It was Nokia that first saw the potential for mobile phones as fashion items rather than mere gadgets. In 1997 it released the Nokia NHE-6BM 8110i (slide open, Nokia NHE-6BX slide closed), which had a quick release slider and featured prominently in The Matrix. When the film came out – in 1999 – Nokia was ready with a new version of the phone, the 7110 which was also the first mass-market device that could use the new WAP mobile data service.
Photograph: Salford University
The Guardian
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