Nokia Accessories

The much-hyped about Nokia N900 featuring Maemo mobile OS Linux-derived will be available for pre-order from Nokia Online Store.  We posted some details about this phone last week and its awesome. Unfortunately, sans a carrier, you are looking to pay about $650 for the device and will start shipping next month. Heres the phones specs: Display: 3.5 inch touch-sensitive widescreen display 800 × 480 pixel resolution Language supportBritish English, American English, Canadian French, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Russian Connectivity: 3.5mm AV connector TV out PAL/NTSC with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable Micro-USB connector, High-Speed USB 2.0 Bluetooth v2.1 including support for stereo headsets Integrated FM transmitter Integrated GPS with A-GPS BatteryBL-5J 1320mAh Processor and 3D accelerator: TI OMAP 3430: ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX with OpenGL ES 2.0 support Memory: Up to 1GB of application memory 256 MB RAM, 768 MB virtual memory Size and weight: Volume: Approx 113cc Dimensions: 110.9 × 59.8 × 18 19.55 at thickest part mm Weight: Approx 181g Mass memory32 GB internal storage Store up to 7000 MP3 songs or 40 hours of high-quality video Up to 16 GB of additional storage with an external microSD card Keys and input methodFull QWERTY tactile keyboard Full QWERTY onscreen keyboard Colour: Black Operating frequency: Quad-band GSM EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 WCDMA 900/1700/2100 MHz Data networkGPRS class A, multislot class 32, maximum speed 107/64.2 kbps DL/UL EDGE class A, multislot class 32, maximum speed 296/177.6 kbps DL/UL WCDMA 900/1700/2100. Maximum speed PS 384/384 kbps DL/UL HSPA 900/1700/2100. Maximum speed PS 10/2 Mbps DL/UL WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g Call features: Integrated hands-free stereo speakers Call waiting, call hold, call divert Call timer Logging of dialed, received and missed calls Speed dialing via contact widget Virbrating alert internal Side volume keys Mute/unmute Contacts with images Conference calling with up to 3 participants Internet calling Email & Messaging: Supported protocols: Mail for Exchange, IMAP, POP3, SMTP Support for email attachments Support for rich HTML SMS and Instant Messages as conversations Support for Nokia Messaging service Instant messaging and presence enhanced contacts Multiple number, email and Instant Messaging details per contact, contacts with images Support for assigning images to contacts Web browsing: Maemo browser powered by Mozilla technology Adobe Flash™ 9.4 support Full screen browsing GPS and navigation: Integrated GPS, Assisted-GPS, and Cell-based receivers Pre-loaded Ovi Maps application Automatic geotagging Camera: 5 megapixel camera 2584 × 1938 pixels Image formats: JPEG CMOS sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, Tessar lens 3 × digital zoom Autofocus with assist light and two-stage capture key Dual LED flash Full-screen viewfinder Photo editor on device TV out PAL/NTSC with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable CA-75U, included in box or WLAN/UPnP Landscape horizontal orientation Capture modes: Automatic, portrait, video, macro, landscape, action Video: Wide aspect ratio 16:9 WVGA Video recording file format: .mp4; codec: MPEG-4 Video recording at up to 848 × 480 pixels WVGA and up to 25fps Video playback file formats: .mp4, .avi, .wmv, .3gp; codecs: H.264, MPEG-4, Xvid, WMV, H.263 Music and audio playback: Maemo media player Music playback file formats: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a Built-in FM transmitter Ring tones: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a FR, EFR, WCDMA, and GSM AMR Digital stereo microphone DLNA Personalisation: Background pictures Widgets on your desktops Intelligent contact shortcuts Shortcuts to your favourite websites Shortcuts to applications Themes Operating system: Maemo 5 software on Linux Applications: Maemo Browser Phone Conversations Contacts Camera Photos Media player Email Calendar Ovi Maps Clock Notes Calculator PDF reader File manager RSS reader Sketch Games Widgets Application manager for downloads Gaming: Bounce Chess Mahjong