Nokia N8

Nokia N8

It is October 2010, and Nokia has just released its ‘last stand’ for the Symbian empire. The Nokia N8 is a technical masterpiece trapped in a software time capsule. In an era of plastic slabs, the N8 is a refreshing outlier, milled from a single block of anodised aluminium with glass-reinforced plastic

BlackBerry Curve 8520

BlackBerry Curve 8520

Welcome to August 2009, and RIM has just released the phone that is about to become the unofficial uniform of every teenager in Britain. The BlackBerry Curve 8520, better known simply as the ‘Gemini,’ is a technical masterclass in ‘accessible’ engineering. It has ditched the premium chrome and leather of the Bold

Apple iPhone 3GS

Apple iPhone 3GS

It is June 2009, and Apple has just released the ‘S’, which stands for ‘Speed.’ While the external chassis is identical to the 3G, the technical internals of the iPhone 3GS represent a massive leap forward that has made every other smartphone in the UK feel like it’s running in slow motion.

Nokia 5800

Nokia 5800

Welcome to the end of 2008, and Nokia has finally entered the touchscreen arena with a handset that the UK press has immediately dubbed the ‘Tube.’ The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is a critical moment for the Finnish giant; it is their first mass-market touch device and the first to run the touch-optimised

LG Cookie

LG Cookie

It is late 2008, and LG has just released a phone that is doing for touchscreens what the Nokia 3310 did for buttons: making them affordable for absolutely everyone. The KP500, better known as the ‘Cookie,’ is a technical marvel of cost-cutting and clever design. While the tech-elite are spending £500 on

Samsung i900

Samsung i900

Welcome to mid-2008, and Samsung has just released the ‘Omnia’ (Latin for ‘everything’), a handset designed to be the ultimate Swiss Army knife for the Windows Mobile era. The i900 is a sleek, brushed-metal slab that aims to take the iPhone’s touch-centric crown and add all the technical features Apple ‘forgot.’ In

HTC Dream

HTC Dream

It is late 2008, and the mobile world has just felt its first major tremor of the Android revolution. The HTC Dream (launched in the UK as the T-Mobile G1) is a fascinating, slightly clunky pioneer that represents the world’s first commercial implementation of Google’s Android OS. For the British tech-enthusiast, this

Sony Ericsson W880i

Sony Ericsson W880i

Welcome to early 2007, and Sony Ericsson has just released a phone that is so thin it could arguably be used as a bookmark. The W880i is the ultimate ‘thin’ Walkman, measuring just 9.4mm thick and finished in a stunning brushed stainless steel. It is a masterclass in ‘slim-tech,’ weighing only 71g,

LG Viewty

LG Viewty

It is October 2007, and LG has just released a handset that feels like it was designed to be the ultimate ‘iPhone killer’ for people who actually care about their camera. The KU990, better known as the ‘Viewty,’ is a sleek, black-and-silver slab of technical ambition that puts high-end photography at the

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Sony Ericsson W880i

Welcome to early 2007, and Sony Ericsson has just released a phone that is so thin it could arguably be used as a bookmark. The W880i is the ultimate ‘thin’ Walkman, measuring just 9.4mm thick and finished in a stunning brushed stainless steel. It is a masterclass in ‘slim-tech,’ weighing only 71g,