Nokia formally launched the Nokia E63, a more budget friendly full QWERTY smartphone designed as alternative to the Nokia E71. The Nokia E63 is designed for users who would like to better manage their life from the palm of their hand. Unlike the E71’s part-metal, the E63 uses plastic casing that also lets Nokia use brighter colors.Aside from the full QWERTY  keyboard, the Nokia E63 features a 2.36-inch 320×240 QVGA display, a 2-megapixel camera with digital zoom and LED flash, support for WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 and support for WCDMA 3G 900/2100 or 850/1900 or 850/2100 quad-band GSM networks.

The E63 has the ability to switch from business mode to personal mode. By simply pressing a single key, users can view corporate mail and appointments, pressing another key will enable the users to check pictures, email and shortcuts to favorite websites.

Below are the complete specifications of the Nokia E63:

Size

• Form: Monoblock with full keyboard
• Dimensions: 113 x 59 x 13 mm
• Weight: 126 g
• Volume: 87 cc
• Full keyboard
• High quality QVGA display

Display and 3D

• Size: 2.36″
• Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA)
• Up to 16 million colors
• TFT active matrix (QVGA)
• Two customisable home screen modes

Security features

• Device lock
• Remote lock
• Data encryption for both phone memory an microSD content
• mobile VPN

Keys and input method

• Full keyboard
• Dedicated one-touch keys: Home, calendar, contacts, and email
• Speaker dependent and speaker independent voice dialling
• Intelligent input with auto-completion, auto-correction and learning capability
• Accelerated scrolling with NaviTMKey

Connectors

• Micro-USB connector, full-speed
• 3.5 mm standard AV connector

Power

• BP-4L 1500 mAh Li-Po battery
• Talk time (maximum): GSM up to 11 hours; WCDMA up to 4h 40 min
• Standby time (maximum): GSM up to 18 days; WCDMA up to 20 days;WLAN idle up to 170 hours
• Music playback time (maximum): 18 h

Memory

• microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 8 GB
• 110 MB internal dynamic memory

Operating frequency

• E63-1 Quad-band EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 900/2100
• E63-2 Quad-band EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/1900
• E63-3 Quad-band EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/2100
• Offline mode

Data network

• CSD
• HSCSD
• GPRS class A, multislot class 32, maximum speed 100/60 kbps (DL/UL)
• EDGE class A, multislot class 32, maximum speed 296/177.6 kbps (DL/UL)
• WCDMA 900/2100 or 850/1900 or 850/2100, maximum speed 384/384 kbps (DL/UL)
• WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g
• WLAN Security: WEP, 802.1X, WPA, WPA2
• TCP/IP support
• IETF SIP and 3GPP

Local connectivity and synchronization

• Bluetooth version 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
• Bluetooth profiles: DUN, OPP, FTP, HFP, GOEP, HSP, BIP, RSAP, GAVDP, AVRCP, A2DP
• MTP (Multimedia Transfer Protocol) support
• Bluetooth (Bluetooth Serial Port Profile. BT SPP)
• File
• Network (Raw). Direct TCP/IP socket connection to any specified port (a.k.a HP JetDirect™).
• Network (LPR). Line Printer Daemon protocol (RFC1179).
• Support for local and remote SyncML synchronization, iSync, Intellisync, ActiveSync

Call features

• Integrated hands-free speakerphone
• Automatic answer with headset or car kit
• Any key answer
• Call waiting, call hold, call divert
• Call timer
• Logging of dialed, received and missed calls
• Automatic redial and fallback
• Speed dialing
• Speaker dependent and speaker independent voice dialing (SDND, SIND)
• Fixed dialing number support
• Vibrating alert (internal)
• Contacts with images
• Conference calling
• Push to talk
• VoIP

Messaging

• SMS
• Multiple SMS deletion
• Text-to-speech message reader
• MMS
• Distribution lists for messaging
• Instant messaging with Presence-enhanced contacts
• Cell broadcast

E-mail

• Supported protocols: IMAP4, Mail for Exchange, POP3, SMTP
• Support for e-mail attachments
• IMAP IDLE support
• Support for Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email
• Integrated Nokia Mobile VPN
• Easy Email set-up

Web browsing

• Supported markup languages: HTML, XHTML, MP, WML,CSS
• Supported protocols: HTTP, WAP2.0
• TCP/IP support
• Nokia browser
• Nokia Mobile Search

