Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Limpag: New Nokia phones By Max Limpag Celltalk
FOUR NEW MODELS. Nokia launched earlier this month four, new entry-level phone models that will be available months from now. The models will cost less than P10,000 (before taxes, that is) but their specifications are that of mid-end phones a year or two back.
In a press statement, Nokia said the phones were meant for “replacement buyers” in so-called emerging markets, poorer countries where mobile phone penetration is still low.
The most eye-catching of the models is the Nokia 5000 (see photo in this page). The green on black combination and the large screen makes the device look sleek.
The Nokia 5000 comes with a 1.3 megapixel cameta, MP3 ringtones, Bluetooth and GPRS connectivity, FM radio with recording functionality. It supports e-mail messaging and comes with Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging.
SLIDE PHONE. Another model unveiled in the launching is the Nokia 2680 slide phone.
Nokia said it’s the “first slide device for entry markets” or in non-marketing speech: it’s the company’s cheapest slider phone. The phone also comes with a digital camera and FM radio with recording capability.
Another model, unveiled during the launching, is the 7070 Prism. It is a clamshell phone but with a stylish design. The company said it is targeting the unit at “people who
express their personality through their mobile phone.”
The phone comes with a voice recorder and integrated hands-free speaker. It costs almost half the Nokia 5000. The 7070, as far as I can tell from the Nokia announcement, does not have an integrated digital camera.
Another phone unveiled earlier this month was the Nokia 1680, which the company describes to be its “most affordable cameraphone to date.”
The 1680 comes with a VGA camera that also offers video recording.
The resolution is less than a megapixel, which might be good enough for Friendster uploading but won’t be good enough for printing beyond the standard wallet-sized pictures.
The 1680 offers a one-touch key access to photos and videos. It also comes with e-mail access. The phone is also configured for phone sharing, a unique Nokia feature for phones sold in developing countries. The phone-sharing feature allows the phone to have multiple users with their own inboxes and other data.
The 1680 will be sold at the same price as the 7070. The phones will be available by the end of the year.
