While Apple’s iPhone, Nokia’s N97 and HTC’s various Windows Mobile and Android powered devices win the hearts and minds of the technofiend journalists covering the mobile space, there are a class of devices, ultra low end devices, that are responsible for bringing progress to nations and an optimism toward the future that today’s smartphones simply can’t due to their high cost. Today you take it for granted that you have a mobile phone, but can you remember how exhilarating it felt to own your first mobile phone? The ability for anyone to call you, at anytime, is a transformative experience and today Nokia is helping more people achieve that sense of independence from time and space with the launch of 5 devices.
Almost a year ago today Nokia announced the 1202, and at the time it was the cheapest phone the company made, coming in at 25 EUR. Thanks to advances in technology, and price advantages brought on by having massive scale, Nokia has now launched the 1280 and it is available for only 20 EUR ($29.50); huge savings when you consider that many people spend months worth of their wages just to purchase a mobile phone. This device weighs in at 81.92 grams, is 107.2 mm tall, 45.1 mm wide, and 15.3 mm thick. It has a 800 mAh battery that gives it up to 22 days of standby time and 8.5 hours of talk time. The display is black and white, which is to be expected at these price levels, is dual band (900/1800 MHz), has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, flash light, FM radio, and even has user exchangeable covers. Expect to see this in Q1 2010.
Next we have the 1616 coming in at 24 EUR ($35.40), which is still cheaper than the 1202 that was introduced a year ago. You get a 65,000 color 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, 3.5 mm headphone jack, FM radio, and a flash light, all in a package that weighs 78.55 grams and is 107.1 mm tall, 45 mm wide, and 15 mm thick. It is a dual band device, but will come in two variants: 900/1800 MHz and 850/1900 MHz. It has the same 800 mAh battery the 1280 has, and will start shipping in Q1 2010.
The 1800 is essentially the 1616, but with a different look. It will cost 26 EUR ($38.35) when it ships in Q2 2010. It has the same 800 mAh battery, 65,000 color 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, 3.5 mm headphone jack, FM radio, and flash light. It is a dual band device, supporting 900/1800 MHz networks, and it weighs 78.5 grams while coming in at 107 mm tall, 45 mm wide, and 15.3 mm thick. It has a standby time of up to 22 days, or you can drain the battery with 8.5 hours of talking.
The 2200 Slide, which was leaked almost a month ago, is coming out this quarter and with it brings GPRS/EDGE (internet) support and a VGA camera at only 45 EUR ($65.40). The battery holds 720 mAh, and that should last up to 20 days in standby mode or 5.37 hours of talk time. The slider has a 65,000 color 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, is dual band and will come in both 900/1800 MHz and 850/1900 MHz models, and weighs only 93.5 grams. It’s 97.14 mm tall, 47 mm wide, and 15.85 mm thick.
Last we have the 2690, the most “expensive” device announced today, coming in at 54 EUR ($79.70). This Q1 2010 device has support for a microSD memory card, it has a VGA camera, supports GPRS/EDGE, has a VGA camera, and most impressive: it is quadband, meaning you can take this thing anywhere around the world (with a GSM network) and it will work. The internet will look small on that 1.8 inch, 262,000 color, 128 x 160 pixel display, but it’s better than nothing. It has the same 720 mAh battery as the 2200 Slide, and it will last you up to 13 days in standby mode, or 4.5 hours of talk time. The whole package weighs 80.72 grams and is 107.5 mm tall, 45.5 mm wide, and a svelte 13.8 mm thick. Nokia Conversations is saying this device has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a fact that wasn’t mentioned in the phone’s data sheet, but I’ll trust what they’ve got to say.