James Bond’s Last “Gadget” Phone: When Phones Were Fun (2006)

[WHEN PHONES WERE FUN: SONY ERICSSON K800I]

That modern smartphone you love so much? Turns out it has a license to kill (to which the blood of many an erstwhile everyday accessory can testify). The point-and-shoot digital camera I took from high school to college? Dead. Those dashboard GPSes adorning road-trip minivans for half a decade? Terminated. Even the humble wristwatch has taken a beating under the brutal onslaught of the ubiquitous smartphone.

So it’s ironic that the movie that rebooted the James Bond franchise, with a new 007 who would ultimately carry us through the next 15 years, was the last film to give Bond a mobile phone that could still be considered a “gadget” in the best traditions of the franchise.

The year is 2006; the film is Casino Royale; and the mobile is the last truly “gadget-y” Bond phone: The Sony Ericsson K800i. Welcome back to “When Phones Were Fun.”

[EDITORIAL NOTE]

[SUBSCRIBE TO MRMOBILE]

[ABOUT WHEN PHONES WERE FUN – JAMES BOND’S SONY ERICSSON K800I]

This is the fifteenth in a series of MrMobile videos exploring the mobile tech world's most vibrant period in design and experimentation. In “When Phones Were Fun,” Michael Fisher re-reviews cellphones from the golden age of mobile, the decade-long span from the turn of the century to approximately 2009.

When Phones Were Fun: Episode 15 features a Sony Ericsson K800i (Casino Royale / James Bond Special Edition) purchased by MrMobile / Future plc. No manufacturer or carrier paid a fee or otherwise offered compensation in exchange for this coverage (nor did any such company preview or approve this content before publication).

[LINKS]

“Casino Royale” [MGM]

007 x SPYSCAPE [James Bond Experience NYC]:

“The Big Leap” [Hulu]:

Smartphones are killing the watch industry [New York Post]:

Sony Ericsson t68i ad 2002 [mdftrasher]:

The Phone Commercials Classic [YouTube]:

Sony Ericsson K800i Review [TechRadar]:

Samsung SPH-A800 / MM-A800 [PhoneScoop]:

TomTom:

Sony’s Purpose [Sony]:

Making the unimaginable possible [Ericsson]:

NO TIME TO DIE | Lashana Lynch features in Nokia phones’ campaign [James Bond 007]:

[SOCIALIZE]

[DISCLOSURES]

MrMobile receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”) for sponsored advertising materials. MrMobile is not a client and this is a paid endorsement. MrMobile and Wealthfront Advisers are not associated with one another and have no formal relationship outside of this arrangement. Nothing in this communication should be construed as a solicitation, offer, or recommendation, to buy or sell any security. Any links provided by MrMobile are not intended to imply that Wealthfront Advisers or its affiliates endorses, sponsors, promotes and/or is affiliated with the owners of or participants in those sites, or endorses any information contained on those sites, unless expressly stated otherwise. Investment management and advisory services are provided by Wealthfront, an SEC registered investment adviser. All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of money you invest, and past performance does not guarantee future performance.

This post may contain affiliate links, which afford MrMobile / Future plc a commission if you make a purchase.

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[scottishfanta]

Micheal, this has to be the only series on this entire website that I actually look forward to, you're not just showcasing an old product from a by-gone era, you're telling a story and I simply love the way you intertwine you're own history in with that of the products, amazing, can't wait to see what you review next!

[sandeepsugunan]

Ooh the nostlgia. Those were the days, more fun and just about enough tech to get you through the day without being lost in the cyber world. Thank you Micheal!

[TechLineHD]

This is Michael Fisher’s poetry in motion.

[Aryan_Sanan]

it still feels like yesterday 2007 when i used have sony k800i, wow how fast time passes away

[EnnuiMachine]

“When Phones Were Fun” is possibly my favourite running tech series on YouTube. Nostalgia and seeing the evolution of technology? Two thumbs up 👍 from this nerd here!

[AkashYadavOriginal]

I had a Sony Ericsson K850i which had an awesome 5MP camera, Automatic Lens Cover and a Xenon Flash which I carried in through my college.

PS: It makes an appearance at 02:08

[theoldwaywasbetter]

I think I finally understand why I like these videos. You give the device, whether it's an old phone or the z flip or whatever...you give it context. You put it in a frame and hang it on a wall and show us how great it is. You go over the specs, but incidentally, almost as if you're embarrassed to have to do it -- and then you get back to telling the story of the device. That's what makes you better than all the other tech guys out there.

Keep up the good work.

[gabrielleraul]

Every one of these phones were fun videos makes me sad and nostalgic. Please don't ever stop doing this series! ♥️

[samsteff]

As a Brit i now only realise how lucky we were to have access to Sony Ericsson phones, i had the K750i and then the K800i. Both were light years ahead of anything else available. Fantastic video which took me right back down memory lane.

[Grybhaal_Daublebach]

I absolutely adore this series. It makes me feel nostalgic for a time that I thought I genuinely hated. Thanks for that; and keep it up!

[vkohli]

Kudos to the absolutely stellar storytelling! Nobody builds the script quite like Michael does, which is so endearing.

[ShashwatPanda]

This video has such tremendous repeat value ! Happened to land here again after almost 2 yrs (thanks to the algo) and dare I say, breezed through the video w/o any hitch.

As always Michael, thank you for such masterpieces scattered amidst the usually mundane world of tech reviews. Love from 🇮🇳, as always.

[InfantProdigy]

Michael, thank you so much for putting Sony Ericsson in the spotlight! As a Swede I’ve gone through a lot of Ericsson/Sony Ericsson-phones and I still have a lot of kept in the attic. It’s really interesting to hear an Americans view of our beloved phones and I got really sad when they announced that Sony And Ericsson had broke up 💔 I also had the K800i and I loved it so much!

[AmmarVanKorsha]

2:45 I have a crazy amount of old Sony phones, Including a Walkman and cyber shot among others, but they all suffer from either swollen batteries… OR RUBBER REVERSION!

[TheDisneyPixar]

Back in the days I always swore by the Sony Ericsson brand. The fluid user experience was just something else. Thank you once again for a great series, Michael and most importantly a trip down memory lane. This one really hit home for me

[marcin]

This was my first proper phone. I used to have old and cheap Nokias and Siemens phones that I got from my parents as a kid, but I saved up whooping £80 to get this phone, and was so proud of it.

I was amazed by the stylish look, it’s OS with animated backgrounds, great camera and powerful hardware that allowed me to play games like galaxy on fire, deep submarine odyssey, rally master pro and blades n magic (I was a massive fishlabs fan at the time, but games like sola rola also deserve a shout out).

I still have this phone to this day but unfortunately with a smashed screen

[Markovratonjic]

The pause after the: "shaken", clearly shows how much you wanted to say stirred afterwards. Congrats for self-control...

[tangerinealarm]

I had (actually still have somewhere) a Sony Ericsson S700i. It had a 1.3 megapixel camera and a weird twist to open design that confused everyone. The utility of having a camera like that with me all of the time was amazing, and being able to transfer via Bluetooth was great. Had to use the IR to transfer to a laptop a few times which was…slow.

[anb]

4:24 that photo has a really classic look

[abthewatcher]

Absolutely the best Series - Tech / Non Tech on Youtube. I still remember using my mom's sony ericson S500i (which she has still kept btw) and yep those phones were fun and amazing, just like this series. Hats off Michael 👏