Nokia's 7900 Crystal Prism could be worse

Eww, it's back. Nokia's 7900 Crystal Prism is now really, extra-super official with a scheduled Q1 2008 launch for €375 (before taxes and subsidies). Besides sporting a slight redesign from that earlier pic, we now know that the 7900 packs WCDMA 2100/850 in addition to those quad-GSM bands, 2-inch OLED, and 2 megapixel CMOS camera. But really, this one's all about the look created by designer Frédérique Daubal. Yeah, us neither. "Renowned" enough for Nokia though, just not the 9.4 million pages of Wikipedia. See her "dress for tired people" after the break to see where this could have gone.

[Bobs @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:45AM]

WTF!? anyone else see this?
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/01/primal_instinct.jpg

[Galley @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:45AM]

I was just about to say the same thing.

[StrangeBum @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:20AM]

I just noticed that myself. It grabbed my attention more than the phone itself. WTF is that thing!?!?

[Jeff @ Jan 23rd 2008 11:12AM]

...that's Frédérique Daubal's "Dress for Tired People"

according to the article.

yeah, this engadget post is even less intelligible than normal.

[sjdurfey @ Jan 23rd 2008 12:49PM]

@Bobs, is that a picture ron jeremy in a mario costume?

[Motoma @ Jan 23rd 2008 12:51PM]

I see it, and I am offended.

[Bobs @ Jan 24th 2008 3:50AM]

@sjdurfey
Why yes it is.

[Bobs @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:48AM]

Looks like the designer liked tringles....A LOT

[rafa @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:57AM]

I actually think it looks pretty good. I really like the simplicity in the shape coupled with the triangular keys. If it was blue I'd be sold.

[LordFarkward @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:02AM]

the one on the top left seems to really like the phone

[Andrea @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:03AM]

It could have been even worse. She could have conceived a cellphone made with other cellphone leftovers.

http://www.daubal.com/collection05/index.html

[Rik @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:07AM]

Ah, so now I know where inpiration of that horrible standard theme for the N95 came from!

[matt byrne @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:19AM]

Nokia must have a drugged up design department and every now and then, these sorts of horrors creep out.

[Brent @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:22AM]

"...just not the 9.4 million pages of Wikipedia."

Dork much?

Amazing burn.

[ecobore @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:32AM]

It could be worse, but not much!

[apw76006 @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:33AM]

Primal Instinct looks like a nightmare; even for Bjork. No offense Bjork; I love ya'. "We are the earth intruders..."

[Sundermania @ Jan 23rd 2008 11:04AM]

By a matter of pure coincidence, I was listening to Bjork when I happened upon this article. PERFECT!

[ray @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:34AM]

what's geeks' favorite shape? Apple?

[Jeff @ Jan 23rd 2008 11:15AM]

what?

[Intrepid @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:44AM]

I think it'll do ok. Girls love that crap.

[Laron @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:12AM]

This should definitely not be used when driving a car...

[Kizorblade @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:18AM]

I know! You'll get the other drivers attention and make THEM crash!

[holatole @ Jan 24th 2008 7:48PM]

or ever...

[webon @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:19AM]

whoa!

[korhojoa @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:37AM]

my mother got one of those for christmas, except the back of it is gold.
hmm.

[Omatsei @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:22AM]

Does your family not like her?

[Brian @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:02AM]

I disagree. IMO, the phone looks great. I wouldn't get it in purple, but a metallic blue wouldn't be out of the question.

[Fernando @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:23AM]

lol, like engadget readers are the target audience for this phone, people will love it

[finbred @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:25AM]

Russians will suck these in endless quantities. I mean, look at this if you already haven't: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/22/and-you-thought-the-cayenne-looked-fugly-i-stock-i/

[Ken Klassy @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:04AM]

how could this possibly get worse? Purple?

[contreras @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:29AM]

I like it. Not for being pretty, but for being original. However, I don't think this model would have any success in the U.S., but I'm pretty sure it will rock in Europe and specially in Asia. People there is not that "conventional"

[Po @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:17AM]

It's will be a hit in China where 7500 selling like no day. I think it looks kinda cool(not the purple coloured thought) and 7900 got really good build quality.... but i dont think i could buy it. 7xxx series have always been the whacky one.

[HadrianM @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:45AM]

wow.. if there were stylish cell phones in the 80s.. this is what Prince and Vanity would be sporting.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:52AM]

It looks unique. No mistaking it for some other popular handset.

[Eliseo @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:58AM]

Is it just me or does it look like they're mimicking the opening sequence of "Metropolis" with this phone?

[Adam @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:10AM]

I kinda like it :/

[Carrie @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:17AM]

I think it's pretty!

[EV @ Jan 28th 2008 8:03AM]

I like it - I think a lot of you have no sense of modern fashion or couture which is what is obviously what the style of the look of this phone is about!

[Adam @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:38AM]

i like it, do you ACTUALLY hate it that much???

lol it's JUST A PHONE, calm down.

[Jon Acheson @ Jan 23rd 2008 9:42AM]

It looks like they built an interocitor into it...

[Zeek @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:06AM]

Default ringtone is Duran Durans Rio.

[roole @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:42PM]

You're showing your age.

[Zeek @ Jan 24th 2008 10:18AM]

So are you, and were both hungry like the wolf.

[Atanas Boev @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:43AM]

Every semi-detached Finnish goth girl is going to get crazy about it. And also Tim Burton.
This definately has a market. If nothing else, at least because so many people find it ugly.

[roole @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:45PM]

Aaaaaaaargh....... it's spelt 'definitely'....... what's with the usage of this word that leads people to do this all the t-a-me!?

[Atanas Boev @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:44AM]

Engad!

[Roman Astakhov @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:58AM]

I've been using this puppy for about 2 months now - it was supposed to replace my really slow n73me. I do admire the infernal blue LED light on top panel, the phone's ability to change the color of its keypad and display backlight, but! - The display is extremely small and the flavour of Symbian installed is crippled if compared even to my old n73me.

I've been using around 12 different Nokia mobile phone models for over 15 years. And I always was thinking I'd stick to Nokia forever. But I was wrong. Their phones get slow and buggy after using them for about 6 months, their latest Symbian versions are giving me compatibility issues (older programs like FlashSMS do not work). After having used iPhone for a month now, I must say there is no phone like [jailbroken] iPhone!

[Deepo @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:17PM]

That pretty much proves you havent had that phone. N73 is old S60 phone and it's slow. 7900 is using S40 (basic phone) and they are fast.

[fgpx78 @ Jan 23rd 2008 11:11AM]

Awful

[Holger @ Jan 23rd 2008 11:20AM]

hm.. not for me... this is why I prefer Sony Ericsson, they look more "adult"/"business" like... too many cellphones look like they are designed for kids, with blinking lights and funky covers...

just not something for me