Review: Nokia 8800 Arte

Nokia 8800 Arte Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: It's Nokia's most exclusive phone to date, and you won't see many of these on the street. The 8800 Arte is crafted from premium materials, and should be considered as a luxury item, not a tech gadget or a workhorse phone. Still, it has 3G, a 3 megapixel camera, and a music player, as well as making you look good while you're making calls. But if you have to ask the price, then it's not the right phone for you!
Best buy: £319.99 on contract from the Carphone Warehouse; or on Pay as you Go from the Carphone Warehouse at £699.95.

The Nokia 8800 Arte is Nokia's latest in its premium range of phones. Following on from the 8800, 8800 Sirocco and 8600 Luna, it seems that the marketing guys at Nokia felt that £400 - £500 for a phone was no way nearly enough, so they have priced the 8800 Arte at close to double that. This is pushing prices towards Vertu levels (Nokia's ultra-exclusive brand), so the chances are you won't see many of these phones on the street.

The standard 8800 Arte comes in a black metal and glass finish, but there's also a Sapphire Arte version. The Sapphire Arte looks like bling gone badly wrong. It's a kind of sludge colour with a real leather finish and incorporates a real jewel into the navigation key. Gentle reader, we couldn't bring ourselves to include a photo of this hideous creation on our website, so you'll have to use your imagination.

The 8800 Arte is all about premium materials and subtle design details, especially in the way that the phone responds. For instance, if you tap the phone, the time appears on the display. If you want to silence a ring, you just turn the phone face down. The Arte features "living wallpaper" - wallpaper that changes depending on the time of day and the state of the phone, e.g. battery charge level, etc. As with the other premium range phones, the Arte comes with exclusive graphics, themes and ringtones. One of the problems with glossy black phones is that they act as fingerprint magnets, but Nokia have introduced a special anti-fingerprint coating for the Arte, which helps to keep the phone looking at its best.

Feature-wise its a 3G mobile with a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus (no flash), a high quality display and a music player. Unlike the 8600 and Sirocco there isn't a radio - Nokia's market research probably revealed that a radio wasn't a big deal for the target market. There's no memory card, but it comes with 1 Gbyte of built-in memory, which will probably be enough for the kind of user Nokia has in mind. In other words it does enough but isn't all-singing and all-dancing.

It's quite a heavy phone at 150g, due mainly to the use of metal, and its slim but not ultra-slim. It's narrower than Samsung's slide phones, making it nice and easy to hold. The only thing that could be improved physically is the rather small keypad.

You get a lot of extras in the sales package (although when you remember the price, you can hardly describe this as "generous"), including a desk stand, a linen-lined pouch and a Bluetooth headset.

How to rate such a phone? We have to consider who the Arte is aimed at. Obviously someone with plenty of disposable income who is looking for design and exclusivity ahead of the latest tech gadgets. Someone wanting to create an impression and willing to sacrifice some degree of usability. For this person, the Arte is the perfect phone, but there won't be many such people around. That's the point really.

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Features of the Nokia 8800 Arte include:

• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus
• Video camera
• Display: 16 million colours, 240 x 320 pixels
• Music player
• Polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
• Java games
• WAP, GPRS, EDGE, 3G
• Web browser
• Memory: 1 Gbyte
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB
• Triband
• Size: 109 x 46 x 15 mm
• Weight: 150g
• Talktime: 3 hours
• Battery standby: 300 hours

Nokia 8800 Arte Consumer Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other 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 language, and please, no advertising!

