u/DimVl

Here is what I believe to be the rarest and most undocumented Nokia 1011 variant, the Technophone 705. Released in 1992 (as confirmed by its user manual) with the model name NHE-2XT (vs NHE-2XN on the standard 1011), it provides a rare glimpse into how Nokia managed the legendary Technophone brand, post their 1991 acquisition. The 705 is a rebranded variant of its base (flagship) sibling, with the only differentiating feature being its “unique” design (which again is extremely similar to the Mobira Cityman 2000; yet another official 1011 variant).

Being a GSM900 device, it connects right away to my carrier, NOVA GR; indicated by a “cryptic” network code on its display instead of a name, GR10. Its features are top-of-the-line for an early 90s mobile phone; calling, two-way SMS (sending and receiving, 160 capital characters max), on-board memory for 99 contacts (apart from SIM memory), 10 dialed, 10 received and 10 missed calls memory, plus two ringtones (no Nokia Tune, sorry). So innovative, yet so retro.

Its main downside in 2026, and its main advantage in its era, is of course the humongous size and weight. Bit taller than an S23 Ultra (without counting its even-unextended antenna at all, mind you), fat as 4 of them stacked and weighting around half a kilo.

As for its battery, the original 900mah NiCd cells were expectedly completely dead. But I recelled it with brand new Toshiba 2600mah NiMH cells, which theoretically should have given it around 34 hours of standby. In the photos, you can see it with one bar remaining after 15 hours of standby, mixed with some test calls throughout the day. That’s above the original 12 hours of standby-only battery life, so I count it as a win. In the last picture, you can see the original versus the recelled battery stack, in case you want to do the same on your own 1011.

The Technophone 705 currently holds the place of the oldest mobile phone in my collection; and certainly a special place forever in my heart!