Released in August 1996 for a jaw-dropping £1,000 in the UK, the Nokia 9000 Communicator isn’t so much a mobile phone as it is a brick that happens to have a PhD in computer science. At 397 grams, it weighs nearly as much as a full can of Coke, and carrying it in your pocket is a bold fashion choice that suggests you’re either a high-flying City executive or you’re smuggling a small piece of masonry. From the outside, it looks like a standard, albeit chunky, handset with a basic monochrome screen and a numeric keypad. But when you unclip that latch and fold the whole thing open, you’re greeted with a 4.5-inch grayscale display and a full QWERTY keyboard that makes every other device on the high street look like a child’s toy.
Under the bonnet, the 9000 is essentially a pocket-sized PC, powered by a 24 MHz Intel i386 processor and running the PEN/GEOS 3.0 operating system. You’ve got 8MB of total memory, divided between applications (4MB), program memory (2MB), and user data (2MB). That’s right, this thing can send and receive faxes and emails at a blistering 9.6 kbit/s over the GSM network via its integrated CSD modem. It’s also got a web browser and business programs, although trying to load a webpage via dial-up networking requires the patience of a saint and the bank balance of a minor royal.
The 640 x 200 resolution screen is remarkably sharp for its size, allowing you to manage your calendar, notes, and even a terminal for Telnet with ease. There are dedicated application buttons along the top of the keyboard, Telnet, Fax, SMS, Internet, which makes navigating the sophisticated UI a breeze. However, don’t expect any “multitasking” in the modern sense; the phone part and the PDA part are almost entirely separate entities. You can turn the phone off to save juice while you work on your spreadsheet, though the battery life is surprisingly resilient if you aren’t constantly dialling into the web. It’s the ultimate “The Saint” gadget, literally, Val Kilmer uses one in the film, and while it’s far too heavy and expensive for the average punter, the 9000 Communicator is a glimpse into a future where our phones will eventually replace our laptops.