Nokia Unveils Three New Media Phones
Although one prior N series phone has still not reached store shelves, Nokia pushed ahead on Wednesday, announcing three new phones it will market as convergence devices. The N series phones focus on multimedia features, and the new upgraded handsets are no exception.
The predecessor of one of the new devices, the Nokia N91, remains unreleased. The 4GB N91 music phone was pushed to a 2006 release following issues regarding content and problems with Microsoft's DRM. The Nokia N70 and N90, however, are now available in Europe.
The Nokia N92 will be the first mobile phone with a built in DVB-H receiver. It will allow for the user to both record and watch live TV, as well as access interactive services. The N92 will include a 2.8-inch screen capable of 16 million colors, with 90MB of built-in memory and 802.11g Wi-Fi support.
Trials of the DVB-H service, which are ongoing in cities such as Helsinki, Berlin, Pittsburgh and Paris conserve power by letting the device be switched on at particular intervals, called "time slicing."
Adding to Nokia's XpressMusic line, the N71 will include FM radio capability with support for digital music and videos. The phone only includes 10MB of memory, but sports a miniSD memory card slot for expansion along with Bluetooth and USB 2.0 support for transferring songs.
Finally, the N80 will be the world's first cellular phone with UPnP technology. Nokia says the feature would allow a user to transfer content easily between compatible multimedia devices. Also, a user could print wirelessly to a UPnP-enabled printer, as the device supports many common application formats and e-mail solutions.
The N80 boasts a 3-megapixel camera, 40MB of built-in memory and Wi-Fi connectivity. The quad-band GSM phone supports EDGE, which means it could be eventually available in most world markets.
"Convergence is opening up a world of opportunities for our customers and partners, and Nokia is committed to developing the tools, solutions and products to make the promise of the digital industry a reality," Nokia chairman and CEO Jorma Ollila said.
Prices for the Nokia N71, N80 and N92 will be $490, $610 and $730 USD, respectively. The N71 and N80 are slated for a Q1 2006 release, with the N92 following later in the year.