Nokia Gets Social With Three New Qwerty Handsets

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All three sport physical Qwerty keyboards, and the Nokia C3, at 90 Euro before taxes and subsidies (or about $120) will become Nokia's cheapest Qwerty phone available when it's launched.

The C3 is offers Nokia's Series 40 platform and Ovi applications like Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat. The device has a 2.4-inch screen and includes Opera Mini browser, Wi-Fi connection, a 3.5-mm audio jack, a 2-megapixel camera, easy access updates for Facebook, Twitter and other social networking platforms, and an optional 8 GB memory card.

Nokia's E5 phone, at 180 Euro (or about $240), is the next in its E-series following the E63, and is based on Symbian S60. Among the more advanced features in the E5 are a 5-megapixel camera, HSPA Internet access, A-GPS navigation, and an optional 32 GB microSD card on top of the 250 MB of internal memory and the 2 GB card that comes with the phone. The screen is 2.4 inches, like the C3, but the E5 also has a wider range of built-in applications, including a comprehensive list of e-mail and IM services from everyone from Google to IBM.

Finally, there's the C6, the higher-end model of the new releases that will cost 220 Euro, or just shy of $300. The C6 is based on the fifth edition of Symbian S60 (as opposed to the E5's third edition), sports a 3.2-inch screen, an FM radio, a 5-megapixel camera, A-GPS, 200 MB of internal memory, and a 2 GB micro SD card with an option to upgrade to a 16 GB microSD card. Software-wise, users can access the web using HSDPA or Wi-Fi.

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According to Nokia, both the C3 and C6 phones will ship during the second quarter, and the E5 will be available in the third quarter. Nokia executives commented Tuesday that the three new devices reflect a desire from consumers to have greater e-mail, messaging and social networking options in a range of clients and feature sets.

"Our messaging device range is very successful," said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Head of Markets, in a statement. "Services that provide easy access to the world's consumer and corporate email and instant messaging are really popular on our Qwerty smartphones such as the Nokia E71 and Nokia E63. People want the best messaging and social networking experience on an affordable device, whether it's sending a simple text or instant message, an email, or a direct message from their Twitter account. The Nokia C3, Nokia C6 and Nokia E5 are made for just that."'

Nokia's launch comes a day after Microsoft also released new, physical Qwerty keyboard phones targeting on-the-go consumers and their social networking habits. Microsoft on Monday debuted Kin One and Kin Two, both running on Windows Phone OS for Kin and sporting a range of sharing, collaboration and messaging tools.