyway I hope to kick your ass Khan...Ima
comin' to git ya' homeboy....Peace out
Reviewed by bigballan from U.K on 4th Jun 2009
i upgraded from an arte....it is unrivalled in quality and high end
materials...if you want the best phone on the market...buy it...if you
can afford it....the 1 star givers lol
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Reviewed by jo from england on 12th Feb 2009
5 words GREAT
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on
12th Feb 2009
That was just 3 words? Never mind, we understand what you mean, jo!
Reviewed by Dan from UK on 12th Feb 2009
This is a nice phone and the bild quality is second to none. That said,
It is well over priced and the features are not brilliant. Its a good
phone for posers or someone with more money than sence.
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Reviewed by stranger from undifined(GET THAT) on
7th Feb 2009
i loveitttttttttttttttttttt cant talk aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
i spend my time with my moblie
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Reviewed by penrose from united nations on 7th
Feb 2009
great and really easy to use but i find that the carbonfibre can scrath
easyily and is a bit geeky
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Reviewed by richard from africa on 31st Jan 2009
FABULOUS NOT i hate this phone DONT get it
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Reviewed by yugioh from rebublic of ireland on
25th Jan 2009
amazing
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Reviewed by Christian from germany on 23rd Jan
2009
superb phone go and buy
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Reviewed by michel from kuwait on 18th Jan 2009
love it nice weight. great design. makes and receives calls perfectly.
does not spoil the suit. not a mini computer. just a top quality mobile
phone, and a pleasure to use
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Reviewed by Ben from U.K on 20th Dec 2008
FAN-TASTIC. I can't find a bad thing to say about this phone... even
the price... it was well worth it... Matches my carbon fibre dashboard
in my car aswell hahaha. Truley a magnificant phone. Well Done Nokia!!
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Reviewed by Hosé from Spain on 11th Dec 2008
awesome phone very sexy go out and buy it now!
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Reviewed by Mitch from Uk on 7th Dec 2008
Awsome phone i bought two of these and two of the sapphire, the sapphire
is the posers version and the carbon in my opinion for those who just
love carbon, matches my car just brilliant.
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Reviewed by waq from uk on 30th Nov 2008
amazing phone... not reali for people hu want a feature packed phone,
only recommended for people hu want their phone to be recognised. amazingly
built, sexy sleek and stylish. a must buy
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Reviewed by John from england on 10th Nov 2008
THE single mosta amazing phone EVER. The looks, the features, the materials,
the feel... Nothing compares!
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Reviewed by Jack Reddington from England on 8th
Nov 2008
I bought this phone 2 weeks ago. Its an absolutly fantasic phone. It
feels really nice in your hand. All of my friends want it now. It is
a pricey phone but every part of it is worth it, you wont be disapointed,
also if youve got the money, like me, go and buy it now.
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Reviewed by alex from england on 6th Nov 2008
load of rubish......had mine a day and sold it.....do not buy
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Reviewed by Danny B from UK>Yorkshire on 25th
Oct 2008
Very classy sleek phone, ultimate build quality. Not far off a Vertu
!!! I ve had this for 3 weeks now.
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Reviewed by shazad from uk on 20th Oct 2008
just 3 words OH MY GOD this is the best nokia ever made everytime it
out of my pocket i have people asking me where i got it from propa head
turner. if your rich and wana show off go for it.
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Reviewed by boi from london on 9th Oct 2008
its fantasttic buy it its the bomb
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