Nokia launches three new phones at CES, previews another

By Jacqueline Emigh | Published January 12, 2009, 8:54 AM

Nokia E63 smartphoneAs 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.

Nokia's N63, 7510, and 1006 phones
Nokia's N53, 7510, and 1006 phones.

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.

A Nokia representative shows off (again for North America) the N97The 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.

Comments

View comments by with a score of at least

I can't believe one of the US carriers didn't snag the E63 - its got virtually everything people are looking for in a QUERTY smartphone. I might just get one unlocked if I can find a good deal.

Score: 0

|

Latest Firefox 3.6 beta fixes 133 bugs, promises faster page load times

A once-sluggish beta testing process has kicked into overdrive, with astonishing success at finding serious bugs. Will Mozilla be able to fix all the others in time?

Apple invokes DMCA, claims Psystar is 'trafficking in circumvention devices'

In trying to close the book on possibly the last attempt at a Mac clone, Apple cites from its own landmark case...but may actually be misinterpreting it.

The fallacy of Facebook privacy

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: If an insurance company learns something interesting about its client through the Internet, is that snooping?

Microsoft 'worked with Apple' for Silverlight on iPhone, says Goldfarb

By not making such a big deal out of trying to stream video to the iPhone, Microsoft got a big deal out of it, revealed the Silverlight product manager.

Confirmed: Office 2010 to ship in June

Two weeks after Microsoft had been expected to draw a clearer roadmap for its principal applications suite, it's finally ready to commit to the end of H1.

New EU antitrust commissioner will oversee Microsoft, Oracle+Sun, Intel issues

As one of Europe's most prominent politicians shifts positions in January, her replacement remains a question mark over technology's biggest issues.

Without its own 'iTablet' yet, is Apple missing the boat?

Steve Jobs is on record as dissing "single-purpose" devices like e-readers. But given their recent popularity, was that a mistake?

Not-so-mobile battery life: Time to force the issue

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: If power efficiency is important when you buy a car or even a motorcycle, why shouldn't it matter for a smartphone?

Clicker.com cuts through the Web video chaos

In a world where homemade video and Hollywood movies travel the same pipeline, it's good to have a real search engine to cut through the clutter.

Microsoft's Ray Ozzie: 'Nobody's going to be 100% open'

The mobile apps ecosystems of the world may converge over time, led by apps being ported over across platforms, according to the Chief Software Architect.

A case study in improving software: What Office 2010 can learn from Notion 3

A music composition product gambles with a complete overhaul, in an effort to make headway against two well-known competitors in a tough market.