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GLOBAL – The Nokia Cseries has been blossoming of late. Last week, the Nokia C1 brethren (C1-00, C1-01 and C1-02) were unleashed, plus the Nokia C2 came into view toting dual SIM goodness. These devices joined the Cseries clan along with the Nokia C3, Nokia C5 and Nokia C6. But, what do these mini marvels have to offer? Join us after the jump as we reveal the must-know facts about Nokia’s latest line-up.

1. Nokia C2 is the first dual SIM phone from Nokia
If we were to name just one thing you guys have been hankering for over the past two years, it would be dual-SIM phones. Cue the fanfare and the Nokia C2: Nokia’s first dual-SIM phone. The Nokia C2 can keep both SIM cards active, meaning calls and text messages can come to either number while the phone is on. The first SIM card on the Nokia C2 sits underneath the battery. The second SIM card is ‘hot-swappable’, a feature unique to Nokia, meaning it can be removed and inserted when the phone is on. But, what we want to know now is, what would you do with a dual-SIM phone? Let us know in this week’s poll.

2. Grab your Nokia C3 from Indonesia, but you’ll have to join the queue
This week, the Nokia C3 landed in Indonesia and caused quite the furore. Across 10 cities including Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta, avid fans queued in torrential rain to get their mitts on Nokia’s latest offering. We’d be glad to join the end of that queue, as the Nokia C3 is a stonker. It’s the most affordable QWERTY device ever to come out of Espoo. Based on the same form factor as the now popular Nokia E71 and Nokia E72. Inspired by its elder brethren, the C3 brings messaging to the masses, coming as it does with Ovi Mail pre-installed so users can get up and running on email in a snap. It’s also a very capable snapper and – with GPRS and WiFi on board – is perfect for sharing pictures, too. Users can also access their favourite social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, right from the homescreen.

3. Nokia C1-00 boasts double SIM functionality
We’ve had the Nokia C2 sporting dual SIM, but there’s also the Nokia C1-00 boasting double SIM. Similarly to the Nokia C2, the Nokia C1-00 can house two SIMs, but both won’t work simultaneously.  Slip in your pair of SIMs and decide which one you’d like to use when you power up. Swapping is simple enough, just press the appropriate button and the handset will switch.

4. The Nokia C5 is one of the first devices to include the joint mobile app store – Mobile Market – Ovi Store in China
Hot-to-trot after the initial announcement, the Nokia C5 will soon be available to China Mobile customers. Along with the X5, the C5 is the first in the East to glean access to the joint mobile app store, Mobile Market-Ovi Store. Not only will users have access to brand-spanking new apps, they’ll be a cinch to get hold of too, as the Nokia’s C5 will be able to make the most of China’s high-speed 3G network. It’ll also come preloaded with apps including CMCC Music, Mobile Video and Fetion IM.

5. It’s not all about the candybars when it comes to the Nokia Cseries
We all love a bit of candy, but the Cseries offers a bit of variety too. True, the latest Nokia C1 bunch (C1-00, C1-01, C1-02) and the Nokia C2 are all candybars, but there’s also the full QWERTY keyboard flavoured Nokia C3, and the slide-out QWERTY Nokia C6.

6. The Nokia C3 is the first Series 40 device to come sporting a full QWERTY keyboard
The Eseries isn’t the only club that’s privy to a full QWERTY keyboard. Launched in April 2010, the Nokia C3 won the accolade of being the first Series 40 device with a full QWERTY keyboard. Putting messaging firmly in the palm of your hand, this tiny tyke comes packing access to your favourite Instant Messaging, social networking and email accounts, all courtesy of Nokia Messaging.

7. The Nokia C2 has some bang-for-your-buck, and is one of the most affordable Series 40 devices to date
Not only is the Nokia C2 the first dual SIM phone to make it out of Nokia’s stable, but it’s also the most wallet-friendly Series 40 device. With more features that you could shake a smartphone-shaped stick at, it comes in at a bargain price of 45 Euros before taxes and subsidies. Along with the dual SIM, the Nokia C2 also offers a wide range of information covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment via Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools, as well as the email account for the developing world, Ovi Mail. In addition to Ovi Mail, people’s favorite consumer email and chat accounts can be pushed direct to the phone via Nokia Messaging. Listening to music is simple with the FM radio and music player, with a massive amount of music storage with the phone supporting micro-SD cards of up to 32GB. There’s also enough room for up to 1,000 entries in the phone book, and a standby time of up to 16.5 days. A VGA camera, Bluetooth and GPRS also make the Nokia C2 a very attractive offering.

8. Nokia Cseries was the first to receive a new-generation Nokia name
We’re pretty accustomed to Nokia’s naming conventions now, but the first to adopt the change was the Nokia C5. Launched back in March, the device heralded a change in Nokia’s monikers. There are now four series of devices – Nokia Cseries, Xseries, Eseries and Nseries. Whilst the latter two have been around for a while, and Xseries has been around since last year’s Nokia World, the latest addition of Cseries rounds off the complete set. What’s more, within each series of devices, we’re seeing a new range of numbers, from 1 to 9, each signifying the range of functionality on offer, and the approximate prices of the devices – 1 being the lowest and 9 being the highest.

9. Ovi Life tools is available on the Nokia Cseries
We mentioned it above, but we think it’s worth mentioning twice as Ovi Life Tools is such a fantastic offering for many emerging markets. Sitting pretty in the Nokia C2 and Nokia C1-01 and Nokia C1-02, the SMS-based subscription service is split into three areas: agriculture; education and entertainment. Users can get daily weather updates, agriculture news and advice, plus the latest market prices for three chosen crops. The education texts provide English language tips, exam preparation hints and career information, while entertainment keeps users up to date with cricket scores and the latest ringtones.

10. Messaging for the masses is what the Cseries does best
Across the board, each Cseries device is designed with keeping connected in mind, with either Nokia Messaging or Ovi Mail is on board. Nokia Messaging brings together a pretty compelling communications package, with support for up to 10 email accounts, support for major email vendors, including business email through Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes Traveller and support for major Instant Messaging accounts, as well. Ovi Mail, on the other hand, offers an email solution for everyone. There’s a beefy 1GB of storage included, along with extras such as out of office, and tapping into Ovi Mail is easy, whether you’re on the web or on your phone. Use a PC and web browser to log in and you’ll see neat options to select multiple messages, sort through them by sender or date, and even drag and drop to quickly move emails from one folder to another.