Low-end Nokia handsets on the way

Today Nokia announced a whole bunch of new budget-oriented mobile phones. The new handsets are Nokia 1200, 1208, 1650, 2660, 2630 and 2760. They boast some spanking new features and thus show that the low-end mobile phone market is also a field that offers grounds for innovation.

Nokia 1200 • Nokia 1208

Both Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 are candy bar shaped phones designed for the emerging markets and thus lack most of the standard features you expect to see in a phone nowadays. Nevertheless, they do provide some interesting "extras". The call-time tracking function allows calls to be automatically ended after a preset limit in order to reduce costs to the user. The multi-phonebook allows several users of the same handset to have their own phonebook lists. Other functions of these phones are one-touch flashlight, localized languages, tutorial, etc. The difference between the two models is that Nokia 1200 comes with a monochrome display, while the Nokia 1208 is equipped with a color CSTN display. Nokia 1200 will be available for purchase in Q2 2007 at an estimated price of 35 EUR, while the Nokia 1208 will hit the market in Q3 2007 at price around 40 EUR.

Nokia 1650 • Nokia 2630

Nokia 1650 is another entry-level candy bar phone but is much more sophisticated in terms of features compared to the previous two models. This one has FM radio, MP3 support, localization in 75 languages and also has a flashlight and option for pre-set call time limit. Nokia 1650 is coming to the market in Q2 2007 at an estimated price of 65 EUR.

Nokia 2660 is a clamshell phone with rather nice design a bit more than basic functions. The phone features GPRS connectivity, Bluetooth, FM radio, MP3 support and a 500-entry phonebook. The Nokia 2660 is expected to be available in Q2 2007.

The Nokia 2630 and the Nokia 2760 are also low-end handsets but are much more feature-rich than the previous four models. The Nokia 2630 candy bar phone is the thinnest model in Nokia portfolio with its mere 9.9 mm. It is equipped with a camera, Bluetooth, FM radio and MP3 support. Nokia 2630 will hit the market in Q3 2007 at an estimated price of 85EUR.

Nokia 2660 • Nokia 2670

Nokia 2760 is a clamshell with GPRS, Bluetooth, a camera with video recording capabilities, FM radio, MP3 support and a 1000-entry phonebook. It is expected to hit the market in Q3 2007 and will be sold at around 90 EUR.