Nokia launched a new phone today, which it bills as an "entertainment smartphone."  Called the Nokia X7, the handset sports a unique angular shape that's certain to make it easily identifiable from the crowd.

As with the Finnish company's other high-end releases, hardware and construction looks to be a high point.  With a stainless steel body and toughened glass screen, Nokia claims it won't shatter "even if you lose control" while playing a game.

Details of the Nokia X7 include a 4-inch capacitive AMOLED touchscreen (640 x 360 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera module (with dual LED flash and 720p video recording),  aGPS, 3G with HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio slot and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  It comes with a 1,200 mAh battery, rated at up to 4.5 hours of talk time.

The sleek, futuristic frame has 119.7 x 62.8 x 11.9 mm dimensions and a 146-gram weight.  Symbian Anna, the latest build of the platform, controls the action, along with a bunch of software pre-installed, including Ovi Maps, Nokia Social and a couple full version games (Galaxy on Fire HD and Asphalt 5 HD).

Availability of the Nokia X7 is slated for the second quarter of the year, with base price (before taxes and subsidies) coming in at €380.

[Nokia]

There was a time when phones with full keyboards were reserved for mid- to high-end handsets.  Time flies fast indeed and the affordable Nokia X2 (aka X2-01) is definitely an attractive option for those in search of a budget-friendly messaging device.

Physically, it's far from a striking sight.  The design is identifiable with Nokia's general aesthetic when it comes to QWERTY candybars, although, it's decidedly a tad more boring and plastic-heavy.  Despite that, it has a solid and somewhat durable feel.  Display is a 2.4-inch LCD with a 320 x 240 resolution, which is just fine for a phone of this type.  Keyboard is actually good, with domed keys and a spacious arrangement.

As a phone, the Nokia X2 delivered good call quality with clear voices and sufficient volume.  Those on the other end reported a similar positive experience, although they did say it was obvious the call was made from a cellphone.  Speakerphone, unfortunately, is below average, with sound cutting out frequently.  Battery is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time.

Features are largely basic.  You get a 1,000-contact address book, a variety of PIM tools, a variety of calling options, stereo Bluetooth and basic messaging.  More advanced stuff include web-based email (POP3 and IMAP4), web-based IM and a Community portal for Facebook and Twitter feeds.  There's also a full HTML browser, which is a pain to use with the EDGE connectivity and the tiny screen.  Everything is serviceable, although you'll definitely notice the difference if you're used to working with smartphones.

The camera is only VGA, so it's not really worth bothering with, other than for emergency shooting situations.  We do love the music player, though, which is a tad more advanced than what you normally get from such affordable units.

Overall, the Nokia X2 is a well-built, decently-equipped handset that should satisfy most basic users' needs.  Price is very agreeable, too, at $64.99 prepaid from T-Mobile.

Nokia just announced a really cheap music phone.  Called the Nokia X1-00, the simple-looking candybar handset comes with some extra fittings on top of the usual dumbphone basics.

Chief on the list of specs is a larger than usual speaker right around the back.  While we don't exactly buy Nokia's "massive" description, it does appear to be a little more capable than your usual tinny-sounding audio fitting.   According to the company, the speaker is rated at 106 phon (we don't know what it is, but it's supposed to be a measure of perceived loudness), with the frequency response tweaked such that the sound comes through undistorted even at the highest volumes.

Details of the Nokia X1-00 include a small color display,  GSM/EDGE connectivity, an FM radio, a built-in torch light, a 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  It's got a 1,320 mAh battery module, rated at up to 61 days of standby.

Phone design is geared towards music, of course, with dedicated playback buttons and a playlist creator button.  Dimensions are 112.2 x 47.3 x 16 mm, with a weight of 91 grams.  As with Nokia's other feature phones, it runs the Series 30 UI, along with its usual tools and software.

The Nokia X1-00 will be available in three color versions: orange, ocean blue and dark gray.  No word on pricing or release dates, but it appears headed strictly to emerging markets.

[Nokia]

Microsoft and Nokia have announced a new partnership that will put Windows Phone 7 on the Finnish manufacturer's future smartphones.  Oh yeah, and they're killing off Symbian, too.

Despite remaining the biggest cellphone maker in the world (they own 28.2 percent of the market), the outlook for Nokia's smartphone future hasn't been the peachiest for a while now, with Android and iOS fast chomping at their market share.  They did appear to be putting in the effort with the planned Symbian reboots and that Meego partnership with Intel.  But all that is moot now.

In a new strategy that will, in the words of Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, "transform the company," they are ditching all present and future work on Symbian.  In its place will be Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s currently less-than-successful mobile platform.

Aside from being the OS of choice for Nokia's 2012 smartphone lineup, the company will also be adding Bing as the default search engine on all phones they produce.  Nokia Maps will live on, though, folded as part of Bing Search, while the Ovi App Store will be integrated into Microsoft Marketplace.

