Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 
on Monday unveiled three new cell phones with design in mind. The 7390, the 7360 and the 7373 offer new looks for the fashion conscious with plenty of bells and whistles for the technologically demanding.
Nokia is describing the latest additions to its L'Amour Collection as style with substance. All three of the new phones draw their design inspiration from tribal art and ethnic decoration, with a unique palate of colors and textures.
Aspects of embroidery, 3D appliqué, ceramic tiling and other traditional decoration characterize the new phones. Nokia calls it a "nouveau-ethnic" feel with muted tonality and bleached colors.
"These phones reflect the extent to which the market has reached a level of maturity such that the vendors who segment the most aggressively are going to be the most successful," noted wireless analyst John Jackson of Yankee Group. He attributes much of Nokia's motivation with the new fashion phones to the success of Motorola's (NYSE: MOT) Razr.
Nokia's First 3G Fashion Phone
The Nokia 7390 is the company's first-ever 3G fashion phone. It offers a 3-megapixel camera, and WCDMA high-speed connectivity is hidden within shell and leather panels.
The phone is available in two colors -- a bronze-black version that attempts to call to mind the cigar parlors and oak-paneled studies of a bygone era, and a powder pink model that mimics the latest styles found on fashion catwalks.
The retail price of the Nokia 7390 is expected to be 450 euros (US$576.53).
The Nokia 7373 dons a swivel design and tribal markings. It is available in bronze-black, powder pink and black chrome. The estimated retail price is approximately 350 euros ($448.43).
The Nokia 7360 is billed as elegant and compact, with metal, leather and transparent surface accents. A tactile inlayed leather effect wraps around the phone, which comes in two color options: a chrome and black original and the girlish powder pink. The estimated price is 200 euros ($256.24).
High-Tech and Flashy
All three phones offer high-tech features to make the phone "smart."
The 7390 offers high speed streaming and video calling, a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus and integrated flash, and a music player.
The 7373 features a 2-megapixel camera, music and video player, and twin stereo speakers.
The 7360 offers stereo FM radio, integrated camera, MP3 ring tones and Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging.
Nokia hopes its design approach will rival Motorola's success with the Razr, which has sold more than 50 million units, but analysts said real success boils down to profit margins, not mere unit sales.
"One of the goals here for Nokia -- and all vendors who are targeting the fashion phone -- is margin enhancement," Jackson told TechNewsWorld. "These handset manufacturers are all looking to increase profitability per unit. You can err on the side of over-incorporating features."
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