A Quick Round Up of Nokia Connections 2010

Nokia Connections this year seemed a little low key with just one major handset announcement i.e. the X5. The fact that they also announced an 8GB model of the X6 didn’t seem all that exciting.

Also on show at the Singapore event this year was Nokia’s first 12 megapixel iPhone killer (we haven’t heard that term in awhile) the N8. This high end handset is loaded with the new Symbian ^3 OS and it would be quite something to put its 12MP camera to the test. In the looks department, it’s a winner as far as I’m concerned.
Here’s another quick look at the features -

• 3.5-inch AMOLED, scratch resistant capacitive touchscreen sporting 360 x 640 pixels, multi-touch
• 3G with HDSPA speed up to 10.2Mbps, EDGE/GPRS
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
• GPS with A-GPS support, free Ovi Maps preloaded
• 12MP camera, Xenon flash and LED for video, face/smile detection
• FM radio
• TV Out via 3.5mm handsfree
• Dolby Digital Plus via HDMI Out
• 16GB internal memory plus microSD card support

The N8 will be available in select markets during the third quarter of 2010, the estimated retail price of the Nokia N8 is EUR 370 which literally translates to just Rs. 21,676, before applicable taxes or subsidies. Of course I seriously doubt that a handset of this magnitude would be anything less than Rs. 35,000- 33,000.

Other handsets that were on display included Nokia’s low end devices designed for emerging markets. The C-Series of handsets are equipped with Dual SIM functionality which is a first for the company. Obviously they didn’t want to be the odd man out as Dual SIM devices are selling like hot cakes, at least that’s how it is in our neck of the woods. The C-series of handsets were announced in early June of this year and should be making their way to our shores quite soon.

The devices on display included the simple yet chic looking C1 with its 3.5mm handsfree socket, FM radio, flashlight feature and seemingly large comfortable looking keypad.

The second Dual SIM handset was the C2 which employed a more conventional candy bar form. This handset features a unique hot swappable SIM card slot. Users can have one SIM active at all times and choose to swap the second one at any time without having to shut off the device. In certain countries, most likely ours as well, the C2 will come with functions like Nokia’s Life Tools that provide updates and information on a variety of things like healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment. In addition it will also support GPRS and Ovi Mail aside from standard POP or IMAP accounts as well. The C2 also features an FM radio and music player. MicroSD cards up to 32GB will be supported. That’s quite impressive for a budget device.

These Dual SIM handset are expected to commence shipping sometime between the third and fourth quarters of this year. The C1 will be priced at approximately Rs. 1,707 (30 Euro) and the C2 will have a price tag of about Rs. 2000 (35 Euro). So if you’re tired of the Java based devices and want something with seriously big brand presence, we’ll soon have a few with the biggest name on the planet.

Nokia’s new Dual Phone car kit, the CK-200 also made an appearance at their event. The new system allows users how like having two phones for separate lives to hook up to a singular device for in car calls. It’s simple system that allows two handsets to be connected to one device via Bluetooth. The CK-200 also downloads all of your contacts from both handsets automatically and can display messages received from either on its 2.5-inch display. A wireless remote can be clipped onto your steering wheel for easy access and the Nokia specific My Own Key functionality will allow you to listen to a new SMS over your car’s speakers. The demo video (below) gives you a clearer picture on what it’s all about and is quite entertaining for its short run. Take a look.



The Nokia Car Kit CK-200 will be available in the summer and is expected to retail for approximately Rs. 7,970 (€140 before taxes, subsidies, and installation. There’s no word on whether or not it will hit the Indian market though.

That was it for Nokia Connections and now it’s on to CommunicAsia 2010. Stay tuned.