What´s in the box: Nokia N900 Nokia Battery BL-5J Nokia High Efficiency Charger AC-10 Nokia Stereo Headset WH-205 Video out cable CA-75U Nokia charger adaptor CA-146C Display: 3.5 inch touch-sensitive widescreen display 800 × 480 pixel resolution Language supportBritish English, American English, Canadian French, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Russian Connectivity: 3.5mm AV connector TV out PAL/NTSC with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable Micro-USB connector, High-Speed USB 2.0 Bluetooth v2.1 including support for stereo headsets Integrated FM transmitter Integrated GPS with A-GPS BatteryBL-5J 1320mAh Processor and 3D accelerator: TI OMAP 3430: ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX with OpenGL ES 2.0 support Memory: Up to 1GB of application memory 256 MB RAM, 768 MB virtual memory Size and weight: Volume: Approx 113cc Dimensions: 110.9 × 59.8 × 18 19.55 at thickest part mm Weight: Approx 181g Mass memory32 GB internal storage Store up to 7000 MP3 songs or 40 hours of high-quality video Up to 16 GB of additional storage with an external microSD card Keys and input methodFull QWERTY tactile keyboard Full QWERTY onscreen keyboard Color: Black Operating frequency: Quad-band GSM EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 WCDMA 900/1700/2100 MHz Data networkGPRS class A, multislot class 32, maximum speed 107/64.2 kbps DL/UL EDGE class A, multislot class 32, maximum speed 296/177.6 kbps DL/UL WCDMA 900/1700/2100. Maximum speed PS 384/384 kbps DL/UL HSPA 900/1700/2100. Maximum speed PS 10/2 Mbps DL/UL WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g Call features: Integrated hands-free stereo speakers Call waiting, call hold, call divert Call timer Logging of dialed, received and missed calls Speed dialing via contact widget Virbrating alert internal Side volume keys Mute/unmute Contacts with images Conference calling with up to 3 participants Internet calling Email & Messaging: Supported protocols: Mail for Exchange, IMAP, POP3, SMTP Support for email attachments Support for rich HTML SMS and Instant Messages as conversations Support for Nokia Messaging service Instant messaging and presence enhanced contacts Multiple number, email and Instant Messaging details per contact, contacts with images Support for assigning images to contacts Web browsing: Maemo browser powered by Mozilla technology Adobe Flash™ 9.4 support Full screen browsing GPS and navigation: Integrated GPS, Assisted-GPS, and Cell-based receivers Pre-loaded Ovi Maps application Automatic geotagging Camera: 5 megapixel camera 2584 × 1938 pixels Image formats: JPEG CMOS sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, Tessar lens 3 × digital zoom Autofocus with assist light and two-stage capture key Dual LED flash Full-screen viewfinder Photo editor on device TV out PAL/NTSC with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable CA-75U, included in box or WLAN/UPnP Landscape horizontal orientation Capture modes: Automatic, portrait, video, macro, landscape, action Video: Wide aspect ratio 16:9 WVGA Video recording file format: .mp4; codec: MPEG-4 Video recording at up to 848 × 480 pixels WVGA and up to 25fps Video playback file formats: .mp4, .avi, .wmv, .3gp; codecs: H.264, MPEG-4, Xvid, WMV, H.263 Music and audio playback: Maemo media player Music playback file formats: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a Built-in FM transmitter Ring tones: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a FR, EFR, WCDMA, and GSM AMR Digital stereo microphone DLNA Personalization: Background pictures Widgets on your desktops Intelligent contact shortcuts Shortcuts to your favourite websites Shortcuts to applications Themes Operating system: Maemo 5 software on Linux Applications: Maemo Browser Phone Conversations Contacts Camera Photos Media player Email Calendar Ovi Maps Clock Notes Calculator PDF reader File manager RSS reader Sketch Games Widgets Application manager for downloads Gaming: Bounce Chess Mahjong What´s in the box: Nokia N900 Nokia Battery BL-5J Nokia High Efficiency Charger AC-10 Nokia Stereo Headset WH-205 Video out cable CA-75U Nokia charger adaptor CA-146C Cleaning cloth

