Nokia Corp. responded to rival Motorola Inc.’s recently launched Rokr iTunes-capable device with a music-driven tri-band GSM handset. The Nokia 3250 twists to transform its keypad into music keys and stores up to 1 gigabyte of music, which equates to about 750 songs.
Motorola’s Rokr stores up to 100 songs.
The 3250 is the first phone using Nokia’s new XpressMusic brand for music-optimized gadgets. Each phone with the XpressMusic brand will share features including dedicated music keys, music pause/resume on incoming calls, support for 3.5 mm connectors and extended battery life.
Nokia’s 3250 features about 10 hours of music play and three hours of talk time and includes a 2-megapixel digital camera. The company said the handset supports a wide array of digital music formats including MP3, WMA, M4A and AAC. Songs can be downloaded and installed over the air, with favorite songs set as ringtones. The device also supports microSD memory cards and has an FM radio with Visual Radio client.
In addition, Nokia said its Audio Manager software lets users move their digital music files from their computers to their phones.
Nokia said the 3250 handset is based on its Series 60 platform and will cost about $420, with shipments in Europe beginning in early 2006.
The 3250 is not to be confused with Nokia’s N91 music phone, which also will sell in Europe in early 2006. The company had planned to release the N91 device in Europe during the critical fourth-quarter shopping season, but it delayed the release so that Microsoft Corp.’s digital rights management software could be included in the phone.
Several other handset makers, including UTStarcom Inc., Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Kyocera Wireless Corp., chose wireless trade shows from San Francisco to Singapore as venues to introduce their new handset models last week.
UTStarcom said its CDM-7000 is now shipping to carriers including Sprint Nextel Corp., and is the first UTStarcom-branded handset specifically manufactured for sale in North and South American markets. UTStarcom last year acquired the U.S.-based handset business of Audiovox Communications Corp.
“One of our goals has been to provide handsets that are manufactured by our parent company, in addition to those from other leading third-party original equipment manufacturers,” said Philip Christopher, president of UTStarcom Personal Communications.
The clamshell-style handset is a tri-mode CDMA 1xRTT phone with a 1.4-inch color screen. The slim CDM-7000 features 32 polyphonic ringers, LED incoming call indicator, blue LED keypad lighting, two-way speakerphone, voice-activated dialing and PC synchronization capability, along with messaging services.
Motorola
Sprint Nextel Corp. said it would sell the dual-mode i930 smart phone from Motorola. The device combines both iDEN and GPRS technology and is the first Nextel-branded phone to run Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile software. It will sell for $500.
“It’s an international device,” explained Eric Martin, senior manager of business device marketing for Sprint Nextel.
The carrier’s new clamshell-style i930 phone features an integrated camera and support for the Nextel push-to-talk service. The device also supports GSM and GPRS networks for international roaming. Specifically, the phone runs on GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz bands, as well as iDEN 800 and 900 MHz bands.
Martin said the phone features the Nextel Worldwide roaming service, which gives users access to voice and data in more than 100 countries.
The device is notable in that it combines iDEN technology with GSM networks. As Sprint works to digest Nextel, the combined carrier likely will release devices that can work on both its CDMA and iDEN networks.
In Asia, Motorola also showcased five new mass-market handsets in a push to “connect the unconnected” with stylish, feature-packed phones, including thin forms, cameras, TFT displays, FM radio and speakerphones. The handset maker announced the C118, C139, C168, C257 and C261 phones.
All of the new handsets feature Motorola’s illuminating Lantern technology.
Samsung
MetroPCS Communications Inc. will offer Samsung’s new SCH-n330 handset, which has VibeTonz Systems, a range of touch sensations for games, ringtones, and user interface features developed by Immersion Corp. MetroPCS is the second U.S. operator to offer VibeTonz. Verizon Wireless also sells the phone.
The n330’s design includes 15 VibeTonz-enhanced ringers that play touch sensations synchronized to the melody, beat, and dynamics of the music. The ringers can be used to personalize service or identify individual callers. The phone also is capable of playing downloadable content, including games with touch sensations similar to those in console games-the feel of acceleration, roughness of off-road terrain, and the shock and rumble of explosions.
Kyocera
Kyocera released two new phones and a handful of accessories, moves that mark the company’s entrance into the Bluetooth space.
First up is the company’s new Xcursion KX160, a CDMA clamshell-style phone that offers an integrated camera, Bluetooth and support for either BREW or Java. It will be available in November through as-yet-unnamed carriers. The company did not say how much the device would cost.
Kyocera also unveiled its new KX12 push-to-talk phone with rubberized grips. The candybar-style CDMA phone supports PTT technology from Kodiak Networks, Togabi Technologies Inc. and others. It is set to be available in January. Again, Kyocera did not say what carriers would sell the device or how much it would cost. The KX12 is Kyocera’s third PTT CDMA phone.
Finally, Kyocera also announced a Bluetooth version of its KX5 Slider Remix, as well as a new Bluetooth headset.
