The forgotten smartphone: Nokia 9110i Communicator

October 17, 2021 Luisa Rey

In this edition of ‘The forgotten smartphone’ we look back at the Nokia 9110i Communicator. This device appeared in 1998 and had something unique. It was the smartphone of the future.

Nokia 9110i Communicator

Nokia released a lot of phones in the ‘earlier years’; one more spectacular than the other. In 1998 there was the announcement of the Nokia 9110i Communicator; which has been described as the smartphone of the future. In this edition we take you all the way back in time. Thanks to André for the pictures of this special device.

The party started with the large package in which the phone was delivered. A thick CD cover containing a CD-ROM for the software for the computer was one of the parts. A floppy disk was even included, containing the modem and printer drivers. There were thick books of paperwork and a VGA cable was also included with the Nokia 9110i Communicator.

Nokia 9110i Communicator

The ‘smartphone’

The Nokia 9110i Communicator was a large phone with on the outside, on the cover, a small screen, the well-known Nokia keys and below that the keys for typing a text message, for example. The real power of the Nokia 9110i appeared with the opening of the device. A large monochrome display appeared and gave you access to various functions. Think of shortcuts for sending a fax, sending an SMS, or getting acquainted with the internet. Although that was of course not very extensive due to the limited options and the monochrome screen. You also had access to e-mail, a calendar and various options. When folded open, the antenna that you could fold out also stood out.

Nokia 9110i Communicator

The phone from the Finns had a weight of 253 grams and had an AMD Elan processor with a processing power of between 33 and 100 MHz. Nice detail; the processor’s spec sheet is still online (PDF). A camera was not present on the Nokia. The internal memory was about 8MB and there was room for an MMC memory card. The battery capacity of the predecessor of the smartphone was 1100 mAh.

Another nice detail about the Nokia 9110i Communicator was that the phone had to be turned over to make a call. The speaker for phone calls was on the back. This Nokia had to dig deep into the pouch; 1500 euros was the suggested retail price. Even now, the device is still an expensive object for collectors. The price of the phone is just 200 euros.

To get a good impression of the device, the video below is definitely worth watching!