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Nokia have announced that, thanks to new agreements with carriers and music studios, users of their Comes With Music unlimited downloads service will now be able to extend the service beyond the initial included period. However no specific pricing figures have been revealed as yet.
It looks like Nokia hasn’t forgotten the low-end phones, despite being a little preoccupied. Which is a good thing for all those families looking for a new, simple phone for cheap. While there’s nothing wrong with a simple flip-phone, this thing looks a bit dated, and also resembles a few of the late Motorola W-series models. But, we’re sure that doesn’t matter to the general consensus. After all, it’s a phone, it functions perfectly well enough. Who needs more?
We sat down at a roundtable this afternoon with Nokia’s Ari Jaaksi, VP of software at the company, and talked about the Nokia N900 and the Maemo 5 OS it runs. Describing the N900 as “your internet device on the go” and Maemo as “putting the internet first”, it’s obvious that Jaaksi – and Nokia – have the MID segment in their sights; however they’re also upfront about the issues they’re going to face not only with their first-gen hardware but the ongoing development of the platform.
While we had a chance to play with the Nokia Booklet 3G last night, what we didn’t see was the final retail packaging for the upcoming highly-connected netbook. That turned up today for an impromptu photo-shoot, so check out the full gallery – plus details of what will be in the box – after the cut.
It’s not all high-end touchscreen here at Nokia World; the company has also delivered an entry-level music phone, the Nokia X3. With an MRSP of €115 pre-subsidies, the X3 has a slide-out numeric keypad and dedicated hardware media controls flanking the screen.
Video hands-on after the cut
Nokia’s N900 isn’t the only touchscreen device to make its official debut at Nokia World; the company has also announced the capacitive touchscreen X6, a media-centric device. With a 3.2-inch display and S60 5th edition, as on the Nokia 5800, together with triband WCDMA (850/1900/2100).
Hands-on video after the cut
While the Booklet 3G is certainly a neat addition to the netbook segment, there’s something undeniably more appealing about the Nokia N900. We’ve seen all the specifications and now know the unsubsidized price, so it was about time for some hands-on experience with Nokia’s latest flagship.
Hands-on gallery, video and first-impressions after the cut
Nokia may have only just officially announced the full details of their Booklet 3G netbook, but SlashGear had the opportunity to go hands-on with the ultraportable at a pre-Nokia-World event. In the metal, the Booklet 3G certainly deserves its premium positioning: the metal chassis feels as slick as a MacBook Pro, while there are also hints of Apple’s notebook range in the glossy glass display.
Full hands-on gallery after the cut – Plus full hardware specifications
The Nokia N900 has certainly prompted some discussion, blending the company’s developments in the Nseries range and their Internet Tablet models, and at Nokia World this morning they confirmed details of the touchscreen device. Set to land in October 2009, it’ll be priced at €500 pre-subsidies.
Nokia may have unveiled the Booklet 3G over a week ago, but they’ve been keeping some pretty essential details from us too. Not least is when exactly we’ll be able to buy it, where, and for how much. As you might expect, they saved much of that information for the opening keynote here at Nokia World.
JP
