Eldar Murtazin of Mobile Review has posted a detailed review of Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte.
As far premium phones go, the Nokia 8800 has already become the timeless icon, and Nokia don't even try to bring fresh touches to its design with numerous modifications of the original phone. All they do is throw in some new materials in the mix (and naturally, metallic accents aren't going anywhere), tack on several exclusive themes and ring tones, and that's about it. Speaking of the latest iteration of the 8800, the Arte series, not much has changed, except for the Sapphire Arte, that boasted some glamorous additions to its looks - that is, a synthetic crystal and leather pads mounted on the front and rear.
The newly released Carbon Arte expands the range of available colors in this range, plus its steel-and-carbon casing freshens up the series a little bit. In fact, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte has carbon exactly on the spots where its predecessor, the Sapphire Arte featured leather inserts. Also contributing to the Carbon Arte's looks department is the fibrous nature of this material that adds a whole new dimension to the phone. Apparently, these carbon pads are coated in a transparent lacquer that manages to hide a good portion of fingerprints and ear grease, however its durability is on the lower side - our unit picked up quite a few scratches during our quality time with it. But they aren't discernible at all thanks to the fibers underneath that simply blend with all scratches and nicks on the front fascia of the Carbon Arte.
