Here come the supergadgets of the future

A couple of years ago, it was un-thinkable that your cell phone could do anything other than just making calls and sending and receiving text messages. Recent advances in technology have made handheld phones more than just communication devices — they are now multimedia devices, all-in-one supergadgets that will become indispensable in our lives.

If you need to check your e-mail, one click of a button and you are connected to the Internet. If something catches your fancy, it’s just click-click-click on your hand phone, and you have snapshots to go with you. If you’re stuck in the middle of traffic, you only need to pop a pair of earphones into your ears, and your phone easily converts into a music player. And yes, you can download feeds from wapsites and have music or video files to while away the hours.

If you think that’s already a lot, then watch out. Designers and techies at Nokia have upped the ante with a new range of mobile phones that will literally make them indispensable connectivity gadgets.

How about a mobile phone that also functions as a portable TV set? Or a phone that helps you navigate unknown cities around the world? That’s right. At the recent Showcase Nokia 2007 held in Bangkok, Thailand, Nokia unveiled six new mobile phones that will surely redefine the way we live in the years to come. And already, the new phones are touted to be this year’s must-have gadgets.

The Bangkok showcase was held concurrently with the recent 3GSM World Congress 2007 in Barcelona, Spain, where Nokia president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo reinforced the company’s commitment to lead the next phase of mobility in the mobility industry. He also unveiled a lineup of devices and services that harness Internet connectivity and will begin to transform how people use mobility in their professional and personal lives.

Speaking in Barcelona, Kallasvuo said, "The worlds of mobility and the Internet are merging, but as an industry we are still only scratching the surface of the possibilities this offers. Nokia is driving the change, taking a lead in harnessing this new connectivity in ways that will transform how we use mobile devices for work and in our personal lives."

In Bangkok, Nokia Asia Pacific senior vice president for customer and market operations Urpo Karjalainen was optimistic about the role the firm will be playing in the union of increased mobility and the Internet.

"Nokia expects that in 2007, the three billion mobile subscriber mark will be crossed, with the Asia Pacific region contributing significantly to this growth. With the devices and applications that we are announcing… and in the recent past, we are poised to lead the industry in bringing consumer opportunities to participate in the social networking and information sharing phenomena. Convergence technologies such as mobile TV, navigation, mobile e-mail, and electronic document management no longer belong to just the developed nations as we enable a more connected and technology driven lifestyle."

What defines a lifestyle more than the way we watch television? What gets your goat more than missing the PBA finals or the Oscar Awards night because of an unplanned trip or work?

Fret no more. Nokia has two multimedia devices that will change your viewing habits. The Nokia N77 offers live mobile TV based on the DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) platform, with a 2.4-inch flat screen supporting up to 16 million colors, plus high- quality stereo sound. Unlike existing feeds available to compatible mobile phones, DVB-H offers live on-time continuous feeds.

Why have a TV in your pocket? A study Nokia conducted on mobile TV pilot projects or trials around the world found that the respondents used it most when they were commuting. The service has been available in Vietnam and Italy since last year; it will be available in Finland soon. Analysts project that over 74 million consumers will be using DVB-H compatible equipment by 2010.

Nokia Asia Pacific vice president for multimedia Jose-Luis Martinez noted that many mobile TV users watched TV as they prepared for the day in the morning. There was a gap between their usage when they left home and went to work, causing them to miss out on programs and information they wished to view. Mobile TV bridges this gap in TV viewership.

"Everyone watches TV," Martinez said. "TV is everywhere. TV is a priority. Some homes have a TV set, but not a telephone. No one can be late in knowing when a match or game is over."

Apart from receiving live TV broadcast reception, the Nokia N77 is also equipped with a music player, visual FM and 2-megapixel camera, and high-quality stereo audio. You can also manage your e-mail account with this unit, as well as stay in touch via text and MMS message and video calling. It can also connect to compatible printers, speakers or headsets via USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity. You can also easily browse websites with the built-in Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map. What more can you ask for?

Ready to travel? Is everything packed? Passport? Ticket? Cash, credit card and traveler’s checks? Your Nokia 6110 Navigator?