Nokia comes out with a new phone operating on Maemo software and not Symbian. The new device, Nokia N900 is more like a computer on your palm than just another mobile phone. If you are a techie wanting to spend time browsing the Internet while traveling, on your mobile then this is the phone for you. You can now have many application windows running at the same time. The device also has a QWERTY keyboard and touch screen interface. Maemo brings together the power of the computer, the internet and the mobile phone on the N900. Nokia N900 is powered by an ARM Cortex-A8 processor and has 1 GB application memory and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration. All this lets you multitask and you can switch between applications like slicing butter. You can also personalize your home screen with widgets and applications. The high speed Internet connectivity and high resolution WVGA touch screen enhances your Web browsing experience like never before. Adobe Flash further makes online videos and interactive applications more vivid. Come October and you will see the Nokia N900 in select markets. Till then we have to wait and watch for more details.

PRESS RELEASE Nokia Money, a new mobile financial service enables financial management and payments from a mobile phone Espoo, Finland - Nokia today introduced Nokia Money, a new mobile financial service offering consumers with mobile device access to basic financial services. For many consumers, this will be the first time they have had any access to such financial services. Nokia Money has been designed to be as simple and convenient as making a voice call or sending an SMS. It will enable consumers to send money to another person just by using the persons mobile phone number, as well as to pay merchants for goods and services, pay their utility bills, or recharge their prepaid SIM cards SIM top-up. The services can be accessed 24 hours a day from anywhere, meaning savings in travel costs and time. Nokia is building a wide network of Nokia Money agents, where consumers can deposit money in or withdraw cash from their accounts. 4 billion mobile phones but only 1.6 billion bank accounts "We believe mobile financial services offer a market opportunity with long term growth potential. In many countries, mobile phone ownership significantly exceeds bank account usage, suggesting that many mobile phone users have very limited or no access to basic financial services. With more than 4 billion mobile phone users and only 1.6 billion bank accounts, global demand for access to financial services presents a strong opportunity to combine mobile devices with simple but powerful financial services such as Nokia Money", said Mary McDowell, EVP and Chief Development Officer, Nokia. Mobile payments will be the next step for delivering financial services to hundreds of millions of people, both urban and rural, who are underserved by existing payment means, especially in emerging economies. "Rural consumers will particularly benefit from money transfers and, for urban consumers used to online services, we are enabling services such as payment of utility bills, purchase of train and movie tickets, top-ups, all through their mobile phones. Nokia Money is simple to use, secure and available across different operator networks and on virtually any mobile phone. This means millions of new consumers will soon be able to manage all their financial needs from their mobile phone", said Teppo Paavola, VP and Head of Corporate Business Development, Nokia. Building a new ecosystem for mobile payments The Nokia Money service will be operated in cooperation with Obopay, a leader in developing global mobile payment solutions, which Nokia invested in earlier this year. The service is based on Obopays mobile payment platform, with unique and newly developed mobile elements. Nokia intends the service to be open and interoperable with other payment services as well. "Obopay shares Nokias vision for bringing mobile financial services to millions of people worldwide. Were excited that Nokia has chosen Obopays platform. Nokias leading market position, strong brand recognition and global distribution channel, using the Obopay platform with uniquely developed mobile elements, means the Nokia Money service is well positioned to bring the next generation of mobile payment services to the world," said Carol Realini, Founder and CEO of Obopay. Nokia Money is the result of a powerful collaboration Nokia is forging between different partners in different markets around the world. It is designed to work in partnership with mobile network operators and financial institutions, involving distributors and merchants in a dynamic ecosystem to seamlessly provide the new services. "As a result of the innovative partnerships and comprehensive ecosystem we are forging with the banking and financial industry, as well as leading network operators, we believe Nokia Money will bring financial inclusion to many who currently have limited or no access to financial services. Uniting the strengths of the mobile and financial services industries will change the way people around the world can manage their money in the future", added McDowell. "Mobile financial services present a high growth sector for Nokia. Nokias asset strengths, including consumer brand awareness, distribution capabilities and global relationships should serve as logical and necessary extensions to drive innovation in the mobile payments and banking sector. To be successful Nokia must provide a legitimate bridge between operators, banks networks and security infrastructure in order to unlock the broad uptake of mobile financial services," said Bob Egan, Global Head of Research and Chief Analyst, Towergroup. The Nokia Money service will be shown for the first time at Nokia World on the 2nd and 3rd of September 2009 in Stuttgart, Germany, and it is planned to be rolled out gradually to selected markets, beginning in early 2010. About Nokia Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the worlds leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks. Media Enquiries: Nokia Communications Tel. +358 7180 34900 Email: press.services@nokia.com

