Today Nokia introduced the Nokia C6, a mid-range touchscreen smartphone, with a slide out QWERTY keyboard and comprehensive social messaging software suite. The C6 runs Symbian^1 (but with pervasive kinetic scrolling and widget homescreen, N97-style) and features a 5 megapixel camera, integrated GPS and comprehensive connectivity options. It ships with a full range of Ovi services, including Ovi Maps (free car and pedestrian navigation), Ovi Store (content downloads), Ovi Music (music store), and Nokia Messaging (email and instant messaging). The Nokia C6 will be available later this quarter at a price of EUR 220 before taxes and subsidies. Read on for more.
Read on in the full article.
How many times can they cost reduce the N97?
Another day where anticipation has led to major disappointment from Nokia.
cpu?
Are these new once still the slow pre cortext arm cpu's?
Is the N900 still the only nokia phone with a cortext?
Not bad - I`m guessing this is exactly the same internals as X6/N97mini? Good value for the money probably the price segment the N97 warranted releasing in and even the mini with it`s currently discounted 350 pounds price in Nokia store has been looking expensive and this will address that value gap. Also I guess they can`t release anything higher end without it being on SF^3 or terminally screwing what`s left of customer loyalty.
Not a wildly exciting device but exciting price point and next step in Nokia`s Symbian smartphones for the masses strategy but they better get it to market quickly and unlike X6 make sure it`s stable at release. I would almost be tempted myself but for the fact I`ve got an N97 and I know SF^3 has to be round the corner (if it isn`t Nokia better give up). For the price I could probably even live with it`s very short OS lifespan and wouldn't mind it being obsolete in 3-4months when SF^3 hits the streets - it`s all about the price. Going to make shifting the N97 mini a bit of an uphill task - but guess there`s new N series wonderdog waiting on the launch pad .
When SF^3 launches Nokia better start making the upgrades paths and availabilities clear to avoid consumer frustration and whining though.
I see the tribe of 'just don't get it' has descended on AA;
"How many times can they cost reduce the N97?
Another day where anticipation has led to major disappointment from Nokia. "
Once I guess - sorry, tell me the other phones that 'cost reduce the N97' - do you mean the Mini? That's hardly much cheaper.
Seems like there are some people who just can't get their heads around the fact that the majority of people buy a phone as a phone and couldn't give a flip if it's got a Cortex in it or not!
I would guess that this is roughly the same internal hardware as in the 5800, N97 mini etc. It's a 5800 with keyboard and widgets. But not the build of a N97 mini.
In the dimensions in the text it seems to state that this is bigger in every dimension than a 5800 but smaller in cc. How can this be?
I am sure I will buy it to add to my collection. I have just ordered a Desire - the frst Android phone that really tempted me. I now have 2 phones for every weekday to choose from. Can't beat a bit of variety.
So what's really new? While Android and the others are making them better and faster what is Nokia doing? Why shouldn't I just get a N97 mini or an E73 on E-Bay?
@ Brendan Donegan
But they care wildly if it`s unstable and Nokia`s skinflint hardware combined with symbian platform has brought some very unreliable devices to market recently that the general phone buying public won`t tolerate and have severely damaged Nokia and symbian`s reputations. Part of Apple`s success story is it "just works" for the arrogantly categorised nor-mobs so that I would recommend and iPhone for my mum over any recent Symbian based product.
I get this product - see remarks above, but both Symbian and Nokia really need to prove themselves this year first and foremostly on a reliability front and address the damage of last year. And the requests for better hardware platforms sometimes reflect the frustrations of those of us who have to put up with the pain of say managing the N97 C: on a week to week basis. They`re not always well directed but I think yourselves and nokia need to acknowledge the frustration and sometimes hostility that has built up through consumers being burned and some are still stuck like myself with those devices for some while yet.
@Brendan Donegan
Nokia are pushing many phones to the masses which I agree with. An N97 style phone available in an affordable pricerange for PAYT customers is something that should be applauded
However Nokia have always put themselves technology leaders and innovators yet it seems that many companies are pushing ahead with innovation not only with OS but with hardware.
All I can say is with the time it is taking, Nokia will have to be absolutely spot on with their Symbian ^3 handset because the competition around is just too much for them to take so long and get it wrong.
Looks like a really good phone for that price. But, no word about WLAN? If not, then I'm not interested.
@yade
Absolutely agree if there`s a slight slip with either the devices or if SF^3 doesn`t deliver on the weight of expectation that has now built on it after the wait and the N97 debacle the backlash will be very severe.
@snoFlake
I didn't actually see your first post, so wasn't talking to you specifically. I agree that it's important for devices to be reliable and perform reasonably (I'm in the quality business) but I'm only saying that it's not necessary to have a Cortex A8 in order to achieve that. I believe the software should be stable because Symbian^1 is mature now, but obviously there could still be problems.