GPS and navigation

• Nokia Maps application

Photography

• 2.0 megapixel camera (1600 x 1200 pixels)
• Image formats: JPEG/EXIF
• CMOS sensor
• digital zoom
• Focal length: 4.5 mm
• Focus range: 10 cm to infinity
• LED flash
• Flash modes: Automatic, Off, Forced
• Flash operating range: 1 m
• White balance modes: automatic, daylight, incasdencent, fluorescent
• Capture modes: still, sequence, self-timer, video
• Colour tone modes: normal, sepia, black & white, negative
• Viewfinder
• Active toolbar
• Share photos with Share on Ovi

Video

• Main camera
• 320 x 240 (QVGA) at 15 fps
• 176 x 144 at 15 fps (QCIF)
• digital video zoom
• Video recording file formats: .mp4, .3gp; codecs: H.263, MPEG-4 VSP
• Audio recording formats: AMR
• Video white balance modes: automatic, sunny, incandescent, fluorescent
• Scene modes: automatic, night
• Colour tone modes: normal, sepia, black & white, negative
• Clip length (maximum): 1 h
• RealPlayer
• Video playback file formats: .Flash Lite 3, mp4, .3gp; codecs: H.263, MPEG-4 VSP
• Video streaming: .3gp, mp4, .rm
• Customisable video ring tones

Music and audio playback

• Music player
• Media player
• Music playback file formats: .mp3, .wma, .aac, AAC+, eAAC+
• Audio streaming formats: .rm, .eAAC+
• FM radio 87.5-108 MHz with RDS support
• Visual Radio support. Read more: www.visualradio.com
• 3.5 mm Standard AV connector
• Nokia Music Manager
• Nokia Music Store support
• Nokia Podcasting support
• Customizable ring tones
• Synchronize music with Windows Media Player
• Navi™ wheel support
• Voice Aid

Voice and audio recording

• Voice commands
• Speaker dependent and speaker independent voice dialling (SDND, SIND)
• Voice recorder
• Audio recording formats: AMR-WB, AMR-NB
• Speech codecs: FR, EFR, HRO/1, AMR-HR, and AMR-FR
• Text-to-speech

Personalization: profiles, themes, ring tones

• Customizable profiles
• Customizable ring tones
• Customisable video ring tones
• Support for talking ring tones
• Customizable themes
• Customizable home screen content in Business and Personal modes

Software platform and user interface

• S60 3.1 Edition, Eseries
• Symbian Os 9.2
• Two home screens with customizable active standby views
• Voice commands

Personal information management (PIM)

• Advanced contacts database: multiple number and e-mail details per contact, contacts with images
• Support for assigning images to contacts
• Support for contact groups
• Closed user group support
• Fixed Dialing Number support
• Clock: analog and digital
• Alarm clock with ring tones
• Reminders
• Calculator with advanced functions
• Calendar with week and month view
• Converter
• Active Notes
• To-do list
• PIM information viewable during call

Applications

• JavaTM MIDP 2.0
• Flash Lite 3.0
• Chat and instant messaging
• Nokia browser
• Dictionary
• Quickoffice (Quickword, Quickpoint, Quicksheet)
• PDF Viewer
• ZIP Manager
• Download
• File Manager
• Nokia Search
• Nokia Maps
• Files on OVI

The E63 will be available in ruby red or ultimate blue with a price tag of EUR 199

Popularity: 52% [?]

Nokia has formally launched the much awaited Xpress Music Tube 5800  or simply “the Nokia Tube” which is rumored to be the “iPhone killer”.

The Nokia XpressMusic 5800 has a 3.2-inch 16M colors touchscreen with an impressive 640 x 360 screen resolution. It sports a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera with Carl Zeiss lens and a dual LED flash. Other features include a GPS receiver, WiFi radio, quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE radio,  8GB built in flash memory, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSDHC card slot which offers storage upto 32 GB.

The Nokia XpressMusic 5800 has a new home screen called “fav four” that allows users to view recent phone calls, messages and RSS feeds.

“As Nokia’s first mass-market device with a touch screen, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic turns a ‘user interface’ into a ‘human interface’ by truly putting people first,” said Jo Harlow, Vice President, Nokia. “Nokia is taking the familiar and giving it a human touch. We have used touch technology where it really adds value such as the Contacts Bar, Media Bar and clever shortcuts from the homescreen to menu items such as calendar, profiles and clock.”

