Nokia World 09 Day #1: The devices

N97 mini

Today was the first day of Nokia World ‘09 and Nokia did not disappoint. The event saw Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, President and CEO, Nokia give a keynote address, which threw some very interesting numbers, he also spoke about what Nokia is doing apart from just making phones – Nokia Life Tools, Nokia Money, Nokia Messaging Service, PEIR, etc. were named and talked about. This according to me will form the base for their operations in the future. Later Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Markets, Nokia spoke and for the first time we saw Nokia accepting that there were area where they were weak. That according to me is a big thing. He then went on to introduce three new devices – N97 mini, X6 and X3 and a few new services. Also promised was a newer software version which would address all the issues of current N97 owners, which in my opinion was extremely necessary.

You can see the video of that here. Let me not waste your time and get down to what is the juicy bit – handsets.

N97 mini is a 138gm miniature version of the N97 and features a 3.2″ screen v/s the 3.5″ on the N97. With 8GB memory and Micro SD card support and a 1200mAh battery, this is pretty much as small as the N97 gets. ALmost everything else is the same as on the larger N97.

Nokia X6

X6, the first of the new Xseries phones to see the light of day, is by no means ‘another’ touchscreen phone. Rocking the 5th edition of S60, it is a first in many ways for Nokia. Equipped with a 3.2″ capacitive (yes that’s right, the iPhone type screen) touchscreen and 32GB memory, it is the answer to the iPhone. A 5MP camera, WiFi and A-GPS ensures that this baby is good enough for almost anything. This phone is expected to cost 450 Euros. Don’t worry along with this phone you a get lifetime subscription to Nokia Music Store. This means you can download unlimited songs from the store for free for the rest of your life. I strongly feel this device has immense potential to rewrite a lot of  rules.This phone will come with only “Comes With Music” category and you will not be able to buy it without that branding.

Next we have the X3, the younger sibling of the X6. The X3 is a S40 based device. The S40 by the way is the most widely used OS for phones in the world. This slider phone will have a 3.2 MP camera and will also be a “Comes With Music” exclusive. It’s price is however its biggest strong point – 115 Euros. This means for 115 Euros you will be able to download unlimited content from Nokia Music Store for free for your lifetime (with this phone). At this price it is indeed a really good deal. (picture below)

Nokia X3

Also announced was Nokia’s first Windows based device and also first PC. The Nokia Booklet. Here are the spces of this baby.

All day computing

• Up to 12 hours of usage time
• Last for a heavy work day
• Windows 7 and Intel Atom processor
• Charge it and go – no need to worry about taking your charger with you

Sleek, robust design

• A stylish, premium design with a chassis made from a single piece of machined aluminum
• 19.9 mm thin
• Three different colors at launch: black, ice (white) and azure (blue)

Seamless connectivity

• Inbuilt WLAN and WWAN enable connectivity to the Internet anywhere a WiFi or cellular network connection is found
• 3G/ HSPA with hot swappable simcard

Sync easily with your Nokia handset

• Integrated Ovi Suite enables easy sync of calendar contacts, media with your device and the cloud

Integrated Nokia services

• Ovi Suite 2.0
• Nokia Music for PC
• Ovi Maps
• Social Hub – keeps track of your social software feeds in one spot and serves as a SMS sender
• Nokia software updater

Nokia Booklet 3G

And how can I forget the Maemo device – N900. This device was also officially launched today. This is expected to be the mother of all devices once it is out commercially. The iPhones and all other touchscreen devices will have to seriously consider their product portfolio and come out with something that can compete with it.

The Maemo based Nokia N900