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GSM mobile selection

Nokia 5110

Image of a Nokia  5110

Released in 1998

Network = GSM 900MHz

Weight = 170 g

Dimensions = 132mm x 47mm x 31mm

Battery Life = 180 mins talk time and 3600 mins standby

Nokia introduced the 5100 series of handportable phones at the CeBIT 1998 exhibition in Hannover, Germany. The Nokia 5110 in that series (Nokia firmware code NSE-1NX) was released in 1998 and is not to be confused by the Nokia 5100 model that was released in 2002. With the 5100 series Nokia recognised that the mobile phone was becoming a fashion item that people wanted to personalise and so introduced the concept of Xpress-on interchangeable covers. The Nokia marketing campaign stated that now you could match your Nokia mobile phone with almost any clothing, style and occasion. Initially a simple colour range was available but the concept of changing your mobile cover soon grew to become a standard feature of mobiles and a major business with an enormous range of designs becoming available. A total of seven different cover colours, in addition to black, were initially available. On the 23rd September 1998 Nokia announced the first limited edition covers for the winter holiday season. These were the Silver Bells Xpress-On and Snowflake Covers.

Targeted at the consumer market, the Nokia 5110 shared much in common with the business orientated Nokia 6110 but offered a simpler user interface using the Navi key and lacked the infra-red port. Its screen was a monochrome graphical one that could display 5 lines. Menu access was facilitated through Nokia's Navi key feature that was first introduced in the Nokia 3110. The phone book could store telephone numbers and associated names within the SIM card memory which allowed for up to a maximum of 250 entries. Speed dialling was provided on nine entries using the keypad keys 1 to 9. Call logs recorded the duration of calls and the last five missed and received calls and the last eight dialled calls. It also included a calculator, clock with alarm and a selection of ring tones.

However, the Nokia 5110 has another important feature in common with the Nokia 6110 and that was the introduction of the mobile version of the popular computer game, Snake. This game went on to become an enormous success and many have claimed, kick started the whole mobile gaming industry. Nokia introduced two other games at the same time and these too were included on the Nokia 5110; these were Memory and Logic.

The Nokia 5110 also found fame as the mobile used by Agent Dana Scully in the X-files television series.