[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmqf_nktDag[/youtube]
Nokia’s new phone attempts to bridge the still fairly wide gap between touchscreen and physical keyboards.
Nokia’s phones might not be quite as on the ball as Apple, HTC and Motorola, but their marketing is improving in leaps and bounds, as the Finnish Jonny Ive in the YouTube clip shows.
Nokia is following RIM in building phones that keep people comfortable with the physical keyboard they’re used to, while spoiling them with the luxury of a device that responds to touch.
The device clearly isn’t targeting iOS and Android users, and the price, around $160 reflects that. But with no solid competitor to the mobile big boys, Nokia is eventually going to feel the pinch.
To be fair, the device is attractive, looks well built and appears as though it will please a core sector of the market – people looking for an affordable, traditional texting phone with a few nice additional features.