Average rating from 66 reviews:

Reviewed by Name from UK on 28th Jun 2008
I have luna and this one is even better...dont hesitate
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Reviewed by Acer from India on 27th Jun 2008
Got mine a month ago....Upgrade from the Sirocco.. The way i though the sirrocco was way better then the 8800.... The arte is not that better then the Sirrocco though definetely an upgrade only problem i have faced is with the speaker which seems to lower the sound automatically once i have used it for very long
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Reviewed by yousef from kuwait on 22nd Jun 2008
not bad but it very expensive
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Reviewed by Shawn from Scotland on 19th Jun 2008
Its a fantastic phone that oozes style. Well worth the money !!!!!!
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Reviewed by Omar from Lativia on 17th Jun 2008
This phone is at best ok. For a premium phone the build quality is well below standard. It attracts fingerprints and the buttons stick. Features are ok. This is way overpriced. Im left feeling gutted after spending so much i have a distinctly average phone.
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Reviewed by Vid from uk on 13th Jun 2008
Got my one today on upgrade for free on 40£ contract, outstanding phone, quality, look, not really bothered about camera or mp3, enough space for couple photos and songs for wallpapers and ring tones, read lot's about arte, don't impress reviews from the ones that not have it, and compare to samsung? it's a shame theres no opposite rating for some of samsung models, as for 8800 arte next level would be Vertu (that's Nokia's too)... If you can get one, and if you care about features, get proper mp3 and camera, it's a phone... happy days
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Reviewed by Paul from England/Australia on 9th Jun 2008
it is simply a must for any one who wants quality. For myself i had to have one after only 2 seconds, the weight and smoothness of this phone will be legendary for a long time. As for the keypad being to small i don't agree
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Reviewed by Josh george Elli Mohammed Omar Ali Muefar squio from U.K on 7th Jun 2008
I love it
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Reviewed by Bugz from England on 4th Jun 2008
Ok its obvious that most of you people dont have one even if you say you do.. which i find quite funny. anyone can afford this phone if they SAVE u dont have to be a millionaire. its alot of money but it will last along time. so start saving. if you want it save up simple as. if ud rather spend your money elsewhere then its up2u. i personally purchased this phone and its one of my favourite things i have, i had to make sacrifices but it was worth it. but people remember.. things are things.. they all @@@@ up in the end right!
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Reviewed by choudhry from u.k on 1st Jun 2008
this phone is targeted at a niche market as it is a UNIQUE SELLING PRODUCT for nokia. the target market for this product is consumers who have high disposable income. so the general public who do not fit into this category should not bother with this phone as i personally seem it to be as a offence. good phone overall
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Reviewed by Denzil from France on 27th May 2008
Do not buy this phone. It feels cheap and having compared it to other phones, especially samsung's it really has been poorly built. Anti fingerprint ?? what a load of rubbish. Its worse for dirt and fingerprints than any other phone ive seen. Eveyone ive met who has this phone deep down feels like a total plum for forking out so much for a phone as you can get one better for £15 quid. Ohh and the class screen scratches easily. Why is this phone expensive ???
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Reviewed by Lee from Uk on 25th May 2008
This is my second review. The battery is still going strong and lasts approx 4 days with quite heavy use. I still have not seen anyone else with this handset and it still turns heads when im using it. one niggle tho im afraid. If the sensor is on ie double tap to see the clock while im playing music the vibration feature actually keeps making the clock appear... lol... nothing major just annoying when your trying to tur the music off. Apart from that if you want this as a fone and not as a pda/multimedia gadget then if you can afford the price tag then you will not be disappointed !
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Reviewed by The Don from UK on 21st May 2008
