It greatly improved on the second-generation Nokia 9110 Communicator, providing a colour main screen and using an ARM processor.

[4] It is used as a normal though bulky mobile phone in closed mode; when it is flipped open it can be used like a very small notebook computer with a 640 × 200 screen.

[1] The earpiece and microphone are located on the back so one must hold it with the front screen and keypad facing out to make a call.

The 9210 Communicator's success helped Nokia overtake both Palm and Compaq to become the leading 'mobile data device' vendor in Western Europe in the third quarter of 2001, when it had a 28.3 percent share in the market.

[6] Nokia replaced the 9210 in first quarter of 2005 with:[7] Both new models include other improvements such as: EDGE, colour external displays and Bluetooth.