Showing all 3 results
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Benq Siemens EF81: Prototype in Black
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: X (Mystical Prototype)
👁 Evaluation in my collection: Good – 8/10
⏱ Life timer: N/A | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 2006 | 💰 Release Price: N/A
📊 Units Sold: ~1.8M
📰 Why this phone matters: **BenQ-Siemens EF81 – Unreleased Black Prototype**A rare glimpse into an alternative design direction for the BenQ-Siemens EF81. This prototype features an unreleased black finish and a radically different keypad design compared to the commercially available model.
Its brushed-metal keypad, flat layout and distinctive red markings are particularly striking, bearing an interesting resemblance to the styling later seen on the Nokia N76.
Beyond the unusual appearance, this unit carries a prototype identification label marked **”NOT FOR SALE”**, further highlighting its pre-production status.
An intriguing piece of BenQ-Siemens history, offering a glimpse of a design variation that never made it to the retail market.
📝 Reviews when released: Cnet.com 🔗
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Nokia N93i Prototype B3 | The N00 Mystery
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: S (Ultra Rare)
⭐ WOW Factor: The first Nokia phone seen in the movie Transformers in 2007
👁 Evaluation in my collection: BNIB – 10/10
🕵 Nokia Codename: Gundam Shrink
⏱ Life timer: 08s | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 2007 | 💰 Release Price: ~750 €
📊 Units Sold: ~500k
📰 Why this phone matters: Nokia N93i B3 Prototype – The N00 EnigmaBefore the Nokia N93i became one of the most recognizable multimedia flagships of 2007, it existed behind closed doors as an experimental device, undergoing the development and validation stages that would eventually shape the final commercial product.
This extraordinary unit is a B3-stage pre-production prototype, but what makes it particularly fascinating is the mysterious “N00” inscription on its front housing, replacing the familiar N93i model designation. A remarkable detail that immediately distinguishes it from standard retail units and offers a rare glimpse into Nokia’s internal development world.
Unlike a conventional production handset, this prototype carries visible evidence of its unfinished identity. The unusual N00 marking raises intriguing questions about the naming, identification and design decisions made during development. Whether it served as a temporary placeholder or an internal identification convention remains undocumented, adding an element of mystery to an already exceptional device.
For collectors, prototype stage markings and physical differences from commercial models are particularly compelling, as they preserve evidence of a device’s evolution. The combination of its B3 development status and unconventional front housing makes this unit a fascinating survivor from one of Nokia’s most innovative periods.
Before it was an N93i, this one carried another name: N00. A small inscription, an extraordinary piece of Nokia history.
📝 Reviews when released: Mobile Review 🔗
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Nokia X5-00 Prototype | China Mobile
Quick View💎 Rarity Index: S (Ultra Rare)
⭐ WOW Factor: the first Symbian OS 9.3 basic phone in the Xseries
👁 Evaluation in my collection: Great- 9.5/10
🕵 Nokia Codename:
⏱ Life timer: 0 | 📦 Boxed: NO
📅 Release Year: 2010 | 💰 Release Price: N/A
📊 Units Sold: N/A
📰 Why this phone matters: Nokia X5-00 China Mobile Prototype – The Forgotten Chinese ExclusiveIn 2010, Nokia was still pursuing one of its most ambitious strategies: developing unique mobile phones specifically for individual markets. While much of the world was becoming familiar with Nokia’s Xseries multimedia devices, the Chinese market received something entirely different – the Nokia X5-00, a distinctive Symbian smartphone created exclusively for China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA network.
Unlike the internationally released Nokia X5-01, with its unusual square design and sliding QWERTY keyboard, the X5-00 featured a traditional candybar form factor, a 2.4-inch display, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash and a strong focus on music and multimedia entertainment. Its brushed-metal appearance, dedicated music functionality and China Mobile G3 branding gave it an identity rarely encountered outside its intended market.
This particular unit is a fascinating pre-production prototype, preserving an early example of Nokia’s China-specific development program. One of its most interesting details is the installed firmware, version 0.1008.R17.DV790, dated February 25, 2010 – several months before the device reached the Chinese market. The early software build, together with the distinctive China Mobile interface, offers an intriguing glimpse into the device’s development period.
The handset retains numerous details associated with its original market, including Chinese characters on the keypad, China Mobile branding on the rear housing and the recognizable G3 logo beneath the display. Its software also includes operator-specific applications and services, reflecting the close collaboration between Nokia and China Mobile at a time when both companies were investing heavily in China’s emerging 3G ecosystem.
What makes this specimen especially compelling is the combination of its restricted geographical market, distinctive hardware design and pre-release software history. While the commercial X5-00 was already an uncommon sight outside China, surviving development units offer an even more unusual connection to Nokia’s market-specific engineering efforts.
For collectors, the Nokia X5-00 represents a largely overlooked chapter of the Xseries story – one in which Nokia was creating fundamentally different devices for different parts of the world, rather than simply adapting the same handset with regional software.
A forgotten Chinese exclusive, an early development specimen and a fascinating reminder that some of Nokia’s most interesting creations were never intended for the global market.
📝 Reviews when released: N/A 💔