Do you ever stop and look at your mobile phone, and wonder just where on Earth it has come from? And we don’t just mean which store you bought it in, but where your phone was actually born. Chances are, your little baby was born in a far off distant land and had to travel a long old way to arrive in your pocket. There have now been countless Nokia models made throughout history and, holding that slab of technology in your palm, do you ever think just how your phone was made? Who made it? How long it took? How far it travelled? Where does yours stand in the Nokia timeline?
We thought it would be cool to give you a little insight into the journey your phone has made; from its infant stage as a heap of nuts, bolts and chips in a factory, to the flawless technological device shining bright in the shop window. In reading this post, we hope you might come away a touch more ‘connected’ perhaps.
We are sure that most of you are aware that Nokia is indeed a Finnish company and that means a lot of Nokia phones are made in – yes you guessed it – Finland! But not all Nokia phones are made there. In fact, Nokia devices are made everywhere; Hong Kong, Mexico, China, Brazil, Germany, and more. Here’s what’s pretty cool though, you can actually determine where in the world your phone has come from by having a peak at its IMEI-code. This IMEI-code can be found by tapping *#06# into your phone, or by having a look at the label on the bottom of the battery case. Pretty cool. Now you can work out your phone’s nationality.
(HINT: The seventh and eighth digits of your IMEI code reveal the country of origin for your phone – see if you can work out where yours comes from!)
Now here are some pretty cool stats.
Back in 2006 for example, according to our sources, Nokia ‘handled more than 100 billion parts in 10 factories scattered around the world. To put that in more comprehensible – if still somewhat mind-boggling – terms, it means that every day, from Mexico to Hungary to China, Nokia’s giant production plants take in an average of around 275 million components – and then spit out 900,000 finished mobile phones at the other end of the line’. That’s a lot of bits and pieces, and a lot of phones! So to be precise, in the same year, Nokia provided ‘347 million mobile devices, which means an average of 11-12 units per second’. The neat little picture below gives you a juicy insight into the nitty gritty inner workings of the Nokia N8, demonstrating the various layers involved in the make up of the phone.
Get this as well; ‘A vast and sophisticated software system manages the procurement and delivery of those 100 billion parts, which range from basic electronics such as resisters and capacitors, to pricey processors and color LCDs, to mechanical pieces such as screws, keypad buttons, and covers’. We’re sure you’ll agree, that’s a pretty impressive system going on there. All those tiny bits and pieces are bought together from each corner of the world and placed side by side under the watchful eyes and dexterous hands of the skilled manufacturers to produce the Nokia phones you use every day.
Check out this cool video documenting the construction and packaging of the Nokia E7, assembled in a factory in Finland.
So, once a Nokia phone is born and fitted into its new box, it is destined for travel of some sort. So, let us say for now that the destination is the U.K, and your phone is coming from China. That means a trip of just under 5,000 miles! If it comes from Finland however, the trip measures a cool 1,100 miles in comparison. So its worth giving a thought to your Nokia handset when your next on a long journey because the chances are it has probably done a far longer one before!
Go ahead and find out where your Nokia phone has been, is it where you expected? As always, Nokia want to hear what you’ve got to say so don’t hesitate to get in touch.