The Nokia 1100 is a basic GSMmobile phone produced by Nokia. Over 1.2 billion 1100s have been sold since its launch in late 2003, making it the world's best selling phone handset and the best selling consumer electronics device in the world at the time. The model was announced on 27 August 2003 and was discontinued in 2009. The 1100 achieved its popularity despite being made during a time when more modern and advanced devices were available in the market. It was targeted towards developing countries and users who do not require advanced features beyond making calls and SMS text messages, alarm clock, reminders, etc. The Nokia 1100 was the company's cheapest mobile phone when it was released to the market, making it ideal for the developing world. Its feature set is similar to the previous 5110/3210/3310 models that were among the most popular mobile phones in the world during their time, before handsets developed several new features such as cameras, polyphonic ringtones and colour screens. The Nokia 1100 case was designed at Nokia Design Center in California, and patented for the US by the Bulgarian-American designer Dimitre Mehandjiysky. The software was adapted and ported to the DCT4 platform at Nokia Copenhagen, Denmark by members of the S30 group. Nokia's one billionth phone sold was a Nokia 1100 purchased in Nigeria in 2005. In early 2009, it was in the news due to a firmware flaw in a batch of phones that were manufactured in a plant in Bochum, Germany. The phone could supposedly be programmed to receive messages directed to a different phone number, thus receiving sensitive data such as online banking details. This flaw was brought to authorities' attention after some phones were sold for over US$32,000.
Features
The 1100 features a built-in flashlight, activated by pressing and holding the C key once, or by pressing it twice to lock it on when the keypad is unlocked. It can also be accessed via a menu item.
The 1100 and 1101 are only able to play monophonic ringtones, which can be selected from a list of 36 pre-installed tones or from 7 self-composed ones.
It features Nokia's traditional-style navigational keypad, which uses a single button to connect and end calls, bi-directional keys and vibrating alert.
The 1100 is compatible with Nokia's Xpress-On covers. In addition to the default light blue, orange or black, there are also dark blue, yellow, red, green and pink versions offered by Nokia, as well as many 3rd-party covers.
It has been specifically designed for developing countries: its keypad and front face have been designed to be as dustproof as possible, and its sides are non-slip for humid weather.
Other features include a 50-message capacity, alarm, stopwatch, calculator, 6 profiles, contacts storage, games and the ability to compose your own ringtones.
It was the first DCT4 device to run on the entry-level Series 30 software.
Variants
There are four distinct variations within the series: the 1100a, 1100b, 1101 and the 1108. They differ as follows:
The 1100a operates on the GSM-900/1800 network.
The 1100b operates on the GSM-850/1900 network.
The 1101 replaces the green backlighting with a white backlighting and adds a simple WAP 1.1 browser.
The 1108 also replaces the green backlighting with a white backlighting. Mainly made for Asian markets.
Firmware history
The phone's firmware version can be checked by dialling *#0000#.
The phone uses a GSM method of activation via a SIM card. The Nokia BL-5C battery has a long standby and talk time – this battery is used in more advanced models that have increased power needs for their features, but in the basic 1100 it consumes a fraction of the power and therefore lasts for up to 400 hours between charges. The phone is offered for use with a wide range of mobile phone networks.
