Size:
Examine this table:
| Phone | Dimensions | Weight | Comment |
| Sony Ericcson K600i | 105mm × 45mm × 20mm | 106 g | 3G device. |
| Nokia 6230i | 103mm × 44mm × 20mm | 99 g | Similar featureset to 8800 |
| Nokia 3120 | 102mm × 43mm × 19.4mm | 84 g | No bluetooth, camera |
| Nokia 8800 | 107mm × 45mm × 16.5mm | 134 g |
It is clear that the Nokia 8800 is averaged size, and quite slim; but relatively heavy. But what is 30 grams or so? Of course, I'm baised, because I am used to a Nokia 7610, which is far bulkier, and no lightweight at 118g. I suppose holding it to your ear might become tiring more quickly, but you can lift weights, or use the headset (or a bluetooth headset). Carrying the Nokia 8800 around instead of the Nokia 7610 was marginally easier. One huge advantage the phone does have is that when extended it seems to be longer. Some people feel the usual candybar phones are too tiny, and this does help alleviate that feeling.
I must also state that the "slimness" of the Nokia 8800 is not really a big deal. Look at the comparative shots of the Nokia 8800 next to a Nokia 3120 below. The difference is... rather small. Just like all candybar phones!
This is another area where the suede case helps. The extra friction generated by using it makes it far more difficult for your phone to slip out of your trouser pocket, which it is wont to do because of it's slippery surface and weight.
Slide Mechanism :
The automatic open/close mechanism is very well engineered. It opens and closes with a satifying "click" and you can slow down the motion to make it silent. The raised metal lip directly below the display provides the necessary grip. A picture is worth a thousand words, so instead of a million or so additional words; watch this video (WMV format) to see what the open/close action looks like.
I suggest that this sliding mechanism is superior to the auto-open mechanism of the Nokia 8910; because it allows the phone to be slimmer, and it is much much much quicker to use.
Also, you can either answer or reject calls even when the phone is closed. Opening the phone will answer a call; and closing the phone will reject the call. This behaviour cannot be changed.
Keypad:
The keypad is laid out in an entirely standard fashion. The individual keys are slightly raised, and are very responsive. They do not feel wobbly at all, and it is very obvious when you have pressed one.
There are only three problems; the keys may be considered to be a little small, the keys *, 0 and # are a little hard to press because the of the metal directly below, and the center key on the directional pad. The center key is really tiny. This is especially irritating because the key is used fairly frequently.
However, these problems are not showstoppers. Perhaps I don't have very large fingers, but I didn't have any problems text messaging, and was never irritated by a keypress which did not register. It might be a little harder than expected to actually press the keys, but every successful keypress is registered on the phone.
Note that the left and right selection keys are directly above the answer and hang up buttons, repectively (i.e. they are not on the keypad, but in line with the raised metal lip at the bottom of the display.) I was a little confused by this initially, but putting the buttons there are a good move, as they are always accessible whether or not the phone is extended, and therefore allow you to answer or reject calls when the phone remains closed.
