Nokia just put an official stamp on the new Cseries, with the first phone rolling out of the gate being the Nokia C5.  Unlike most new smartphones, there's no touchscreen and no QWERTY keypad here - just a regular candybar with a T9 keyboard layout.

At first glance, it looks nothing more than one of the Finnish manufacturer's seemingly-endless inventory of basic feature phones.   Begin using it, though, and you'll be surprised to find that it's running Symbian S60 3rd Edition.  Yep, it's a full-fledged smartphone for people who prefer a more traditional aesthetic.

Details of the C5 include a 2.2-inch LCD with QVGA resolution, a 3.2 megapixel camera module (with autofocus), aGPS (with Ovi Maps 3.0), a 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD card expansion (up to 16GB), stereo speakers and an FM radio.   It comes with HSDPA connectivity, but drops WiFi.

Since it keeps the hardware simple, the device has managed to remain both slim at 12.3mm and light at only 89 grams.  It's looks like one sturdy piece of work, too, with a body built out of mostly steel parts.  Battery life is very generous, as well, with a rated talk time of 12 hours.  Other features include Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger and a new phonebook with Facebook integration.

Along with the release, Nokia has announced a new naming convention for their phone models - one letter and one number.  The letter will indicate the type of phone (music-centric, camera-centric, etc.) while the number will refer to the market class it's aimed at.  Sounds like a long overdue change.

Intended as an entry-level smartphone, the Nokia C5 will be available for €135 (minus tax and subsidies).   Release is slated for the second quarter of the year.

[Nokia Conversations]

A new flip phone just went up on Samsung's South Korean website under the ever-growing Corby line.  Called the Samsung CorbyF (the F stands for Folder), the handset bundles a fun, playful design, along with smooth, curvy lines.

Intended for mid-range to low-end markets, the device borrows the youthful style available from previous cellphones in the series, making it a bit more attractive than the form you usually find on flip-style phones.  Otherwise, it seems like a conventional clamshell, with regular, non-touchscreen displays.

The 15.9mm-thick Samsung CorbyF features a 2.6-inch internal LCD (QVGA resolution), an external LED display (unspecified size), a 3.0 megapixel camera module, a video-calling front camera, DMB TV, SOS calling, subway maps and microSD card extension (up to 16GB).  It supports HSDPA 3.6Mbps (for SK Telecom and KT, not sure for non-Korean versions).

From the looks of it, this will be running Samsung's default non-touch interface, which isn't really anything special, despite being quite easy to use.   The device will come in Candy Pink, Lime Green and Blue Black colors.

There's no exact pricing nor availability date, but Samsung says the CorbyF should come to South Korea soon.  Since it's coming out with the the usually-affordable Corby branding, expect it to be generally inexpensive.

[via Samsung Hub]