Nokia launches three new phones at CES, previews another

As part of a bigger push into the United States, Nokia launched the E63, 7510 and 1006 phones at CES this week, while also giving a North American showing of the N97.

In a demo at the Nokia booth on Sunday, Jacqueline Evory, manager of communications devices, described the E63 phone as a less costly consumer edition of Nokia's messaging-oriented E71 business phone. The E63 was available in overseas markets before getting to the US, and Nokia will now sell the phone unlocked for North America.

Priced at $279, the E63 lacks a few of the features of the E71 -- such as integrated GPS -- and is slightly thicker, Evory acknowledged.

But features include a hard QWERTY keypad, 2-by-3-inch screen with 320-by-240 resolution; integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0; an FM radio; and a 2 megapixel camera. Memory is expandable by up to 8 GB through use of a microSD slot. Users also receive 1 GB of storage on Nokia's Files on Ovi service.

Nokia's new 7510, on the other hand, is for T-Mobile USA customers. The phone boasts a distinctive display which is invisible when turned off but exceptionally bright and easy-to-read otherwise.

Other features of Nokia's new T-Mobile phone include messaging, e-mail; and IM; a music and video player; a speakerphone; Bluetooth; support for T-Mobile myFaves; a personal organizer; and integrated Wi-Fi for use with T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service.

T-Mobile will sell the 7510 phone for $49 with a two-year service contract, Evory said.

Nokia's new "simple" 1006 is a very basic phone designed for AWS markets, according to the Nokia exec.

The N97, first introduced earlier this year at a Nokia conference in Barcelona, provides a pressure-sensitive touchpad and soft QWERTY keyboard, along with features that will include a Facebook widget; 16 GB of storage; a 5-megapixel camera; and integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3G support.

Where conventional touchpads require heat activation, the N97's touchpad can be used with something other than a finger, such as a stylus, said Nokia's Laura Johnson-Mitchell, in another demo for Betanews. The N97's touchpad is geared to alphabets requiring stylus input, such as those used in Chinese and Russian alphabets.

But the touchpad can also come in handy in cold climates, according to Johnson-Mitchell. "You can even use the touchpad if you're wearing gloves," she told BetaNews.

Introduction of the N97 into the North American market is still unannounced.