PRESS RELEASE August 26, 2009 Nokia Money, a new mobile financial service enables financial management and payments from a mobile phone Espoo, Finland - Nokia today introduced Nokia Money, a new mobile financial service offering consumers with mobile device access to basic financial services. For many consumers, this will be the first time they have had any access to such financial services. Nokia Money has been designed to be as simple and convenient as making a voice call or sending an SMS. It will enable consumers to send money to another person just by using the persons mobile phone number, as well as to pay merchants for goods and services, pay their utility bills, or recharge their prepaid SIM cards SIM top-up. The services can be accessed 24 hours a day from anywhere, meaning savings in travel costs and time. Nokia is building a wide network of Nokia Money agents, where consumers can deposit money in or withdraw cash from their accounts. 4 billion mobile phones but only 1.6 billion bank accounts "We believe mobile financial services offer a market opportunity with long term growth potential. In many countries, mobile phone ownership significantly exceeds bank account usage, suggesting that many mobile phone users have very limited or no access to basic financial services. With more than 4 billion mobile phone users and only 1.6 billion bank accounts, global demand for access to financial services presents a strong opportunity to combine mobile devices with simple but powerful financial services such as Nokia Money", said Mary McDowell, EVP and Chief Development Officer, Nokia. Mobile payments will be the next step for delivering financial services to hundreds of millions of people, both urban and rural, who are underserved by existing payment means, especially in emerging economies. "Rural consumers will particularly benefit from money transfers and, for urban consumers used to online services, we are enabling services such as payment of utility bills, purchase of train and movie tickets, top-ups, all through their mobile phones. Nokia Money is simple to use, secure and available across different operator networks and on virtually any mobile phone. This means millions of new consumers will soon be able to manage all their financial needs from their mobile phone", said Teppo Paavola, VP and Head of Corporate Business Development, Nokia. Building a new ecosystem for mobile payments The Nokia Money service will be operated in cooperation with Obopay, a leader in developing global mobile payment solutions, which Nokia invested in earlier this year. The service is based on Obopays mobile payment platform, with unique and newly developed mobile elements. Nokia intends the service to be open and interoperable with other payment services as well. "Obopay shares Nokias vision for bringing mobile financial services to millions of people worldwide. Were excited that Nokia has chosen Obopays platform. Nokias leading market position, strong brand recognition and global distribution channel, using the Obopay platform with uniquely developed mobile elements, means the Nokia Money service is well positioned to bring the next generation of mobile payment services to the world," said Carol Realini, Founder and CEO of Obopay. Nokia Money is the result of a powerful collaboration Nokia is forging between different partners in different markets around the world. It is designed to work in partnership with mobile network operators and financial institutions, involving distributors and merchants in a dynamic ecosystem to seamlessly provide the new services. "As a result of the innovative partnerships and comprehensive ecosystem we are forging with the banking and financial industry, as well as leading network operators, we believe Nokia Money will bring financial inclusion to many who currently have limited or no access to financial services. Uniting the strengths of the mobile and financial services industries will change the way people around the world can manage their money in the future", added McDowell. "Mobile financial services present a high growth sector for Nokia. Nokias asset strengths, including consumer brand awareness, distribution capabilities and global relationships should serve as logical and necessary extensions to drive innovation in the mobile payments and banking sector. To be successful Nokia must provide a legitimate bridge between operators, banks networks and security infrastructure in order to unlock the broad uptake of mobile financial services," said Bob Egan, Global Head of Research and Chief Analyst, Towergroup. The Nokia Money service will be shown for the first time at Nokia World on the 2nd and 3rd of September 2009 in Stuttgart, Germany, and it is planned to be rolled out gradually to selected markets, beginning in early 2010. About Nokia Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the worlds leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks. Media Enquiries: Nokia Communications Tel. +358 7180 34900 Email: press.services@nokia.com