Love this phone, looks good, feels good, and it fits well in the palm of my hand, and when receiving a call, boy does it turn heads! This phone is the creme de la creme, it kills other fashion statement phones such as the armani and the prada... the features aint too bad either.. i love the way the lite flashes and goes on the left and rite hand side of the joystick. excellent for texting, and making calls, just that it doesnt tell u how long uve been on the phone for until after the call has finished.. battery life is excellent. last 2 days even tho i call and text a lot. im on a 600 min/unlimited txts price plan.. u can tell nokia have put gr8 thought into this phone and the way it is made is just fantastic.. it is a PHONE, not a gadget.. so to speak, so please nobody complain about the lack of wifi or a 5mp camera. I love it! Keys do not crack easily, people need 2 look after this phone, it is a precious item and when looked after properly then there is no space for moaning! Great phone.. my mates keep asking me to sell this phone to them for 200, they are crazy! I love being the envy of all... apart from my fellow 8800 arte or saphire arte users! BRILLIANT!
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Reviewed by Dave from Smith on 21st May 2008
This is the worst phone ever! The biggest waste of money. Why oh why would anyone buy this. You can pick up any other phone for next to nothing on contract which are more stylish, have better features and are more compact. Why Nokia why??? I can't give 0 stars. Why??
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Reviewed by K from UK on 19th May 2008
I love this phone. The only annoying thing about it is that after making a phone call the keypad lights stay off, unless you close and re-open the slide. This is my 2nd one and its happened on both phones. But I can tolerate this as its not affecting me! Yeah the squeek in the navigation will go away after constant use. 11 phones Stojia? Real ones or dummys? lol :)
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Reviewed by george1979 from UK on 18th May 2008
Awful phone. Look elsewhere unless you are impressed with owning the most expensive products.
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Reviewed by Ricardo from UK on 18th May 2008
The first of the 8800 arte i purchaased had a nasty 'squeak' whenever you pressed the navigation buttons, but only when the slide was shut.. Promptly replaced and so far the replacement has not squeaked. Has anyone else experienced a squeaky Nokia 8800 Arte?
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Reviewed by stojio from scotland on 13th May 2008
i have eleven of these, yes eleven!!! and they are all quality. i usually lose one a month lol, already lost one last weekend!
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Reviewed by Raj from UK on 8th May 2008
Katrina Kaif? using 02 in India? and 3 of the Nokia Arte phones? Keep dreaming.... I have the phone and it is sick!
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Reviewed by James from Scotland on 5th May 2008
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE - the cover that goes over the keys cracks really easily and it wasn't covered on the warranty so now I have paid £700 for a phone with a cracked keypad cover. Rubbish!
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Reviewed by Sarunas from UK on 4th May 2008
upgraded from Sirocco, still trying to find the difference. One bad point that silent key on keypad does not do it's work ...probably software issue , the silent index is marked on the key.
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Reviewed by Elliot from UK on 3rd May 2008
I decided to go for the 8800 Arte Saphire, I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder yes it is a sludge brown colour but the leather makes it tactile and the key backlight are a nice cream kind of colour instead of the blue colour on the black arte and besides which I think black is a boring colour. The thing that I like is that it works with my Motorola S9 music headset and the music player has an equalizer which also adds the applied equalization to the streamed music to the headset, rarther than just to the hanset speaker or a directly connected cable headset as most phones don't apply the equalizer to bluetooth headsets, on that note I get two days battery life, streaming music for approx 4 Hours and a few calls too and 30 txt's and the 1GB is ample music for AAC+ format music I have over 28 CD's on it, so a possible music phone contender. It charges via USB which is great if you use it as a GSM modem for your laptop as the E90 I had before this used to need USB cable for the modem connectivity and the charger as the battery died after 2 hours of surfing, now I can use just one cable to surf and charge so no need for a mass of wires, in addition the supplied BH-808 headset charges via USB so if you just have your laptop and the USB lead but you've forgotten your charger, you can re charge. Excellent nokia A++++
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Reviewed by Katrina Kaif from India on 2nd May 2008
i think it was a very good phone i have 3 of them but i noticed that they all are different they have different pixels weird i thought they should all be the same they are the same phone!! luv u all thank you o2 and pay&go they are very good =]=]=]=]=]=]=]
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Reviewed by curly from uk on 24th Apr 2008
got mine today verry inpresed so far the phone is puer clas
