Mobiles in the Movies

[rahul_parab2006]

This is the video generation, and the TV, PC and even the mobile phone are designed to bring us the best of entertainment. It’s no wonder that mobile manufacturers sponsor movies that showcase their elite handsets, and sometimes even their most basic ones. The movies are a vibrant entertainment medium, and it would seem as if every new release these days has some actor flaunting a snazzy handset.

Whether it's in the hands of spies, cops, villains, or superheroes, mobile phone technology is featured as being something that emphasizes their larger-than-life personas. Of course, you will realize that most of the mobiles shown in the movies are tweaked to offer so much more than just a simple call-and-answer option. So don’t be fooled into thinking that you can go out and buy the same handset and get the same great features.

Here are some handsets that have made a name for themselves by guest-starring in a blockbuster movie. The movies didn’t make just the actors famous, but the phones as well.

Nokia 8110 – Matrix
Anyone who’s seen the Matrix will won’t just remember the characters or the totally original and visually stimulating concept. One aspect that was vital to the plot was the phone, and Nokia quickly cashed in on this with a slight redesign of their existing 8110 handset. The 8110 Banana, as it was called, seemingly because of its curved design, wasn’t originally designed with a spring-loaded slide for the keypad cover – this was done specially for the movie.



In more than one instance the handset saved the lives of some of the characters, becoming a legend in its time. The spring-action slide was later incorporated into another Nokia handset, the 7110 – incidentally the world’s first phone to be equipped with WAP support. As for specs, the 8110 was pretty basic; it incorporated Nokia’s old UI (seen in the 3310) on a monochrome display. If you haven't seen the phone, or forgotten what it looks like, go watch the movie.

LG VX9400 – Iron Man
Superheroes need mobiles too; at least their alter egos do. Just ask billionaire playboy and technical wizard Tony Stark as he flashes LG’s VX9400 swivel-screen CDMA mobile, specially designed for Verizon. The handset had a 2.2 inch display and was originally designed as a TV handset. It supported microSD cards for added memory.



Other features in the VX9400 included a 1.3MP camera with an LED flash, GPS with A-GPS support, stereo Bluetooth, and GPRS/EDGE/WAP support. It had a media player for audio and video playback. The main feature was the V-cast Mobile TV function. LG had also launched an Iron Man limited edition Shine handset made of 22-carat gold, with a little red thrown in for effect. Only 100 pieces were made.



Motorola RAZR V3 – National Treasure, Bourne Ultimatum
The RAZR V3 is probably one of the more popular Motorola handsets. Apart from the fact that it’s undergone so many changes and upgrades, I don’t think it’s ever lost its sense of style. A couple of the movies that the handset made an appearance in are The Bourne Supremacy and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. In the latest National Treasure action adventure, you’ll see the villains 'clone' a Motorola V3x using an Apple laptop – something I’m not entirely sure is feasible. I’m sure the CIA etc. will have such tricks up their sleeve... and hey, it’s only a movie, right?



In The Bourne Ultimatum the handset is used by an assassin to get information about his targets. Though the phone wasn't as feature-rich as the newer models, it was quite stylish and happening for its time. If an assassin used it can’t be that bad.

Ericsson / Sony Ericsson – James Bond
Who wouldn’t love to own one of the world’s favorite secret agent’s mobile phones? James Bond has enthralled us with gadgetry since he first made his appearance on the big screen in 1962 with Dr No. His gizmos defied gravity, shot lasers and grappling hooks out of watches, fired poison darts from a pen... the list goes on. But considering that many of us grew up in an age where even some of these high-tech gadgets looked dated, the gadget that really made its mark was showcased in the 18th Bond Movie with Pierce Brosnan – Ericsson’s concept mobile phone.



This handset was capable of remote controlling Bond's Beemer via a touchpad and contact-sensitive buttons. The navigation pad and access buttons were revealed when the handset was flipped open, like a Nokia Communicator. It had a large display on the inside that was remotely connected to a camera in the front of the car. Other features included a fingerprint scanner and a stun gun. Now is this item a babe magnet or what?



I don’t think mass-producing this nifty handset would have been a good idea though. Can you imagine guys trying to drive their cars on the street using their mobiles? (Or electrocuting people every now and then? Yikes!) Sony Ericsson is also planning to release a special edition C902 handset for the 22nd Bond movie releasing later this year, Quantum of Solace. The handset will feature in this movie, and apparently boast a titanium case with a host of other super features. The special edition handset will also feature a titanium-colored shell, but will not be made from the metal itself.

These are some of the famous handsets I found, but I'd love to hear from you if you can unearth more instances of mobiles in the movies. If you find any (try to have clear images of the phone and brand name!) just email me and I'll try and include them in my next update. So go watch some movies!