The legendary Nokia N8 is back (sort of)

Back in 2010, when Android was taking off, Nokia tried to reinvent Symbian and turn it into a touch interface. This new interface was called Belle, but it never made it to any Nokia device, as the company's update servers were already being taken down when the software was finally ready.

The nostalgic bunch who would ever try using a Nokia N8 now would quickly find out that it's completely broken, slow, and almost unusable. At least, it used to be. Thanks to the passionate developer community, there's a new custom ROM based on the aforementioned Nokia Belle that fixes most of the issues and turns the Nokia N8 into… well, not a flagship but a usable phone even today.

The Nokia N8 Reborn in action

There's a YouTube video (embedded below) showing the new ROM in action with an impressive interface running quite smoothly on the outdated hardware. The guys behind the project even created a working app store specifically for the N8, turning this relic into a full-fledged modern smartphone.


The new ROM features updated HTTPS signing certificates, meaning you can browse the modern internet in a secure way (most modern sites require secure connections nowadays), and you can also install new apps without the usual Symbian signing rules hassle.

Do (not) try this at home?

Usually, we here at PhoneArena don't advise tinkering with custom ROMs and with your phone's software in general. But the Nokia N8 is so old that you might as well try it and see how it goes. Chances are you're not using this relic anyway, so if you succeed, you might get a really cool classic phone to brag with in front of your friends.

You can download the ROM at this link, and there are also detailed instructions for flashing Nokia phones in this YouTube video, so if you happen to stumble upon an old Nokia N8 and want to breathe some new life into it, you might as well try.

The usual disclaimers are applicable here, though. These procedures could result in a bricked phone, and furthermore, Windows 10 drivers can clash with old Nokia flashing tools, sometimes causing a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) and a temporarily unusable phone.



Another potential issue could be aging hardware. The Nokia N8 is more than fifteen years old, and things like worn-out camera lenses, bent SIM tray pins, and drained batteries are real problems. I personally am going to sift through our warehouse and try to find an old Nokia N8 in order to try this. 

I've always been very fond of old Nokia phones, and I'm very curious how the N8 can hold up in this modern day and age. I'll keep you posted.