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Reviewed by MystiKaL from UK on 21st Apr 2008
I really like my 8800 Arte! If you want a feature packed phone, go for the Nokia 95 or iPhone. If you want a solid phone that looks gorgeous and feels superb, and your not bothered about top of the range features, this is the phone to go for. Luckily I got mine at reduced price with a great line rental deal, I coul easily have picked a free upgrade but I didnt and I believe I have made the right choice! And if for some reason I get annoyed with my phone (which I doubt at the moment) I have the luxury of being able to flog it for at least £500!!! I love it!!! lol
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Reviewed by Dave from UK on 16th Apr 2008
This is the best phone I've ever had. I know there are better spec phones out there but you don't buy this for all the bells and whistles. In a word, it's all about style and exclusiveness. This is the Roll Royce of phones period!
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Reviewed by Bradm from UK on 16th Apr 2008
Very sad, thought this was a top phone, but the in call quality is so so poor, even in excellent reception, lots of backround netork noise,i have found this with a few Nokia's, and thought they may have dealt with the issue.Seems not,shame really. Bradm
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Reviewed by Jay from England on 15th Apr 2008
I have been a collector of all the 8800 series & this fone is the most amazing eva... I've had no problems with it & was all the pennies i payed for it.. The 8800 series jus seem to get better and better & i can't wait for the next 8800 to come out..
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Reviewed by Kourosh from Iran on 15th Apr 2008
Excellent ,,,
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Reviewed by Neil from England on 12th Apr 2008
I liked the look of this phone from the second I saw it in the shop did a little research and was almost put off - a lot of people seem to think it's rubbish. I took the chance and got it - yes it's expensive but I'll tell you something for free - it rocks!! Looks great and performs really well - the battery is weak though. Remember its a just cool phone not an mp3 player or camera etc if you want that go get an ipod or a camera. The actual phone is even nicer than the fake ones in the shop - so here's my opinion if you have the cash and like the phone - get it, it totally rules.
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Reviewed by Brad from UK on 11th Apr 2008
Exclusiveness at its best… je ne sais quoi.
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Reviewed by tim from uk on 10th Apr 2008
love my one very good and looks outstading
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Reviewed by Sarah from Uk on 8th Apr 2008
i personally dont have this phone but a friend of mine does. Personally is a great looking phone but such a waste of money. It basically the same as the typical nokia with no "amazing" new features. Yeah it looks good and is quite an exclusive phoen but seriously.. what is it £700 pay as you go?? how ridiculous! my mates on £60 a month contract and that is really basic, hardly any minutes. Consider it but you wont be bowled over by its features. Sar
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Reviewed by Grant from UK on 27th Mar 2008
This is my second review. The phone has been fantastic in every way since I purchased it two months ago sim-free from Nokia online. However, I have noticed recently that there is dust collecting behind the top portion of the screen. Not too impressive on a £600 phone! I will contacting Nokia to what they have to say about it.
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Reviewed by Kevin from United Kingdom on 19th Mar 2008
This phone is amazing excellent camera this phone deserves to be part of nokias elite range the only downside is that it does not have expandable memory which is abit of a shame because I store alot more than 1gb of data on my phone such as MP3's photo's etc apart from that this phone is really good it takes crystal clear photos with the 3.2 mega pixel camera and it does everything the battery performance is good it also feels and looks so dam sexy go buy this phone.
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Reviewed by Ian from UK on 16th Mar 2008
In a nutshell, brilliant!
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Reviewed by Lee from England on 15th Mar 2008
Review by V on 14/3/08. Dude , Yes its heavier than the scricco. The case loosens up afrer a while or buy one more suited to you. The tap feature works ok on mine as long as you double tap it. The camera is better but it does state on the features list it has no flash option. Sounds like a simple software flash was needed if yours was "freezing" Battery life is way better than either of the 8800's, hence only one battery.My battery lasts approx 4.5 days and I make way more call and texts than you state you use. Remember the battery reaches optimum charge after several charge and discharges. I can only assume that either your battery was shot or the power management in the handset was out, or where you live and commute requires the fone to work harder to maintain signal.
