Nokia 7190

Year: 1999
Prototype level: Non-Final
Codename: Sirius

Overview

The Nokia 7190 was the North American GSM member of Nokia’s 7100 series, closely related to the European 7110. The commercial 7190 used the same general slider design and WAP-focused feature set, but unlike the 7110 it had a manually operated slide cover rather than the spring-loaded release mechanism.

The specimen in this collection is an unusual prototype version of the 7190. It features a button-operated flip release mechanism similar to the one used on the 7110, rather than the mechanism found on the released 7190. The flip is also missing the two rows of three decorative dots found on the later design, giving the front a noticeably different appearance.

The back cover is also a version that has never been used on a production unit. While the button-operated release mechanism itself is used on the 7110, the 7110’s production back cover does not have the two screws at the top of the cover, above the Nokia logo. Back covers featuring these two screws were used only on the 7190 and 7160, both of which were produced without the button-operated flip release mechanism. The combination of the 7110-style release mechanism and this otherwise non-production back cover therefore makes the specimen particularly unusual.