Nokia launched two devices today, the C2-01 and the X2-01, and they’re both aimed at the low end of the market. Look away now if you’re the kind of person who blows 600 EUR on a new smartphone every 6 months. The first device pictured above, the C2-01, is what the Finnish firm is calling their cheapest 3G handset. It’s got quadband GSM/EDGE and triband (850/1900/2100 MHz or 900/1900/2100 MHz) 3G all in a body that measures 109.8 mm x 46.9 mm x 15.3 mm and weighs 89 grams. It has a minuscule 2 inch screen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels that can only display 262,000 colors, 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.5 mm headphone jack, USB charging, FM radio, and Bluetooth 2.1, all for only 70 EUR. That’s a bloody steal.
Next is the X2-01, and it’s got a QWERTY keyboard for the SMS and Facebook addicts of the world. It has a 119.4 mm x 59.8 mm x 14.3 mm body, weighs 107.5 grams, and comes with a 1020 mAh battery that promises to deliver 20 days of standby time. The screen measures 2.4 inches across and has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, there’s a VGA resolution camera, FM radio, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and it only does GSM/EDGE but it also supports all 4 bands, ensuring that you’re connected regardless of where you are. There’s also Bluetooth 2.1, useful for transferring files, contacts, and pictures. It’s going to come out by the end of this year for only 80 EUR.
Both of these devices show why Nokia has such a large market share. Those features, for those prices, is simply unheard of and everyone else is trying to catch up. The Chinese will probably be the first to create a sub 100 EUR smartphone, but the quality is going to be horrible. Nokia can easily achieve that target during this decade, and not only will the device be cheap and loaded with features, but it’ll also be better built than anything else in the same price category.