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Reviewed by V from England on 14th Mar 2008
Had this as an upgrade from my Scricco...I am now back to my Scricco.. The Arte was rubbish compared to my scricco! It was heavier than it, had it two weeks and it was already scratched on the side from going in and out of my shirt pocket. The case they supply is stupid! the amount of calls i missed by the time i had faffed around pulling the phone out of the case is unbelievable.. The tap feature for the clock never worked unless you hit it hard! No flash on the camera! It froze on me near enough twice a day where i would be left with a whie screen! Finally battery life is appaling... It lasted me a day from a full charge in the morning.. That was with 37 mins talking and 12 text messages..Bluetooth and gprs wa switched off too.. Overall a poor upgrade to be honest!
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Reviewed by Les from I.O.W. on 12th Mar 2008
A superb piece of kit with excellent build quality. This is so much better than previous 8800s and with a scratch resistant screen it's got to be the best phone out there.
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Reviewed by Pete from UK on 12th Mar 2008
I'm not going to go on and on about how good this phone is because you already know it's the best one on the market at present. I rate it 100% without any doubt.
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Reviewed by Lee from England. on 11th Mar 2008
You either love the 8800 series or you dont ! This arte edition is up their with the rest of the 8 series. All the features are listed so their's little point going thru them ! The arte's about style and quality. !
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Reviewed by Darren from Essex, UK on 10th Mar 2008
Just got this phone today and I'm very pleased with it thus far. The build and finish is excellent and leaves all other phones in the dark. Yes, it's expensive but you get what you pay for, it's as simple as that.
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Reviewed by Steve from London on 9th Mar 2008
Bought this phone 2 weeks ago (well free upgrade with O2) - worth asking to be put through to their retentions team, thats how i get it free. As for the phone, WOW! as everyone else has said its a true succsessor to the siroco, the weight is just right, the keys are angled perfectly. And one BIG bonus which i never expected is True 3G Modem wich alows 465kbps connection. Just link it to your laptop and off you go. As a whole the best 8800 to date!
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Reviewed by Shane from Worthing, England on 8th Mar 2008
I got one of these beauties today and haven’t been able to put it down since. What a class phone. It’s definitely the best mobile I’ve ever had and my mates are all very jealous.
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Reviewed by Hasan O Brien from England on 7th Mar 2008
This fone is one hundred percent ****, I you have just one the lottery then fine go out nd buy one if u havent stop acting lyk a show off nd stick to something like a w810i or u600
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Reviewed by Conrad from Brighton, UK on 4th Mar 2008
This phone just oozes quality and exclusiveness. One thing is for sure, you do not see many of them down your local pub. In fact, since purchasing mine four weeks ago I have yet to see anybody else with one – how cool is that? If you want to stand out from the crowd then this is the phone to go for.
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Reviewed by Lorraine from UK on 4th Mar 2008
In a word, brilliant. 100% total satisfaction.
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Reviewed by KaCe from UK on 3rd Mar 2008
Just bought one, Amazing!!
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Reviewed by Rick O’Shea from Ireland on 3rd Mar 2008
This is the best fone ever. It has everything I need in a fone and the quality and finish is first rate. The is clearly the Rolls Royce of fones. If you have the dosh then go out and buy one, if you haven't then carry on dreaming!
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Reviewed by Nikoz from Bulgaria on 3rd Mar 2008
I have all the 8800 phones, but for sure ARTE is the best one. Designers paid attention even to the smallest details, software is bug free and last but not least, battery life is very good. This phone is really great…I would recommend it to all
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Reviewed by MR SHEZAD INIT from BLACKBURNNNNN on 29th Feb 2008
SIK FONE I PAID 700 QUID FOR IT AND IT IS WELL WORTH IT, IT IS A LOT BETTER THEN MY PREVIOUS FONES WHICH WERE THE 8600 LUNA AND 8800 SIROCCO 24CT GOLD EDITION, I GAVE THOSE TWO PHONES AWAY TO MY FRIENDS NOTHING SPECIAL THOSE 2 PHONES BUT THIS NEW PHONE IS THE BESTT 700 QUID I PAID WQHICH IS THE AVERAGE PRICE AND IM HAPPY SO THE PRICE DOESNT MATTER !!!!! BIGG UP 2 SHANIIIIII [ Editor's reply: Bigg up Mr Shezad init! Are you real?]
