Guest Shack – Louise Ingram from Nokia re: 8800 Sirocco Gold

This week, we interview Louise Ingram from Nokia Australia about the new Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold. Learn more about this new phone and why its plated in 18-carat gold. Click on the link below to read the interview.

ABOUT GUEST SHACK
Each week we bring you an interview with an interesting and relevant guest speaker on everything from brand new tech or gaming products being launched or a special topic.

Special guest for this week is Louise Ingram, Communications Manager at Nokia Australia.

What type of person is this phone marketed at?
The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is designed to appeal to consumers who
appreciate fine design, premium materials and prestigious products. It
builds on Nokia’s heritage of premium mobile phones that have set the
industry standard for elegance and functionality over the years.

Nokia first created the ‘Premium’ mobile phone category back in 1998 with the launch of the first luxury handset, the Nokia 8810. Nokia then introduced the Nokia 8800, an immediate style icon, unlike anything the market had seen. Its status was reflected in winning the ‘best of the best’ in mobile design at the prestigious Red Dot Design awards.

We have continued this tradition with the Sirocco and now with the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold. Given this design history and the fact that the Nokia 8800 Sirocco series draws upon techniques of master modern watch making and jeweler techniques , this is a handset that appeals to connoisseurs of quality design.

Can you explain the idea behind the naming process? What does Sirocco actually mean?
The Sirocco collection has design influences from the national forms of
the Middle East and Africa, especially the sun-bathed sand dunes of the desert. ‘The Sirocco’ is a strong wind, originating in the Sahara desert and traveling all the way to the Mediterranean. It is the wind that creates wonderful fluid forms in nature and it is those forms that our designer have tried to reflect in the Sirocco Gold.

Any particular reason for the 18-carat gold plating? Purely aesthetic
or does it serve a function?

Nokia has long had a reputation for pushing the boundaries of design and
performance by working with different materials. Over the years we have
used a range of materials including, leather and stainless steel in our
products – this time we have gone with gold. Real gold. 18 carat gold.

Gold is one of the most precious and enduring elements, enhancing the
value and desirability of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco even further. So the
answer to your questions is aesthetic. However, very small amounts of
gold are also used in the circuit boards of every mobile phone – so gold
has a functional purpose as well.

Nokia is known for designing phones ‘with surfaces found in nature’.
What surface in nature is the Sirocco supposed to represent?

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco is inspired by natural forms – in particular the gently undulating sand dunes that the desert winds create in the Sahara. The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold combines this natural beauty with the purity, richness and radiance of gold – one of the most precious metals on earth.

What are some of the key features for the Sirocco 8800? And how does
this phone differ from other phones in the Sirocco range?

The key features of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold include:

  • 18 carat gold plating and fine white gold accents
  • Sapphire-coated, scratch-resistant glass display
  • 2 megapixel camera and a stunning colour screen
  • Smooth sliding mechanism to reveal an intuitive and ergonomically designed keypad
  • Digital music player supporting MP3 and AAC
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • New themes
  • Carrying pouch and care cloth

Does the colour-matching Bluetooth headset and desk stand accessory
come bundled as standard?

Yes – the following accessories are bundled with the Nokia 8800 Sirocco
Gold sales package:

  • Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-801
  • Nokia desk stand DT-16
  • Nokia carrying pouch
  • Nokia Wired Headset HS-15 (also plated in 18 carat gold)
  • Nokia battery (x2) and Nokia charger

The phone comes standard with 128MB of memory – is there support for
additional memory cards to be added?

No, there is no memory card support with this handset.

There’s been reports of some battery problems – i.e. the longevity of
the charge – do you have any suggestions on how to combat this?

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco gold comes with 2 batteries. It is important to always use a compatible Nokia battery and charger. Also, we recommend
charging the battery fully before first use. From then onwards, you should always allow the mobile phone to nearly reach the end of its battery life before recharging. Two batteries come in the sales pack so you also have the opportunity to carry a spare battery with you in case of emergencies.

How easy is it to connect the phone to a PC and transfer multimedia
files?

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold synchronises with your PC and allows you to
transfer multimedia files using PC Suite, which can be downloaded for
free from the Nokia website.

What does Nokia offer in terms of warranty for the 8800?
The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold has an extended 2 year warranty.

The phone is quite pricey – RRP $2049 – what makes it worth the
ballooned price?

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is plated in 18 carat gold – one of the most
precious and valuable metals known to man. In addition to this, the Nokia 8800 Sirocco line of mobile phones are style leaders in mobile phone design, drawing from techniques mastered over hundreds of years by watchmakers and jewellers.