Fashion has officially collided with technology, and the result is the Nokia 8210. Launched at Paris Fashion Week in 1999, this phone is so small it makes a pack of 20 Benson & Hedges look bulky. At a featherlight 79g, it’s currently the smallest and lightest Nokia on the market, designed specifically for the sort of person who doesn’t want a “mobile-shaped” bulge ruining the line of their Prada suit. It’s a masterpiece of miniaturization, featuring an internal antenna and those famous “Xpress-on” covers, though these are more about high-end elegance than the primary colors of the 5110.
Under the hood, it’s a dual-band GSM 900/1800 worker powered by the DCT3 platform, but don’t let its diminutive size fool you into thinking it’s a toy. It packs an infrared port, a calendar, and even a vibrating alert into its tiny frame. The screen is a bit smaller than the 7110’s, but it’s sharp enough for a quick game of Snake or Rotation. The real tradeoff for all this slimness is the battery; the 650 mAh Li-Ion cell is quite small, giving you maybe 3 hours of talk time if you’re lucky. There have also been some whispers about “screen garble” issues, but when you look this good standing at the bar, who cares if you can actually read your messages?