TL;DR
- A custom ROM project called Reborn is bringing the classic Nokia N8 back into daily-use territory.
- Built on Nokia Belle, the new firmware cleans up performance, restores functionality, and modernizes key systems.
- Removed signing restrictions let you sideload apps without Symbian’s old headaches.
Most of us have put our old Symbian phones away and forgotten about them, but a new custom firmware project called Reborn is bringing these classic devices back to life.
Back in 2010, the Nokia N8 stood out for its hardware. It was a “touchscreen monoblock” with a powerful 12MP Carl Zeiss camera and a Xenon flash that could outperform many modern camera phones. However, it was saddled with Symbian, an OS originally designed for buttons and keyboards, not fingers.