Nokia 5800 Tube XpressMusic specifications include:

• 3.2-inch 16M touchscreen.
• 640 x 360 pixels resolution (16:9 display ratio).
• Symbian S60 5th edition OS with touch input
• Accelerometer for auto screen rotation.
• 3.2 MP AF Carl Zeiss lens, dual LED flash and geo-tagging support
• GPS with A-GPS function
• 3.5mm headphone/video-out jack
• microSDHC card slot (up to 32 GB)
• 8GB microSDHC card included

The Nokia XpressMusic 5800 will be available in Black, Red, or Silver for €279 ($392) in UNLOCKED form.

Popularity: 59% [?]

Nokia according to a report, has signed a deal to acquire OZ Communications, a Canadian-based mobile email and IM application developer. OZ Communications has developed products used for mobile IM and email that allow users to access all major email and IM providers. It has also developed a social networking tool that receives alerts from MySpace, Facebook, Flickr and other social media sites.

“With OZ, Nokia is renewing its mission of Connecting People by enabling consumers to easily connect and communicate using their favorite Internet communities,” said Niklas Savander, Head of Nokia Services & Software. “OZ’s team and technology will help Nokia to address the fast growing consumer messaging market.”

By acquiring OZ, Nokia will enable easy-to-use, fast access to leading instant messaging and email services, including AOL®, Gmail, ICQ®, Windows Live(TM) Hotmail, Windows Live(TM) Messenger and Yahoo!®. With more than 5.5 million monthly paid users, OZ’s solutions have been deployed by leading mobile operators on a wide array of mobile device platforms.

“OZ has been working closely with Nokia since 2003 - joining forces at this point is a natural extension of our partnership,” said Jim Knapik, President and CEO of OZ. “We are excited about taking OZ’s solutions to consumers worldwide by leveraging Nokia’s devices and distribution scale.”

No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which is expected to close later this year.

Popularity: 40% [?]

Looks like the month of October is going to be tough for iPhone, T-Mobile has confirmed the arrival of T-Mobile G1 phone powered by Google Android operating system on October 22  and it is now being rumored that the Nokia Tube will be launched globally on October 2.

Nokia Tube which has been featured in the latest Batman film is Nokia’s first touchscreen phone.

Well, lets hope that Nokia will come up with an official statement on this, and let us also hope that the Nokia Tube will have features similar to iPhone or T-Mobile G1 phones.

Popularity: 48% [?]

Vyke Communications has completed the alpha testing stage of its stand alone Symbian VoIP client for Symbian mobile phones. The Vyke Standalone Mobile VoIP client will allow users of Symbian phones to make VoIP calls directly from their handsets regardless of their mobile subscription or limitations imposed by their mobile operator.

Vyke has already established a beta test group and Vyke users can sign-up for the beta test at http://www.vyke.com/contact-us.jsf.

 “This beta release demonstrates that Vyke is on track with its product strategy and is continuing to position itself as the world’s leading provider of mobile VoIP and IP messaging solutions. It is important for Vyke to continuously deliver mobile-operator independent solutions to allow our customers to make effortless and cost saving calls from their mobile phones regardless of their subscriptions and/or their whereabouts!” said Jan C Berger, CMO of Vyke.

Popularity: 39% [?]

Nokia announced a plan to acquire the 52% remaining Symbian shares it doesn’t already own and make the platform open source under the Eclipse open source license. Nokia have also announced the creation of the Symbian Foundation, which is an alliance of mobile vendors and application providers that any company can join. This move will definitely challenge Android, the open source operating system of Google. The Symbian is the operating system of Nokia’s smartphones and other mobile phone hardware manufacturers.

All of the major Symbian stakeholders like Sony Ericsson, Siemens, and Panasonic have accepted Nokia’s offer. The three companies represent almost 91% of the Symbian shares. Although Samsung, another Symbian stakeholder has no definitive answer from Nokia’s offer, Nokia expects them to accept its offer.

“This is a significant milestone in our software strategy” said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia. “Symbian is already the leading open platform for mobile devices. Through this acquisition and the establishment of the Symbian Foundation, it will undisputedly be the most attractive platform for mobile innovation. This will drive the development of new and compelling, web-enabled applications to delight a new generation of consumers.”

Read the announcement here

Popularity: 6% [?]