This year traveling will not be complete without the Nokia 6110 Navigator, a GPS- (Global Positioning System) and AGPS-(Assisted Global Positioning System) enabled mobile device. It offers users full personal navigation experience with integrated maps, routing and navigation available with a click of one-touch Navigation key. It tells you your current location on the map, and can search for destinations, find specific routes, or locate services such as nearby restaurants, hotels or shops. Featuring full turn-by-turn 3D navigation, it suggests the best route to follow to reach a location by car or on foot. It even comes with voice instructions that follow you with the turn of the map.

"Location-based experience is among the fastest growing areas in mobile devices. Offering integrated GPS functionality, the Nokia 6110 Navigator will put maps, routing and navigation into the hands of the broader consumer market worldwide," says Nokia Asia Pacific vice president for mobile phones sales and market operations Alex Lambeek. "With the Nokia 6110 Navigator, mobile phone owners will be able to enjoy the benefits of navigation in their daily life and enjoy a wide range of location-based services — whether they want to explore a city, search for restaurants, get weather forecasts, or look for travel guides for a weekend trip."

Apart from its built-in navigation device, the Nokia 6110 Navigator offers 3G multimedia (video call, fast downloads, music, video and ringing tones), two integrated cameras (including a two-megapixel one with panorama mode and lens protection slide), music player, stereo FM, external microSD memory card, and e-mail with attachment support.

"Why buy many devices when you can just purchase one single device? Comparing the cost of purchasing a separate GPS device and a mobile phone against a single all-in-one device, this is a reason why many consumers will choose a single device," Lambeek adds.

The Nokia 6110 Navigator comes pre-loaded with maps that may be unlocked according to need. Additional maps may be downloaded from a partner website. A map of Metro Manila is currently in the works.

However, all latest Nokia N-series and the E90 models can be upgraded to include the GPS and AGPS features.

Those looking for an upgrade to their basic phone should check out the Nokia 3110 Classic. Designed with the basic features all Nokia phones are known for, plus more, this triband phone unit will charm even the hardcore technophobes.

"The Nokia 3110 Classic delivers on the promise of honest performance, dependability over time and up-to-date styling," adds Lambeek. "It has several little crafted details, like thicker plastic and a large antenna to make the phone more dependable. To keep up with the latest trends in mobile phones, it also has a 1.3-megapixel camera, music player with expandable memory, Bluetooth and infrared connectivity and an FM radio. Our newest addition to Nokia’s mid-range selection offers a wide range of conventional features at an accessible price."

Nokia also introduced the second wave of the Nokia E-series line of phones with a trio of feature-packed design-rich devices: the all-inclusive Nokia E90 Communicator, the stylish slider Nokia E65 device, and the slim e-mail-optimized Nokia E61i device. All these units support the most popular e-mail and business, voice and other productivity and leisure solutions. They are also useful across different continents with its quadband GSM and 3G network frequencies, provide fast broadband data connectivity with 3G WCDMA and WLAN.

"The tipping point for widespread adoption of business mobility is upon us," says Nokia Asia Pacific vice president for enterprise solutions Mathia Nalappan. "Now business users, and operators and carriers that serve them, can demand a new standard of business devices combining both beauty and brains without compromise, and that is what the Nokia E-series delivers."

The Nokia E90 Communicator has been enhanced with HSDPA (High-Speed Download Packet Access), an integrated GPS and Nokia Maps application, an FM radio, a music player, a video player and two cameras — a 3.2-megapixel auto focus camera with flash and a second camera for videoconferencing.

The Nokia E65 is a slim slider phone equipped with all business enhancements, while the new Nokia E61i is an enhancement of the Nokia E61 but coupled with a two-megapixel camera, a music player and a video player.

The Nokia E-series phones are now complete lifestyle devices that combine the best lifestyle and business features now available on the market. By making available the E-series units on the market, business can choose the appropriate enterprise device that will meet their needs.

"You will actually need less of your laptop in the future," says Nalappan. "For short trips, any of the Nokia E-series phones will be fine to keep in touch with your business."

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The new range of Nokia connectivity devices — the N77, 6110 Navigator, 3110 Classic, E61i, E65, and E90 Communicator — will be available in the Philippines by the second quarter of 2007. Some models are already out on the market, while features on some phones, such as the N77, 6110 Navigator, and E90 Communicator will be available depending on the capacity of the local service provider.

For details on Nokia’s new line of mobile devices, log on to http://www.nokia.com.