JAKARTA, Indonesia – Five new devices launched today breaking new ground in ways you’d never have imagined. Coming in at just €20 comes Nokia’s most affordable device to date, the Nokia 1280. Alongside it, and launching in the new year, come four other devices designed to appeal to mobile users across the globe, but with emerging markets firmly within their sites. What’s more, these new devices boast an impressive range of features that not only make them appealing but deliver real relevance where it matters. MP3 grade ringtones, speaking clocks, flashlights, FM radio and hands free calling might sound like trivial features to those of us used to playing with high end smart phones, but in developing countries these things matter. Hugely. What’s more they’re appearing in a range of five new devices where the most expensive one will cross the tills for €54. Read on to find out what all the fuss is about.
First out of the blocks comes the Nokia 1280. Anti-scratch cover and excellent dust resistance make this a tough device. 22 days battery life will ensure it keeps going whilst additional features such as the flashlight, FM radio and a phone book for up to five different users make it eminently useful in rural areas. Like the other devices launched today, the Nokia 1280 also comes with Nokia Life Tools pre-installed.
For an extra €4 comes the Nokia 1616 (pictured above). The colour screen marks this out as an entertainment device whilst the changeable colour covers set it apart from the rest. Like the 1280, this device also sports a flashlight, FM radio and anti-dust keypad along with support for Nokia Life Tools, it’ll also be available in the first quarter of 2010.
Rounding out the budget range is the €26 Nokia 1800. Due to launch in the second quarter of 2010 the 1800 comes with a headset for listening to the radio on the move and multiple address books.
Like its baby brothers, the Nokia 1800 also sports useful features such as the flashlight and speaking clock and will keep on going for a whopping 22 days in standby mode. If that’s not enough, then the battery will also withstand 8.5 hours of talk time.
Upping the ante a little comes the Nokia 2220 slide. Alongside the slide design comes support for Ovi Mail, enabling users to create email accounts directly on the device. Similarly, the Nokia 2690 sports support for Ovi Mail and both devices brag GPRS and MMS support and 1,000 contact address books. The €45 Nokia 2220 slide also features a VGA camera and is expected to ship before the end of the year.
The Nokia 2690 is an entertainment device and supports up to 2GB of memory through its memory card slot. it also comes with FM radio and an MP3 player and users can get more from their music thanks to the addition of a 3.5mm jack. With 14 days battery life, the €54 Nokia 2690 is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2010.
All prices quoted are before taxes and subsidies.
Last year someone gave me a sticker which became the source of lots of questions when I put it on the front of my laptop. The sticker was promoting fivedollarcomparison.org, a site set up by a Nokia design team to explore what you could buy for $5. The inspiration? They wanted to create a mobile phone people could buy for $5. As mike says in his post about the 1280 – which, like many of these devices can be shared by five different users – they’ve almost achieved it. Let us know what you think in the comments below.