Nokia Corp. said today it would stop producing its mobile Internet tablet designed for a U.S.-based WiMAX network, raising questions on the phone maker’s view of that nascent market.
The N810 WiMAX Edition MID was Nokia’s only product for WiMAX, which is slowly rolling out in the United States. The device had sold briefly through Dell, among other sources, for about $450, but is no longer available, according to Dell’s Web retail site.
MIDs are gaining interest among device makers as market analysts have projected big growth for that type of device, which places Internet browsing above most other features.
Thus Nokia’s move may reflect a winnowing of its product line and a sense of wait-and-see on the WiMAX device market, or it could presage a re-approach to the market, possibly heralding a product refresh.
Nokia officials contacted at CES said the product was at the end of its lifecycle and there is no replacement product planned. However, the company said it still supports WiMAX technology.
CES device lineup
Meanwhile, device makers and carriers chatted up the latest device launches at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which got officially under way today.
The biggest news of the day is expected when Palm Inc. unveils its new operating system, dubbed Nova, at noon PST. But other vendors, either prosperous or under pressure, grabbed an early opportunity to tout their latest devices and carrier deals.
— Nokia said it would deliver models, N1006, N7510 and E63. The 7510, a flip model using the company’s S40 platform featuring advanced personalization, is headed to T-Mobile USA Inc. The 1006 will be available to CDMA carriers.
Nokia’s E63
The E63 — a QWERTY slab — follows in the footsteps of the E71 and Nokia appeared to position it both for enterprise users and for social networking. The E63 is priced at $280, which Nokia characterized as “an entry level pricepoint” – which may come as a surprise to U.S. consumers spoiled by carrier subsidies on leading smartphones last year.
— Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P., battling to retain eroding global market share and a toehold in the U.S. market, said it would bring out the next iterations in its CyberShot and WalkMan series handsets. The C510 – featuring a 3.2 megapixel camera and uploads to YouTube – is set for release this quarter; no pricing announced.
T-Mobile’s Shadow
— T-Mobile USA, in the midst of a 3G network buildout, touted new devices from Research In Motion Ltd., Motorola Inc., Nokia and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. “Coming soon” are the T-Mobile Shadow, BlackBerry Curve 8900, Moto w233 Renew, Nokia 7510 and Samsung t119. The handsets are due in February, pricing to come.
— T-Mobile also crowed that it is offering all Samsung handsets (except the $150 Behold) for free, with a two-year contract.
