Bellevue, Wash. –
T-Mobile plans mid-month availability of a second Nokia 3G cellphone that
doubles as a portable navigation device (PND) and downloads applications from
Nokia’s Ovi store.
The new model, the E73 Mode, is a
GPS-equipped 3G phone with hard QWERTY keyboard but no touchscreen It’s due
June 16 in T-Mobile stores, select authorized dealers, and T-Mobile’s
. It will be priced at $69.99 after
a $50 mail-in-rebate with a two-year
service agreement for $30/month data plan.
Like
T-Mobile, carrier AT&T offers Nokia phones that access Nokia’s app store,
but T-Mobile is the only U.S. carrier offering Nokia phones incorporating
Nokia’s Ovi Maps navigation feature, Nokia told TWICE.
T-Mobile’s first Nokia phone with the PND and
app-download features is the full-touchscreen
, which became available earlier
this year at $69.99 after $50 rebate. It and the Mode are smartphones based on
the Symbian OS.
Like a
traditional PND, both Nokia phones incorporate on-board maps,
points-of-interest (POI) data, and routing algorithm. Because the data reside
on the device rather than on a carrier’s servers, such phones provide multiple
advantages over carrier’s subscription-based navigation services. Consumers,
for example, don’t have to wait for maps and route information to download over
the cellular network, phones can be used for navigation even when cellular
signal is lost, and users don’t have to pay a monthly fee.
The E73 Mode,
said to be T-Mobile’s full-QWERTY keyboard smartphone, features WiFi,
compatibility with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, 5-megapixel camera with flash
and autofocus, media player, full HTML Web browser, and Adobe Flash.
It also features WiFi voice calling via
Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology, enabling users to place unlimited
WiFi calls through T-Mobile’s public WiFi hot spots and through home Wi-Fi
routers optimized for the service. The phones are designed to take traffic off
congested cellular networks and encourage people to use their cellphone as
their primary home phone without using up cellphone minutes and without
suffering from poor in-home cellular coverage.
The phone’s Switch Mode lets users switch
between fully customizable home screens that can be dedicated for personal or
business use.
The preloaded Ovi Store app accesses thousands of applications and
games, including “Shazam” and “Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare.” Consumers pay for their apps either through their T-Mobile bill
or a credit card.
The phones’ maps and navigation data are
provided by digital map maker Navteq, acquired by Nokia in 2007.
