Nokia released seven new phones today (press release here). The release has been well covered by a couple of sites; just click this link . We don't really care about the CDMA models, although it is good that Nokia has finally released CDMA phones which are roughly feature-equivalent to GSM models.
What we are interested in are the slider phones; the Nokia 6111, Nokia 6270 and Nokia 6280. It's a little ironic that these phones were released one day after Om Malik wrote that Nokia's "new line-up has a certain simple elegance to them, which allows the phones to be what they were meant to be: phones... I am frankly tired of new fangled designs – the slider or the rotate phone"
Nokia released seven new phones today (press release here). The release has been well covered by a couple of sites; just click this link . We don't really care about the CDMA models, although it is good that Nokia has finally released CDMA phones which are roughly-feature equivalent to GSM models.
What we are interested in are the slider phones; the Nokia 6111, Nokia 6270 and Nokia 6280. It's a little ironic that these phones were released one day after Om Malik wrote that Nokia's "new line-up has a certain simple elegance to them, which allows the phones to be what they were meant to be: phones... I am frankly tired of new fangled designs – the slider or the rotate phone"
I'd say they still are pretty elegant... there are a couple of other things to note about the phones:
1. They are Series 40. (no Symbian!)
2. Two have QVGA (320x240)resolution screens (the other is 128x160).
3. Two have 2MP cameras, one has a 1MP camera. (and all have LED flash built-in)
4. Two are rather large, one is small and light.
5. One has is quadband! Finally.
6. They all have bluetooth (also, finally.)
All these bode well, except for one thing - Nokia seems deadset upon trying to activate the osborne effect. I said this when they released the N-series, and I'll say it again: "We all know the business 101 proposition that you do not cannibalize current sales with future promise, and that is exactly what is happening."
As none of these headsets impact anything by Nokia on the current market (they do, however, perhaps make the Sony Erisson K750i a less certain proposition) but the N90 is dead in the water! That is the Symbian Series 60 clamshell device with a Zeiss lens and a 2MP camera; Unless for some reason you prefer a larger phone, or are dying for Symbian functionality. Also, the nice metallic luxury Nokia 8800 is starting to look more and more like the Vertu phones technologically - and that is not a compliment. (Vertu phones, right now, are using 2001-era Nokia technology. No bluetooth, no colour screens, no memory cards, no symbian)
Maybe what Nokia is trying to do is to prove me (and Russel Beattie) wrong: Symbian devices, they want to claim, are popular because they're smartphones, not simply because they are high-end Nokia phones, and have the best cameras (and bluetooth).
Speaking of which, if only that nice small Nokia 6111 had a higher resolution display (say - 208*208) and a 2MP camera, it would definitely be my next phone.
| Nokia 6280 | Nokia 6111 | Nokia 6270 |
| GSM (900/1800/1900Mhz) / WCDMA 2100 | GSM (900/1800/1900Mhz) | GSM (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) |
| GPRS/EDGE | GPRS/EDGE | GPRS/EDGE |
| 100 x 46 x 21 mm | 84 x 47 x 23 mm | 104x 50x 23 mm |
| 115g | 92g | 125g |
| 260 hours standby time | 190 hours standby time | 190 hours standby time |
| 180 minutes talk time | 210 minutes talk time | 180 minutes talk time |
| 262k color , 320x240 | 262k color , 128x160 | 262k color , 320x240 |
| 2 megapixel | 1 megapixel | 2 megapixel |
| Video capture/playback | Video capture/playback | Video capture/playback |
| Yes, POP/IMAP/SMTP | Yes, POP/IMAP/SMTP | Yes, POP/IMAP/SMTP |
| Bluetooth-connectivity | Bluetooth-connectivity | Bluetooth-connectivity |
| Infrared-connectivity | Infrared-connectivity | No Infrared |
| miniSD slot (64MB card bundled) | no memory slot | miniSD slot (128MB card bundled) |
| Q4 2005 (estimate) | Q4 2005 (estimate) | Q4 2005 (estimate) |
| video sharing, video call, FM radio, music player | FM radio, music player | FM radio, music player |
