Mobile phone block from Finland: This is how the smartphone era started

In 1996, Finland introduced a device that would mark the beginning of the smartphone era. The Nokia 9000 Communicator, weighing nearly 400 grams and measuring almost four centimeters thick, featured a keyboard reminiscent of computers and a black-and-white display. It was released on August 15, 1996, following its debut at the CeBIT trade fair earlier that year. This product, developed by Finnish company Nokia, became one of the early precursors to modern smartphones, alongside the IBM Simon. Despite lacking features such as cameras, headphone jacks, or GPS capabilities, which are standard today, the Communicator represented a revolutionary step forward in mobile technology. The Nokia 9000 Communicator aimed to fulfill the dream of a mobile office, allowing users to handle business tasks while on the move. It enabled sending and receiving faxes and emails, along with maintaining a contact list and calendar. According to Arto Koskinen, a Finnish filmmaker and author of the documentary “Nokia Mobile, We Were Connecting People,” the Communicator was primarily used by managers and executives rather than average consumers. “It wasn't something ordinary people used in their daily lives,” he noted. Instead, it served more as a status symbol among professionals. At the time, the Communicator was prohibitively expensive, costing 2700 German Marks, equivalent to roughly $1,350, without a SIM card. It had an internal memory capacity of 8 MB and a screen resolution of 640 x 200 pixels. Koskinen explained that during the early 1990s, handsets were as costly as new cars, making the Communicator a luxury item even after its price dropped over time. The Communicator's impact extended beyond Finland. At a trade show in Las Vegas, Bill Gates took notice of the device. According to Lauri Hirvonen, former development chief at Nokia, a small team from Microsoft initially visited the Nokia booth to see the Communicator. A day later, two representatives returned accompanied by Gates himself. As a result, Microsoft’s IT department purchased numerous Communicators. Nokia's dominance in the mobile phone market during the 1990s was remarkable, with the brand becoming synonymous with mobile phones globally. However, this success began to falter when Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, featuring a touchscreen interface. Koskinen explained that Nokia's strategy involved creating different types of phones for different user segments, which worked well initially. But when Apple introduced a universal device suitable for all users, Nokia found itself left behind. According to Koskinen, the decline of Nokia's mobile division was due to multiple factors, including outdated software, reduced emphasis on research, and higher production costs. For many Finns, this decline was traumatic, as Nokia had become an integral part of national identity. Today, outside of Finland, few remember the Nokia 9000 Communicator. Yet within the Nordic country, there remains a sense of pride in how Finland once revolutionized the mobile communications industry.