Nokia introduces the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic, a compact XpressMusic device that uses a touch interface for accessing people and content on a brilliantly clear homescreen.  The scrolling Contacts Bar provides direct access to 20 people and their latest conversations and media updates. The homescreen also features one touch shortcuts to content and popular social networks, like Facebook and MySpace. The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic follows in the footsteps of the top-rated Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, expanding the touch XpressMusic phone range with a youthful device that has a solid stainless steel frame finish and comes in five vivid colors. At the core of the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is the music and entertainment experience. It is an ideal device for those who wish to quickly and easily access, share and mix a huge selection of media. In true XpressMusic form, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is a great music player with 27 hours of playback time, excellent audio quality and a 4 GB memory card for storing music and other media. Videos, either self made or from social media sites such as Youtube and Facebook can be enjoyed on the brilliantly clear 2.9 inch widescreen display. New music can be purchased through the Nokia Music Store, either directly on the phone or through a PC.  The music collection is easily managed and can be synchronized with the PC using the Nokia Music for PC application. Calls and music can be conveniently managed and listened to with the Nokia Stereo Headset WH-205 with tangle-free cable. The innovative people carousel features thumbnail images of up to 20 close friends and provides easy access to them and their communications history including emails, phone calls, photos or other social media updates.  The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic also features the pop-up Media Bar so music, photos, videos, Internet and on-line sharing applications such as Flickr is just a touch away.  Although it has gained FCC approval, there is no 3G branding to be seen, GSM/EDGE and Wi-Fi are present and accounted for.

DALLAS and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Now you can carry your clique with you in your pocket. AT&T* and Nokia today announced the availability of the Nokia Surge, a socially supercharged smartphone powered by the nations fastest 3G network. Available online and in AT&T stores on July 19, the Nokia Surge is an ideal device for active consumers who like to stay connected whether using IM, text or email, sending multimedia messages, AT&T Video Share, or updating and connecting via their favorite social networks. With a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard in a slim, stylish design and Symbian S60 multi-tasking capabilities, Nokia Surge is the ideal smartphone for todays customer who is always in touch with their social circle. A recent survey commissioned by Nokia revealed that people are so hooked on staying in touch that they would rather give up coffee and sweets than live without their mobile for two weeks.** In addition to an impressive suite of messaging capabilities, the Nokia Surge offers a powerful browsing experience, including Flash support to view most sites in full HTML or watch YouTube videos. Nokia Surge allows users to post messages, images, videos, and comments to web sites like Facebook on-the-go with the pre-installed JuiceCaster application. "Launching at $79.99 with a complete email solution, downloadable applications and full HTML browser with Flash support, Nokia Surge hits the sweet spot between a quick messaging phone and a smartphone because of its low-price and strong feature set," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "Designed in the U.S., this socially charged smartphone comes in a sleek slide form factor that supports social networking and messaging - and all on an open platform," said David Petts, vice president and general manager, AT&T Account, Nokia. "Together with AT&T, were excited to address the increasing demand for smartphones with a device thats as attractive to the customer as it is to his or her wallet." The Nokia Surge offers multimedia and entertainment features, including: 2.0 megapixel camera - Customers can capture quality photos with color camera and 4X digital zoom AT&T Navigator - AT&T Navigator provides audible turn-by-turn directions, monitors traffic and alerts users when there is a slowdown or incident AT&T Mobile Music - Customers can listen and download their favorite music from Napster Mobile, eMusic Mobile, XM Radio and more over the air AT&T Video Share - The first-ever service in the U.S. that allows users to share live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call JuiceCaster - Customers can share videos and pictures from their wireless device to the Webs most popular sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr The Nokia Surge will be available through select AT&T retail locations or at www.wireless.att.com for $79.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a mail-in rebate. Pay $129.99 and after mail-in rebate receive $50 AT&T Promotion Card. Two-year agreement for wireless voice plan of $39.99 a month or higher and data plan of $30 a month or more required for rebate. For more information, please go to www.att.com. For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com. For more information and detailed disclaimer information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom. *AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. ** The online survey examining the way people use mobile device was commissioned by Nokia and conducted by Braun Research during April 2009. The online survey provides a representative example of 500 Americans, aged 18 years or older. The margin of error for the findings at the 95 percent confidence level is +/- 4.38 percentage points. About AT&T AT&T Inc. NYSE: T - News is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the worlds most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nations fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nations leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazines lists of the Worlds Most Admired Companies and Americas Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. About Nokia Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the worlds leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks. © 2009 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