There is no guarantee, of course, that this move will change the current standing of both companies' products.  However, it does appear like a good move -- one that could prove beneficial to both company's futures in the ever-competitive mobile space.

[Microsoft Press Release]

Nokia just announced a new pair of affordable feature phones.  The duo consists of the Nokia X2-01 and the Nokia C2-01, which the company claims "offer maximum functionality at the lowest price possible."

The first of the two, the X2-01 is a QWERTY candybar, measuring 119.4 x 59.8 x 14.3 mm and weighing 107.5 grams.  With slightly rounded edges and angled corners, it's definitely got a unique style going.  Sporting a four-row QWERTY keyboard, you know it's geared towards messaging, with a heaping of music features necessitated by its Xseries branding.  Features include a 2.4 inch display (320 x 240 resolution), an uber-basic VGA camera module, limited connectivity (only GPRS/EDGE, no 3G and WiFi), stereo Bluetooth, 55MB of internal storage and microSD card expansion (up to 8GB).  It comes with the usual Ovi apps and services, along with the Communities app for social networking.

Nokia bills the C2-01, the second of the pair, as their most inexpensive 3G phone.  Clad in a classic candybar form factor with T9-style keys, it measures a compact 109.8 x 46.9 x 15.3 mm and weighs 89 grams.  Details include a 2.0 inch display, a 3.2 megapixel camera module, stereo Bluetooth, an FM tuner and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  It has Nokia Messaging for email and IM, as well as a threaded messaging view.

Release for the Nokia X2-01 is slated this quarter, with pricing at  €80 before taxes and operator subsidies.  The 3G-toting Nokia C2-01, on the other hand, will retail for €70 and will come out by the first quarter of next year.

[Nokia Conversations]

Nokia has done a lot of trailing as of late in the smartphone space.  While we doubt the Nokia N8 will change that predicament, it is an interesting phone with solid specs and a heaping of features.

Physically, the handset continues Nokia's tradition of producing great hardware with high quality construction.  We love the size - big enough for a spacious display but slim enough to be pocketable.  Display is a 3.5-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (640 x 360 resolution), with excellent brightness and rich colors.

As a phone, the Nokia N8 makes for good calls, with clear sound and very little background noise.  Those on the other end reported similar audio quality.  Speakerphone was great - definitely better than the standard hardware you can find in other smartphones.  Battery is rated at 5.8 hours of talk time and actually lasted well over a day of regular use.

The device runs the all-new Symbian^3, which offers a definite improvement over the tedious UI of S60 5th Edition.  Suffice to say, this is the best user experience I've ever had with a Nokia phone, although it still trails in comparison with the more polished usability of both iOS and Android.

At a time when most high-end offerings come with a 1GHz processor, Nokia's decision to use a 680MHz ARM11 CPU is a bit disappointing.  As a result, the phone performed sluggishly on occasion.  A couple of times, in fact, we thought it was crashing, but was merely taking its time.

The N8 is a quad-band world phone with a whole host of calling features, a number of PIM tools and your typical messaging features.  One thing of note is that Symbian^3's phone book only pulls and syncs contacts from Exchange - you'll have to use other methods to get them from Gmail and Facebook.  Like other Nokia phones, messaging is a serious strength - it can work with Exchange, Lotus Notes, IMAP and POP3, along with HTML and folder support.   All connectivity protocols are well-represented, too, with five-band 3G, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth.  The web browser has Flash Lite support.

Media player is great, with a Cover Flow-style interface and support for a wide range of formats.  The best feature here, though, is the 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash.  It offers a lot of editing options and takes some of the best photographs we've seen from any cellphone camera.

Overall, the Nokia N8 is a great reboot for Symbian.  While we doubt it's the smartphone that will change the cards for Nokia, it is an excellent effort with arguably the best phone camera available now.  Unlocked price is around $550.

Want an inexpensive phone with some fine midrange features?  You may want to grab the Nokia X3 Touch and Type, which bundles both a touchscreen and an alphanumeric keyboard in a candybar form factor.

Physically, it offers a unique combination.  A 2.4-inch resistive touchscreen mated to a 12-button keypad in a compact candybar design.  Surprisingly, the touchscreen was responsive, apart from having a good, albeit small, display.  Keypad is spacious and comfy to use.  Plus, the highly compact size is a nice change of pace from the large slabs of phones today.  Build seems decent and overall appearance is relatively attractive.

As a phone, the X3 Touch and Type makes for average calls.  Conversations generally sounded fine, although muffled voices will occasionally kick in.  Those on the other end reported more positive audio quality, however.  Speakerphone, on the other hand, was quite impressive, with rich-sounding voices and plenty of volume.  Battery is rated at 5 hours of talk time, which should let you use this for over a day without recharging.

It runs S40, optimized for use on a small touchscreen.  Implementation was actually quite impressive, although the hardware itself proved sluggish.  As such, expect lags when launching and navigating deep into menus.

