Nokia 1209 and 2600 classic revealed

Today Nokia unveils two budget handsets that offer a range of handy features for consumers in emerging markets. Nokia 2600 classic and Nokia 1209 are targeted at emerging markets and make the most out of features such as multiple phone books, calls cost tracking, prepaid credit tracking, etc.

Nokia 2600 classic is a dual-band GSM/GPRS phone measuring some 12 mm in thickness and weighting 73 grams. It will be offered in several colors with Xpress-on covers to suit consumer preferences.

The Nokia 2600 classic has a 65K color TFT display with 128x160 pixels resolution. The budget phone is not scarce on functions at all - it sports VGA camera with video recording, FM radio, WAP 2.0 web browser (xHTML), as well as Bluetooth v2.0.

Nokia 2600 classic

As for messaging, beside the SMS, MMS and Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging, Nokia 2600 classic also has an email client that supports POP3, IMP4 and SMTP protocols.

Nokia 2600 classic has already started shipping in key markets and will be selling for 65 EUR before taxes or subsidies. By the way you can get the same features except for the interchangeable Xpress-on covers in an even thinner body with the Nokia 2630.

The second model introduced today, the Nokia 1209 is a successor to the Nokia 1200 and adds color to it with the new 65K color CSTN display (96 x 68 pixels resolution). The phone interface offers support of up to 80 languages and offers up to five separate phonebooks each with up to 200 individual entries. This allows several people to share the phone as seems to be the trend in emerging markets.

Nokia 1209

Nokia claims the Nokia 1209 has noise cancellation filters that decrease the background noise for improved sound quality. Another plus is the dust-resistant keypad made with a one-piece key mat, and much like its predecessor, it as also has a flashlight on top of the phone.

All the features we've slowly taken for granted in modern cellphones lack here - there's no WAP browser, no MP3 ringtones, no MMS, no Email, or even Bluetooth.

We generally don't like the color user interface of low end Nokias. Since the color display is nothing special anyway, they should have stuck with the monochromatic ones as they offer better legibility and better power saving. The Nokia 1112 is a great example of that and we even wonder why Nokia went back to using the green backlighting with Nokia 1200.

The Nokia 1209 will cost only 35 EUR before taxes or subsidies and is expected to become available globally during the second quarter of 2008. It will have two dual-band versions - a GSM 900/1800 one and a second GSM 850/1900 one.