This is sure to surprise many. Recently Adobe released a beta version of its Flash player for smartphones. Although the company included Google’s Android, Nokia’s Symbian OS, Windows Mobile and the Palm’s webOS it omitted two major contenders. You guessed right. The two are Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry. It is a known fact that Adobe Flash Player is very important in computers. Now the company has extended the software onto mobile operating systems since smartphones have exploded into mainstream. Adobe sources said that the company was working with Apple but it required more application program interfaces APIs and better cooperation to offer the Adobe Flash capabilities to the iPhone. No mention of BlackBerry here. Also there was information that the beta version will be released to developers at Adobe’s MAX conference in October. The company has ported the current Flash Player 10 to smartphones and has provided partner firms with early versions of the release baring BlackBerry and iPhone.

It is perhaps the time of the year when all cellphone makers are upgrading to the next level in touchscreen smartphone battle. Just as Apple lifts the curtain off its upgraded, next-generation iconic device, Nokia has a ready touchcreen rival to take it on. Not far is the Korean giant Samsung, which already boasts of many new high-end smartphones in its kitty. And the latest to join them is US-based Palm which recently showed its strong iPhone contender. Not to be left behind is HTC which has launched its upgraded Touch Diamond 2. All the companies are aiming to grab the growing touchscreen mobile marketshare, the segment created by Apple iPhone, which boasts of high-end multimedia features. Heres a compare meter that evaluates iPhone 3G S, Samsung Pixon, Nokia N97, Palm Pre, HTC Touch Diamond 2 and LG Arena on various yardsticks. Plam Pre: Measuring 59.5mm x 100.5mm x 16.95mm, the Palms latest entrant, Pre, weighs 135 grams. The phone boasts of 3.1-inch touchscreen with a 24-bit color 320x480 resolution HVGA display. The phone comes with a multi-touch screen as well as physical QWERTY keyboard that slides out. iPhone 3G S: iPhone 3G S offers nothing new in terms of looks. The phone looks exactly same like its predecessors with same dimensions and screen display. Both 16GB and 32GB models will be available in Black and white colour options. Pixon12: Measuring 108x53x13.8mm, Samsung Pixon12 features a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display. The screen boasts of a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. N97: The sleek handset pairs a 3.5 inch touchscreen with a QWERTY keyboard. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard is a full 3-row. The smartphone transforms from a touch slate to a landscape QWERTY device. The touchscreen has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels. HTC Touch Diamond2: The 13.7mm thick Touch Diamond2 has a 3.2-inch high-resolution wide-screen VGA display and packs a new touch sensitive zoom bar for faster zooming. LG Arena: The phone has a 3-inch WVGA screen with around 16M colours with 400 by 240 pixel resolution. Plam Pre: One of Pres most promising features is its integration with social networking services such as Facebook. The phone is also strong on multi-tasking, the ability to have different applications open at the same time. Pre allows users to zoom in and flip through applications without closing them. It lets text messages and calendar appointments appear as notifications at the bottom of the screen. iPhone 3G S: The new iPhone promises MMS capability allowing users to send each other photographs from the phone. Earlier, users could send text messages or snapshots via email only. The new version also has cut-copy-paste feature. The voice control feature in the iPhone 3G S allows users to dial by saying the name or number. Search