The Sirocco Edition Nokia phones were named after the North Winds that Blow across the Mediterranean seas, they have been redesigned from the original 8800 Series in a number of ways including a smooth curve in the shell where you would put your thumb to open the handset and a better designed keypad for easy and quick text input.

It falls into the Fashion Phones category but this new evolution of the 8800 is actually a practical tool as well, the features have been upgraded to make this a useful handset with extremely good looks.

The camera has been upgraded to a 2.0 megapixels lens with a digital zoom for close up picture capture, a flash for low light conditions and support for video recording and playback of short video clips.

EDGE technology has also been introduced making downloading of new mobile content such as ringtones, themes, games and wallpapers far quicker than the old WAP connection and also makes internet browsing a much more pleasurable experience.

There is also an MP3 Player that can be filled with music tracks either by uploading from a PC using a data cable or downloaded direct from the internet via EDGE into the handsets memory. To make room for the vast amount of picture, music and video files, the Sirocco Edition also offers an expandable memory with the use of MicroSD cards.

Bluetooth technology allows for wireless connections to compatible devices such as other handsets for quick, wireless transfer of photos, video clips and music tracks or connections to compatible headsets and car kits for safe hands free driving.

Other connectivity options include SMS and MMS for sending and receiving text messages as well as pictures with a message attached to them, email support for SMTP, POP3, IMAP4 and APOP.

For business meetings the handset can be set up to make and receive conference calls from more than one person making the 8800 Sirocco a useful business tool as well as a stylish fashion phone.

The battery life has also been improved and now offers up to 3.5 hours of talk time and up to a substantial 10 days standby time. (Standby time is when the phone is left idle and no calls or text have been received)

To keep the sleek design of the handset looking at its best, Nokia have also introduced a scratch resistant sapphire coated glass front for the main TFT display screen which shows 262,000 colours which the user can use to view their photographic pieces and movies.

To compliment the MP3 Player there is also an FM radio for tuning into local and national radio stations for news, sports and weather reports as well as catching up with the latest music, the radio also features RDS so you can see which artists and track are currently playing.

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Black Edition is a vast improvement on the old 8800, the exterior is finished in superior materials that not only look good but serve to protect the casing, the Black Edition joins the already released Gold and Silver Editions to complete the Sirocco Range of Nokia phones.

Any new mobile set launched is not immune from raving to really foul mouthed comments. And so is in the case of Nokia Prism. It has been many times lauded but their are people who have blurt out their reservations.

In one comment, one user commented “So apple push touch screens, large displays etc, and Nokia come up with triangular buttons. Looks like a marketing ploy that a few fashion heads will fall for until they realize they have got triangular fingers disappointing!”

"Nokia tunes into the cultural zeitgeist with its modernist collection of fashion-alert mobile phones. The Nokia 7900 Prism and Nokia 7500 Prism with their sophisticatedly glamorous high-gloss black facades reflect an independent attitude, which looks firmly into the future. Provocatively alluring to both sexes, the Nokia Prism range also leaps past conventional design in its... “ commented one user.

Here is another “*Nokia to use only microUSB ports on all phones starting with 6500 and 8600* I love it when companies finally understand what customers want. That of course is interoperability.”

Nokia Prism Collection, is an ode to architecture with its sharp-angled lines, geometric patterns and graphic light-refracting colors."

The Nokia Prism range - Nokia 7900 Prism and Nokia 7500 Prism - has graphic light-refracting colors, sharp-angled lines, geometric patterns. Asymmetry and geometric lines is Nokia Prism's main design vein, which is reflected in the diamond-cut raised key-mat.

Both handsets reflect an independent attitude. The Prism Collection inspired by progressive architectural feats such as the Munich Stadium, the Bank of China and Prada's shop in Japan, Nokia said the 3-D textural key-mat is as visually appealing as an archly modern Sir Norman Foster building or Chanel's iconic quilting.

The Nokia 7900 Prism juxtaposes its sleek liquorice-black face with a cool anodized aluminum reverse-side, its distinction of being amongst the first to feature an Organic LED light display that supports up to 16 million colors and displays light-focused screen saver graphics.