New Nokia Handsets Push Multimedia Technology

In a bid to stay ahead of the competitive pack, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has unveiled five new mobile phones. The new models are scheduled to hit the market later this year.

The Nokia 6151, 6080, 1110i, 6275 and 2875 are the newest phones in Nokia's lineup. The phones leverage 3G networks and Bluetooth technologies to push wireless trends like digital downloads and streaming media into the mainstream.

"With more than 100 operators offering 3G services in the world today, consumers around the globe are now realizing the many benefits that 3G offers, ranging from faster browsing, streaming and e-mail to music downloads and multiplayer games," said Kai Oistamo, executive vice president and general manager, mobile phones, Nokia.

Making 3G More Accessible

The Nokia 6151 and 6080 are Nokia's newest GSM handsets. The 6151 introduces the benefits of 3G, like streaming multimedia audio and video content or digital music downloads. This model includes a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity and music player. The phone will sell for 240 euros, or approximately US$300.

"Its sleek design and affordable pricing makes the Nokia 6151 a very attractive 3G handset. Models like the Nokia 6151 are certain to make 3G services even more accessible to a broader range of consumers," Oistamo said.

With its 180 euro ($226) price tag, the Nokia 6080 is primarily targeted at Asian consumers. Like the 6151, it features a camera. It also offers video recorder capabilities with a stereo FM radio and MP3 ring tones. The package comes with a stereo headset.

Targeting First-Time Users

The Nokia 1101i is the latest addition to a line of phones aimed at first-time users. It will sell for 45 euros ($56) and focuses on ease of use with a black and white user interface that incorporates graphical icons and large font sizes.

The Nokia 1110i also has a number of cost management features, including support for the Nokia Prepaid Tracker to help people monitor their phone usage, as well as other technological features which reduce the total cost of mobile ownership for consumers.

Mid-Range, High-Quality

Nokia also unveiled two new CDMA handsets, both of which bring megapixel-plus cameras and Bluetooth wireless technology to the mid-range segment. The Nokia 6275/6275i phone integrates a high-resolution 2-megapixel camera, while the Nokia 2875/2875i phone includes a high-quality 1.3 megapixel camera.

"More and more customers are recognizing and embracing the benefits of the newest mobile technologies, imaging and Bluetooth wireless technology being two of the most popular of these new features. These new mid-range phones are designed to both satisfy this demand, and to introduce consumers to other new features that will enhance their mobile experience," said Timo Ihamuotila, senior vice president of Nokia's CDMA business unit.

Leveraging CDMA

Once handset manufacturers start lowering phone prices enough, carriers could begin filling out their wideband CDMA network simply for capacity reasons, according to Current Analysis Principal Analyst for Mobile Devices Avi Greengart.

"When companies [have] bid and spent billions of dollars on licenses to roll out 3G and spent billions of dollars more on infrastructure updates, the vision was always that the investment would be offset by more consumer spending on data. So far that has been a fantasy. No one has actually seen significant data revenue increases," Greengart told TechNewsWorld.

That said, he added, one of the most interesting aspects of wideband CDMA is that it's more efficient. That is important as more people use cell phones and the cell sites get crowded. With wideband CDMA, carriers can get more calls across the same cell site.