If you could jump in a time machine, head back to 2006 and reel off a list of historic events that would occur over the coming seven years, the people of the past would probably find it hard to believe that by 2013, Nokia would no longer be the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturer.Nokia’s fall from grace has been gradual, but picked up speed once it became apparent that it could not keep up with the smartphone sales of rivals like Apple and Samsung.But where did Nokia really go wrong? Here are five Nokia handsets that should never see the light of day again.
Nokia N-Gage
The N-Gage was Nokia’s hybrid mobile device that originally launched in 2003 and attempted to take on the handheld gaming market that was dominated by Nintendo at the time.
A clunky design and limited Symbian operating system, combined with a high asking price, meant that the N-Gage was a bit of a flop, selling only three million units across its various iterations.
Nokia C3
Released in 2010, the Nokia C3 was the Finnish firm’s attempt to take on low-end smartphones like the BlackBerry Curve, since it featured a full QWERTY keypad and various messaging functions.
The problem came from the fact that the C3 did not have access to BlackBerry Messenger, which was the platform that teens across the world had adopted for instant messaging.
Those who sell Nokia C3 handsets quickly and easily online can invest their money in a touchscreen phone, ditching physical keypads for good.
Nokia 7280
As a work of art the 7280 is definitely worth preserving, but from the point of view of everyday use its art deco design and lack of a traditional keypad meant that Nokia had hit on a bit of a dud, albeit a beautiful one.
Anyone who attempted to use the rotary interface found it a pain and the lack of a touchscreen meant entering text was a laborious process.
Nokia 5800 Xpress Music
What makes the 5800 Xpress Music such an annoyance is the touchscreen. While it is a decent size, it uses resistive technology rather than the capacitive interface found on almost every other modern smartphone today.
Interacting with it requires users to harness their nails, or use the included stylus, which feels like a step backwards.
Nokia 3600
Another one of Nokia’s failed design innovations, it featured a physical keypad with the numbers arrayed in a circle rather than in traditional columns. Those who were willing to work with the steep learning curve found that it could improve typing speed, but most did not bother to try.
Thankfully modern Nokia handsets like the Lumia 920 are excellent, so it is sensible to sell your older phone and use the money to upgrade.
Simon Quinlan is a journalist and author who has written about everything from mobile phones to international politics. If you want to sell your Nokia C3 quickly and easily then he believes that the internet offers the best opportunity for a smooth experience.