The X3 is quad-band world phone, with the usual roster of capabilities, including SMS, MMS, a bevy of call features, some PIM tools and Bluetooth.  It also has Nokia's Messaging app, which supports various POP3 and IMAP email accounts.  IM is onboard too (via Ovi), as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Both WiFi and 3G are onboard.  The latter works fine, even running YouTube videos after just a few seconds of buffering.  With the screen's size, though, the things you'll likely want to do with either the HTML browser (which comes with Flash Lite support) or a video app are limited.

Media player is basic, but has good support for a variety of formats.  Music playback, with headphones, sounded really good.  The 5.0 megapixel camera has fairly limited editing options, but takes acceptable photos.

Overall, the Nokia X3 Touch and Type is a feature-packed phone at a relatively affordable price.  You can get it unlocked for as low as $160.

If you've been keeping up with the gadget rumor sites, you've probably seen the Nokia 5250 numerous times.  The company finally made the oft-leaked device official, confirming it as a music-centric touchscreen phone that offers great value for your money.

Running the Symbian^1 operating system (aka S60 5th edition), it brings Nokia's old UI, along with all the features that long-time users of the Finnish company's phones should be familiar with.  Designed for heavy music users, it features a music player right on the home screen, along with instant access to Ovi Music Unlimited, an all-you-can-download music service available for selected territories.  Other musical talents include an FM radio and a mobile version of Guitar Hero 5 pre-installed.

The Nokia 5250 has a  2.8-inch touchscreen (640 x 360 resolution, 16:9 display ratio), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS, stereo Bluetooth and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  It's extremely pocketable too, measuring  104mm x 49mm x 14mm.  Battery is rated at 7 hours of talk time and 24 hours of music playback.

Aside from the music features, it's quite generous on the social capabilities.  You get to add your favorite contacts right on the home screen, along with quick access to email accounts and social networks.  It also has access to downloadable apps via the Ovi Store.

Pricing for the Nokia 5250 is set at an enticing €115 (around $145) before taxes and subsidies, with shipping slated for the fourth quarter.  For a touchscreen feature phone with Ovi Music Unlimited and an affable design, it definitely sounds like a nice offer.

[Nokia Conversations]

Nokia has announced a new candybar that delivers a refreshing change for the form factor.  Called the Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type, the feature phone boasts both a touchscreen and an alphanumeric keypad right on the handset's front panel.

Running the company's old feature phone OS, it's one of the few S40 devices to have a touchscreen on board (a couple of them have previously been released for the Chinese market), making it one of the more interesting non-smartphones to come out from the Finnish company.  We're not sure how well S40 will work on a touchscreen, though, so that should be something to watch out for (or be wary of, if you're thinking of buying one).

Details of the Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type include a 2.4-inch touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module with video recording, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  Connectivity suite is pretty complete, with both WiFi and 3G with HSPA on board.

Since it's running S40, you should expect Nokia's familiar messaging strengths, along with support for Java applications.   Communities, an app for access to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, will come preloaded.  From the photos, the handset looks notably attractive too, with nice sharp lines, a brushed aluminum finish and a slim 9.6 mm profile.

The Nokia  X3-02 Touch and Type is slated for availability in multiple markets before the end of the third quarter, priced at €125 ($161) before taxes and subsidies.  It will come in five color versions (White Silver, Petrol Blue, Lilac, Pink and Dark Metal).

[Nokia Conversations]

While Apple's press conference last Friday did address the "Antennagate" issue, Jobs also did something else that got the attention of other phone manufacturers: he claimed that other phones suffer from the same signal problems as the iPhone 4.  As expected, that didn’t sit well with the rest of the pack.

During the presentation, Apple singled out three phones they claim to have similar reception issues, hinting that it's merely the tip of the iceberg and that all devices do tend to suffer from some form of degradation when held in a specific way.  The three phones mentioned consist of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the HTC Droid Eris and the Samsung Omnia 2.

Apple's actions irked RIM's co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who released a joint statement, pointing out that "Apple's attempt to draw RIM into Apple's self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation."

Despite being unnamed during the press conference, Nokia threw its two cents into the fray as well.  "Antenna design is a complex subject and has been a core competence at Nokia for decades, across hundreds of phone models," the company said in a statement.  They added, " That's why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand."  Those funny Finnish guys...

While no official word came from Samsung, one spokesperson did respond to a query, stating that "The antenna is located at the bottom of the Omnia 2 phone, while iPhone's antenna is on the lower left side of the device. Our design keeps the distance between a hand and an antenna."

Motorola's Sanjay Jha also chipped in.  According to the CEO, "Consumers don't like being told how to hold the phone ... It is disingenuous to suggest that all phones perform equally."

Apple may have attempted to drag other handsets into its antenna problems.  The general public sentiment is pretty clear, however: these issues have only become a major concern because of the way the antennas are positioned in the iPhone 4.  Chances are, we'll still hear a bit about this from both sides, so stay tuned.

[via GSM Arena]