features have also been enhanced in iPhone 3.0 with the addition of Spotlight. Pixon12: The phone packs features like GPS, Bluetooth and an FM radio with RDS. Pixon12 offers a fast image saving feature that allows users to capture next shot in less than 2-3 seconds. N97: The phone has a 3.5mm headset jack, microUSB port used for syncing and charging, Haptic feedback and 1500 mAh battery. The N97 introduces the concept of social location So-Lo. Using the GPS receiver and integrated compass, N97 has the capability to always know where it is located and with social networking integrated it can broadcast that position to authorised friends and family. Nokia claims that the N97 will use a browser that supports Flash and Flash video. HTC Touch Diamond2: One of the latest features that Diamond 2 packs is HTC Push Internet. It’s designed to ease slow downloading and rendering of Web pages on a mobile phone. LG Arena: The phone features a new 3D S-class user interface to provide quality audio and video output. Arena is said to be the first phone in the global market to use Dolby Mobile from Dolby Laboratories meant to deliver enhanced sound experience. Plam Pre: Pre has a 3 megapixel camera that can shoot in both horizontal and landscape mode. Pre is designed to let you scroll through your photos by dragging your finger across the screen. iPhone 3G S: With iPhone 3G S, Apple has finally fulfilled a long time wish of its fans by increasing the megapixel count of its iconic device. The new phone now packs an improved 3 megapixel camera with video capturing, auto-focus mechanism and editing capabilities. Pixon12: The phones USP is its 12 megapixel camera which puts it miles ahead of its competitors. Samsung claims that it is worlds first phone with 12 megapixel camera. Pixon packs a Xenon power LED flash and touch autofocus, which lets users decide the focal point with the touch of a finger. Pixon12 also has a 28mm wide angle lens and a Smart Auto feature. Pixon12 records with 720 by 480 resolution at 30 frames per second. N97: The phone packs 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash. HTC Touch Diamond2: Touch Diamond2 has 5 megapixel auto focus camera. LG Arena: Arena packs a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus. The company says the camera is capable of recording DVD resolution videos. Plam Pre: As for storage, Pre packs 8GB memory storage. It offers support for USB mass storage. iPhone 3G S: Apples latest version of iPhone has a higher 32GB memory capacity. The new model will come in choices of 16GB and 32GBmemory capacity. The iPhone 3G second generation comes in 8 and 16GB model versions. Pixon12: As for memory capacity, Pixon12 comes with 150MB of internal memory and supports up to 16GB of MicroSD cards. N97: Nokias second touchscreen phone offers a 32GB memory with microSD for adding 16GB more making it a staggering 48GB. HTC Touch Diamond2: The phone packs 512 MB ROM and 288 MB RAM. The phone supports microSD memory card for expansion. LG Arena: The phone has a 8GB of internal memory and a 32GB micro SD slot. Source: Ninja

Well today the Nokia N97 was finally released, didnt here about it? Well, it seems Nokia is keeping it under wraps. The phone boasts some pretty powerful hardware 32 gigs of storage, a 5 megapixel camera,  3G/Wi-Fi/GPS, a nice big screen and slide out keyboard, but at nearly $700 and with the other phones being released, isnt this walking the green mile?  Even with today being the release date Nokia has yet to put out any kind of official word this is available, no advertising as far as I can see and they havent even put up a press release on their website. I have to imagine someone in the marketing department at Nokia probably lost their job over the terrible timing of this release. It seems like Nokia isnt even trying in the American market anymore. Original press release after the jump.

