From wristwatch to Sony Xperia T: Bond phones through the ages!

The Gadget Show  Thursday 04 October 2012

The latest 007 film, Skyfall, hits cinemas on 22 October, and James Bond is coming armed. This time around, he’s fighting off dastardly arch-villains with scary wigs using the Sony Xperia T Android smartphone. But he’s not always been a smartphone fan: join us as we trawl the archives and look at Bond’s best mobile moments.

Seiko wristwatch (For Your Eyes Only, 1981)

For all Bond’s hi-tech wizardry, with bombs and laser-cutters in watches, and flying submarine cars, it wasn’t until the era of Roger Moore that Bond first used a teeny, tiny phone – this one was built into his Seiko wristwatch. The Spy Who Loved Me, four years earlier, actually saw Bond texting using his watch, but he couldn’t talk into his ticker just yet. (Image via Bond Lifestyle).

Ericsson JB988 (Tomorrow Never Dies, 1998)

It was Pierce Brosnan who first got to use a proper mobile phone as Bond, whipping out one of the first mobiles with a flip out screen. Bond uses it for all sorts of stunts, from tasering people to driving his BMW by remote control and scanning people’s fingerprints. Can your iPhone do that? Sadly, no, but neither could this really: Ericsson never released the phone to the public. You can watch the phone in action on YouTube here.

Sony Ericsson M600i (Casino Royale, 2006)

Sony Ericsson phones pop up throughout Craig’s first entry as 007 – he even uses one as a satnav during the film, long before satnav apps first went on sale on the iPhone. The striking Sony Ericsson M600i steals the show though, with its unusual keyboard layout, gloss white design and touchscreen. It plays a crucial plot point in the film, as it’s through Vespa’s phone that he discovers her real allegiances, kicking off the Venice-set finale.

Sony Ericsson C902 (Quantum of Solace, 2008)

While most of Bond’s phones have been suitably impressive, and on the cutting edge, his C902 candybar dumbphone was starting to look like a bit of a joke by 2008. The Nokia N95 and N96 had paved the way for the storming success of the iPhone 3G and the iTunes App Store. But here Craig was, toting a chunky brick of a phone, with no 3D games to while away his downtime. Too busy saving the world, we suppose.

Sony Xperia T (Skyfall, 2012)

We don’t quite know what Bond will be using the Sony Xperia T for in Skyfall just yet, but it’s a good bet there’ll be some high tech wizardry on show not currently possible with today’s apps. We’ve just reviewed the Sony Xperia T this week, and found it to be a respectable, if not sensational, Android blower. A special Bond-themed version is out on O2 today, and you get all sorts of 007 goodies, including ringtones, wallpapers and behind the scenes footage.

What’s your favourite Bond gadget of all time? Tell us in the comments below!