In an era dominated by sleek minimalism and glossy screens, it’s almost unbelievable to think that once upon a time, you could hurl your mobile phone with the force of a thousand raging bears against a brick wall, and it would simply drop to the ground, unscathed and still playing Gran Vals. Cherished for their robust designs, Nokia cell phones have become a cornerstone of our collective cultural nostalgia, playing a pivotal role in the meteoric rise of mobile technology. To honor this legacy, a Nokia Design Archive featuring over 700 entries spanning from the mid-90s to 2017 will be unveiled on 15 January 2025 through a digital portal hosted by Finland’s Aalto University.
“We seem to be at a pivotal moment again as artificial intelligence accelerates our transitions to the future world. Amidst all the excitement and uncertainty, the Nokia Design Archive offers a unique ‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse into how the technology shaping our lives today was forged in the past,” explains Lu Chen, a researcher at Aalto University, in an interview with Euronews Culture. Founded in 1865 as a paper pulp mill, Nokia transitioned into electronics in 1967, eventually launching its first official mobile phone in 1987: the Mobira Cityman 900. This bulky device earned the nickname ‘Gorba’ after Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was spotted using one.
Throughout the 90s, Nokia cemented its status as one of the most, if not the most, dominant mobile phone manufacturers. The Nokia 2110, released in 1994, introduced the iconic Nokia ringtone, initially named ‘Ringtone Type 7’ and based on Francisco Tárrega’s Gran Vals. A 2009 study estimated that this ringtone was heard approximately 1.8 billion times per day (20,000 times per second) worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on our auditory memories. Perhaps the most iconic of all was the indestructible Nokia 3310, so robust that it inspired the creation of an international sport in 2000: mobile phone throwing.
From their vibrant snap-on covers to their futuristic appearances in films like The Matrix, where Neo uses the Nokia 8110, also known as the ‘banana phone’, these devices not only advanced technology but also became embedded in the cultural zeitgeist through their aesthetic ubiquity. “Nokia was in a similar position in the 90s as Samsung or Apple are today,” notes researcher Kaisu Savola. “These large corporations shape our lives through their products.”
The archive, featuring a wealth of early prototypes, sketches, interviews, and more, serves as a nostalgic portal while also highlighting the impact of Nokia’s product designers. It examines how their decisions contributed to the evolution of an era and could continue to resonate into the future. “Like the [Nokia] slogan ‘connecting people,’ I think connection was a meaningful theme for Nokia, and for this design archive. When we talk about Nokia, we naturally think about phones, but the creation of these phones drew inspiration from fashion, cars, gaming, anthropology, and visual cultures worldwide,” Chen elaborates.
In 2013, Nokia’s mobile phone business was acquired by Microsoft Mobile, only to be sold off in 2016 as smartphones took over the market. However, in recent years, a growing number of younger people have turned to so-called dumb phones to combat excessive screen time, signaling a desire to reconnect with the seemingly obsolete objects of our past to find balance in our hyper-connected world. “Seeing the resurgence of non-smartphones in recent years, I feel Nokia phones often prompt us to reflect on the relationship between our everyday lives and technology—how it used to be and how we might want to redesign it,” Chen observes.
The online display will continue to expand as Nokia’s database of 20,000 items is progressively curated, offering a reflection on the cultural landscape of the late 20th century and early 2000s. It allows us to marvel at how rapidly things change. “Especially in these times of change, it is crucial to understand how we can grasp the world around us and imagine what we could be,” says Anna Valtonen, lead researcher on the project. For now, all we can imagine is reliving the days of playing Snake on our very long Nokia phones.
The Nokia Design Archive will be accessible globally via an online portal starting 15 January 2025.
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