@bluejacker
It does have WLAN - take a look at the full spec sheet here: http://events.nokia.com/everyoneconnect/pdf/NokiaC6_datasheet.pdf (I'm surprised that detail was left out of the post)
@yade
I think you're being overdramatic. It's been one year since they released their last flagship handset, how is that a long time? Most people don't buy a new phone yearly anyway.
zyler wrote:So what's really new? While Android and the others are making them better and faster what is Nokia doing?
Making them cheaper and more accessible.
Unregistered wrote:Making them cheaper and more accessible.
Agreed, people immediately compare this phone to Android phones that are at least double the price. Duh.
is it the case that we are now hardware complete on phones? like computers with only small changes to come?
a laptop has a monitor, keyboard, maybe a webcam, wifi, maybe 3G, a few USBs and maybe bluetooth. I only change it every few years.
a phone has 3G, WIFI, bluetooth, GPS and screen 2.5-4 inches, maybe a keyboard, headphones, speaker, camera, maybe secondary camera, microSD, micro USB. how often do I need to change phone now?
lists above aren't meant to be complete. the spec has changed so much in 5 years but there is almost a fixed hardware load-out now. If so then prices are really going to fall (like PCs) and nokia appear ahead of that curve.
what new is really going to change the spec? LTE won't change it that much... nor HD video.
software is improving incrementally both on symbian and other platforms. Will the C5 be closer to n97 v20 firmware on release? hope so.
just a set of thoughts/queries.
Ok, here's my crib. This seems to have everything that my n97mini has - except the built in 8 GB memory - at half the launch price. I now feel that I really really overpaid for the n97 mini.
These phones are about the mid-tier. As such the pricing is the key. They are about making the messaging solutions more affordable to more consumers.
Processors, RAM etc are not the point. Those waiting for something in the high end will have to be patient a little while longer...
I'd also point out the fact these are becoming 'solution phones' the software services that they come with are at least as important selling points (maybe more so) than the hardware.
Really I see these handsets building on the success of the E63 and 5800 respectively.
@malerocks
Oh please, remember this is electronics we're dealing with here - of course it's going to be significanly cheaper the following year. That's how this game works.
Wow... Two years old, slow hardware with two year old OS...
I hope Nokia has something else to announce soon...
This phone is meant to cater the mid range segment of the market, where user don't have to sell their kidneys just to purchase a phone. Want a flagship? We'll have to wait a little longer, and hope Nokia will deliver.
A rather nice looking smartphone with a high-res touchscreen, physical QWERTY keyboard, and worldwide GPS turn-by-turn navigator for 200�, unsubsidized, and this site is full of people whining.
Please, stop being ridiculous.
Still, I would like Nokia to provide a firmware update to S^3
malerocks wrote:Ok, here's my crib. This seems to have everything that my n97mini has - except the built in 8 GB memory - at half the launch price. I now feel that I really really overpaid for the n97 mini.
And the digital compass.
Its making the N97, N97 Mini and X6 look very much overpriced.
Rafe wrote:These phones are about the mid-tier. As such the pricing is the key. They are about making the messaging solutions more affordable to more consumers. Processors, RAM etc are not the point. Those waiting for something in the high end will have to be patient a little while longer...
I'd also point out the fact these are becoming 'solution phones' the software services that they come with are at least as important selling points (maybe more so) than the hardware.
Really I see these handsets building on the success of the E63 and 5800 respectively.
Symbian touch screens are facing an extreme identity crisis though. Wasn't long ago that Symbian was definitely high end on overall spec.
But now, you've got the 5230, 5530, 5800, X6, C6, N97 and N97 Mini all sharing *exactly* the same hardware base, ram and screen resolution. Which is utterly ridiculous. It makes some sense on economies of scale, but absolutely no sense whatsoever, as the price difference between the various models is as artificial as the markups Apple charge for the 16/32/64gb variants.
Symbian is not high end now, thats intended for Maemo/Meego. But then there aren't necessarily that many truly high end phones out there right now. N900, a couple of the WM/Android devices, thats it.
They get it flipped!!!! They put 128MB RAM on the S60v5 device, where it needs RAM the most, and they put 256MB on the S60v3 device, where 128MB is more than sufficient. What's wrong with these ppl?!?!
clonmult wrote:
Symbian is not high end now, thats intended for Maemo/Meego. But then there aren't necessarily that many truly high end phones out there right now. N900, a couple of the WM/Android devices, thats it.
N8*00 should put Symbian back high end. N900 isn't really a wider market device because it is aimed as a toy for geeks. There's no sign of anything Meego at the moment. That might end up on a Nokia Pad type device.
Nokia Nuron outside N97 mini inside
@rafe 'Processors, RAM etc are not the point. Those waiting for something in the high end will have to be patient a little while longer...'
just out of interest, when do you think this'll be?
aidan
Unregistered wrote:They get it flipped!!!! They put 128MB RAM on the S60v5 device, where it needs RAM the most, and they put 256MB on the S60v3 device, where 128MB is more than sufficient. What's wrong with these ppl?!?!
That is twisted. But it does the make the E5 really interesting, especially at that price. It's got currently the most memory of _all_ released S60 models!
I bet the UI doesn't look like that video, or anything like it. It's all a bit rudderless without a flagship phone.