Nokia in the new era of mobility

Nokia unveiled early this week new products, services and solutions at the Nokia Connection 2005 in Singapore. Bringing together business leaders, mobile operators, regulators, industry analysts and media from across the region, Nokia Connection served as a platform for each of Nokia’s business groups – mobile phones, multimedia, networks and enterprise solutions – to launch new initiatives that will affect the future of connectivity.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day event held at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Hotel in Singapore, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, executive vice president and general manager of Nokia Mobile Phones, said, "Nokia is looking at growth leadership in two areas – mobile phones and digital convergence."

"We believe the Asia-Pacific and China regions will play a pivotal role in this new era of mobility. Phenomenal growth brings with it immense opportunities and Nokia intends to maintain our leadership position in the new mobile age," added Kallasvuo.

Urpo Karjailanen, Nokia senior vice president for customer and market operations in the Asia-Pacific, said, "Nokia is a clear market leader across most markets in the region. I am confident we are well-positioned to ride on the growth that the growth markets present, drive the new markets that convergence has brought about in mobile multimedia and business mobility, as well as facilitate the industry’s growth and success of 3G (third-generation) in this part of the world."

During the event with the theme "Live Connected," Nokia introduced a new range of phones for both the GSM and CDMA markets in the Asia-Pacific to tap growth opportunities in mobile voice and convergence.

One of the highlights was a new 3G device, the Nokia 6280 slide phone, expanding Nokia’s 3G device portfolio to cover a broader consumer segment.

Equipped with both a two-megapixel camera and a VGA camera, the compact 6280 provides an ideal platform for 3G services such as real-time video sharing and two-way video calls. It even has video ringtones for incoming calls.

The tri-band Nokia 6280, which is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter, marks the company’s efforts to push 3G technology with a new generation of easy-to-use 3G devices.

The Finnish mobile phone giant also added three new handsets – the 6270, 6111 and 6060 – to its popular mid-range product portfolio.

The new models boast state-of-the-art form factors and a new Series 40 user interface, with the 6270 slide phone featuring a two-megapixel camera with flash and landscape mode. Its integrated mobile e-mail client can even support attachments.

In addition, the 6270’s built-in music player supports a variety of digital sound formats such as MP3, AAC, making music-on-the-go easily accessible. With 3D speakers supporting 3D surround effects, the Nokia 6270 provides a brilliant sound experience that can be shared with others.

A visual radio client rounds out the audio capabilities of the 6270. A world travel-friendly quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) handset, it is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter.

The 6111, meanwhile, combines a classic design with a soft slide mechanism. It comes with a one-megapixel camera and flash and a 6x digital zoom.

The screen of the 6111 (128 x 160 pixels) supports up to 262,144 colors and displays pictures in either portrait or landscape mode. Its push-to-talk (PTT) functionality enables it to operate like a walkie-talkie, while its Nokia Xpress audio messaging enables sharing of voice clips and greetings with family and friends. The tri-band 6111 will also ship this fourth quarter.

The third mid-range Nokia model is the 6060. Featuring a clamshell design, the 6060 sports a pulsating light that allows users to check on the status of the phone. The dual-band (GSM 900/1800 or GSM 850/1900) 6060 should be available earlier with an expected third quarter debut.

Entry-level models Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 with Nokia Prepaid Tracker as well the three high-perfor-mance multimedia 3G smartphones from Nokia’s N-series were also showcased in Nokia Connec-tion 2005.

On the CD-MA market end, Nokia unveiled three new mo-dels that span-ned the lower to the higher end of the product spectrum: the 2125, 2255 and 6265.

Nokia also announced two Visual Radio commercial launches in the coming months in Singapore and Thailand. Nokia, HP, Mediacorp Radio and Starhub in Singapore as well as TA Orange and RS Radio in Thailand, will bring radio entertainment to consumers in those markets.

Nokia also marked a milestone in the development of mobile TV, showcasing live simulcasts of regional news and entertainment programs from Singapore’s Mediacorp channels, such as Channel NewsAsia and TV Mobile, island-wide on the Nokia 7710.

Finally, Nokia showcased mobile e-mail as the next big thing after texting. With an estimated addressable e-mail user population in the Asia-Pacific numbering approximately 50 million and growing, Nokia aims to provide the best mobile e-mail experience by collaborating with leading e-mail vendors such as Yahoo and Research in Motion to give consumers the freedom to communicate at work, home or play.