Nokia Introduces 5 New Phones for 2008

Fuse a Nokia N95 and N81 together and what do you get? Well, an N96.

So the rumours were true, there is going to be a Nokia N96 coming out this year.... but along with it comes the N78, 6220 Classic, 6210 Navigator as well as the 3120 Classic. The design of these phones are pretty much "Nokia" if you know what I mean, and if you ask me it's really time for Nokia to add some chaps from the fashion industry into their phone-making business.

Anyway, here's the scoop:

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Nokia says: The Nokia N96 mobile device is a multimedia computer optimised for video and TV. It features a 2.8-inch screen, 16 gigabytes of internal memory (enough for 40 hours of video), and support for high-quality video in a wide range of formats, including MPEG-4, Windows Media Video, and Flash Video. Based on the S60 developer platform, the device also sports a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. Shipments are set to begin in the third quarter with a suggested retail price of 550 euros.

We say: Feh, looks like Nokia is making the better of the N95 and N81's spare parts. 16GB? Who needs that? Your battery will probably run out before you finish one movie (it has the same 950mAh battery as the N95). 2.8" QVGA screen means low resolution and sluggish graphics. You're better off getting an N95 if you really want all those features, and 16GB microSDs are expected to be out much sooner than this device. Copycat? Yes. Ground-breaking? Certainly not.

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Nokia says: The Nokia N78 mobile device is a multimedia computer that combines music, navigation and photography. The device, based on the S60 3rd Edition developer platform, features integrated A-GPS navigation, 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and support for a microSD memory card of up to 8 gigabytes to store music and media. The Nokia N78 device can also be used for "geotagging," the process of autotagging photos with location metadata. Shipments of the device are set to begin in the second quarter with a suggested retail price of 350 euros.

We say: It's an acceptable alternative for those who want to upgrade from the ever-so-successful N73 but don't seem to have a liking for the N82. Nokia should've thrown in a better camera, but we guess the N82 is there for a reason. Pretty much a mid-range do-it-all device.

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Nokia says: The Nokia 6220 classic mobile device combines a 5-megapixel camera with A-GPS functionality to let consumers snap, tag, edit, and share high-quality images and videos online, phone-to-phone, or on a television. The device is set to ship in the second quarter with a suggested retail price of 325 euros.

We say: It tried to get into the Nseries family but just didn't make the cut. Perhaps it's time to call in the fashion police? This device relatively feature packed but navigating maps on a 2.2" screen isn't going to be a blast. 5meg camera, xenon flash, GPS navigation and all the little bits of extra functions for 325 euros, worth getting if you don’t mind the U-G-L-Y design. Still in love with the price though.

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Nokia says: The Nokia 6210 Navigator mobile device is Nokia's first global proximity system (GPS) enabled mobile device with an integrated compass for pedestrian guidance. The device comes with the recently announced Nokia Maps 2.0 and includes full voice and visual turn-by-turn guidance at no extra cost. Shipments are set for the third quarter with an estimated retail price of 300 euros.

We say: Excellent travel buddy especially if you're one who get's lost really easily. Not quite a shining star but the use of A-GPS and accelerometer sense direction you means you'll always have a fool-proof navigation system, ready to guide the way. Oh, and did we mention Nokia is giving away FREE navigation with this phone? No strings attached. LOVIN it.... perhaps Nokia should call it "it's what compasses have become".....

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Nokia says: The Nokia 3120 classic mobile device lets consumers download and browse, take photos, listen to music, watch videos, and more. Based on the Series 40, 5th Edition, Feature Pack 1, the device features a 3.2-megapixel camera, support for microSD cards of up to 4 gigabytes, a video player, WAP 2.0 browser, Bluetooth stereo, and more.

We say: No price yet, but we expect it's going to be a "Low cost, High performance" device from Nokia.

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Judging by the looks and specs of these phones, it seems we're still going to stick with the N95 for some time. Perhaps S60 Touch UI will bring more promise??......