Nokia N97 mobile computer to begin selling worldwide in June June 02, 2009 Espoo, Finland - The highly anticipated Nokia N97, Nokias flagship mobile computer, will begin selling in June in more than 75 countries. Along with a tilting 3.5" touch display, QWERTY keyboard and a fully customizable home screen, the Nokia N97 will offer instant access to the full range of Ovi services. "The Nokia N97 is an important step towards our vision of delivering a highly personalized Internet experience," said Jonas Geust, Vice President and head of Nokia Nseries. "Fuelled by a multitude of music, maps, games, media and applications via Ovi, the Nokia N97 transforms the Internet into an experience thats completely tailored to the tastes and interests of its owner." The Nokia N97 is Nokias first device to feature a personalizable home screen, which can be customized with a range of widgets which bring live information directly to the device. These widgets include key social networking destinations like Facebook and Hi5, news services like the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters, as well as shopping and weather information. The Nokia N97 is the first device to ship with the Ovi Store, which offers easy access to applications, games, videos, podcasts, productivity tools, web and location-based services, and much more. Ovi Store has paid and free content from a range of global and local content providers and developers, including Paramount Pictures, Facebook and Qik, as well as a selection of Twitter applications. Enjoy your upgrades The beauty of this Nokia device is that taking it out of the box is just the beginning. As with any computer, people can constantly improve and refresh their Nokia N97 with new features, functions and fixes so they can do even more with the device. An exciting roadmap of new features and functions is planned to roll out in the second half of 2009. Entertainment ensured The Nokia N97 also has direct access to the huge catalogue of music in the Nokia Music Store. With multiple high-speed connectivity options and 32GB of storage up to 48GB using a microSD card it is possible to directly download and store tens of thousands of songs on the handset. And you can listen to your favourite music on the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905, which Nokia also launched today. This headset brings crystal clear sound, eliminates background noise, and is the ideal accessory for listening to music and making calls on the Nokia N97, as well as being compatible with a diverse range of other mobile and music devices. High-quality images and video clips at 30 frames per second fps can be captured using the 5 megapixel camera with integraed Carl Zeiss optics. Images can also be geo-tagged to specific locations and shared instantly with friends or uploaded online via Ovi Share, Twitter or Flickr. Notes to editors: A full list of Nokia N97 features is available at http://2009.nseries.com/ The Nokia N97 press page: http://www.nokia.com/press/n97 Compatibility with the aforementioned services may be limited to certain countries. About Nokia Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the worlds leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks. Media Enquiries: Nokia Communications Tel. +358 7180 34900 Email: press.services@nokia.com -Via Nokia

After hearing so much about Apple iPhone apps, Photobucket’s mobile photo application for the Ovi Store by Nokia is a welcome spell. Photobucket is a standalone photo and video-sharing site and it has recently released a free Nokia-compatible mobile photo app for Nokia smartphones.

This mobile app allows Nokia smartphone customers to access images on Photobucket as well as enjoy access to Photobucket albums. If you have a Nokia phone then just download the new app from Ovi Store at store.ovi.com.

The mobile photo app is available on over 20 of the Nokia handsets including Nokia N95 and Nokia E71 and the app works irrespective of the wireless carrier.

You can create a Photobucket account and log into it anytime to access personal albums and browse or view billions of photos on Photobucket making this app very exiting. You can upload images, delete photos and also view/edit photo titles and descriptions.

You can download the free app from Nokia Ovi Store at http://store.ovi.com. All you have to do is register a compatible Nokia phone in the Ovi Store and search for “photobucket” and then proceed to download the application.

As per the rumors circuit the Nokia E71x expected to land at AT&T Wireless is delayed yet again. The slim smartphone has been delayed for a couple of months, maybe even more. Whats the reason for the delay? It seems that email and Mail for  Exchange syncing are the culprit and a new firmware will have to be built and implemented before the phone can be ready for release.  Dont be too sad... Look on the bright side. It seems like AT&T might be making a deal with Nokia to sell the device at the $150 price point! Keep your fingers crossed, I know Ill be happy if that happens.