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Reviewed by Karen from UK on 28th Feb 2008
I got this phone today and haven't stopped playing with it since. It's absolutely brilliant. The feel and quality is second to none. Buy one if you can and be the envy of your pals.
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Reviewed by Rick from England on 27th Feb 2008
In one word - Excellent!
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Reviewed by Jay from UK on 25th Feb 2008
Nice phone, nice features and a real head turner. After 14 days of extreeme use, I have no problems to report and would recommend to anyone.
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Reviewed by Dean from UK on 24th Feb 2008
What a phone... it’s absolutely gorgeous. Okay, it may not be the best technically but how often do you really use things like Wi-Fi on a mobile phone, and if you want top-notch photos then most of us will purchase a good quality camera. At the end of the day, most people purchase a mobile phone based on how they look and feel – it’s all about street cred. Well, this phone is top of the tree when it comes to that.
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Reviewed by Sally from UK on 19th Feb 2008
In short, this phone is stunning to look at and brilliant to use. I rate it 100%.
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Reviewed by Dan Gleebitz from UK on 17th Feb 2008
I recently purchased this phone sim-free and unbranded. The build quality is the best you can get and the features aren’t far behind. I know it doesn’t have WI-FI or a 5 mega-pixel camera but that’s not why you would buy this phone. It is all about quality and exclusiveness. It’s a bit like purchasing a car… you can buy a £20k Ford with sat-nav and all the toys as standard but you don’t get the same equipment with a £120k Ferrari! Which car would you rather own?
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Reviewed by Simon from UK on 15th Feb 2008
Great phone but where is the radio? and no flash just about got it right just a few silly mistakes
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Reviewed by Chezzaboy from England on 11th Feb 2008
The true sucessor to the Sirocco, feeling well built, sturdy, and looking every inch as classy as the Lunar doesn't! Features are beginning to improve, though still not up there with N series or Sony E phones. Got mine as an upgrade on contract, but think Nokia should stop sending prices sky high for the sake of a Premium Handset- even to silly people who spend too much on moblie phones, like myself, how long before it starts to get too much??!! Is it really worth it?
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Reviewed by james from england on 9th Feb 2008
Very good build quality and looks the business. Two things missing for me. No radio. Why did they leave out the radio? Also no camera flash. Shame because Nokia came so close to building the best phone ever!
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Reviewed by Rhondel Lewis from Trinidad and Tobago on 5th Feb 2008
yo big up to mi boys in trini!!!!!. no problems at all with dis fone although i had to pay a GOOD BIT for it. BUT I'M TOTALLY SATISFIED!!!!!!!!!! DUN KNOW
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Reviewed by sheena from scotland on 2nd Feb 2008
A beautifully designed phone with great features! So far little to complain about (it's only been a week!) - just a tad worried about battery life like the previous 8800's - so far def the best 8800 and a lot slicker than the tackier design of the Sapphire!! Just loving it!!
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Reviewed by ali from uk on 26th Jan 2008
superb phone, elegant, sexy and exclusive phone. Had it for 2 days now, paid good money for it but well worth it. reception is also good, the construction of the handset feels quality all the way... GREAT PHONE<>
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Reviewed by Daniel Colaco from India on 25th Jan 2008
I just bought this Phone from eBay & I loved it. It has a really cool screen One of the best Ive ever seen In my life. The camera isnt the best (aint as good as K790) but serves the purpose I will give this phone a really high rating bcoz 2 days past I Have this phone and havent seen any bad points exept the price & no flash
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Reviewed by ali from england on 20th Jan 2008
jus got this phone yday as an upgrade firstly build quality is superb sound quality is unbelievable, da best so far oled diplay is crisp.. best phone ever.. will do full review aftera week or so
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Reviewed by AMRAEZ from ENGLAND on 20th Jan 2008
I AM THE FIRST TO GET THIS PHONE IT IS THE BEST WITH A 3.32 MEGAPIXEL CAMERA ITS SLIM AND SUPER COOL THE BES PHONE IN THE WORLD NO COMPLAINS BETTER THAN BRICK N95 AND I SO BUG OFF N95I
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You can read more Nokia 8800 Arte reviews at RecommendedBuys UK.

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