Nokia 2135 becomes rare CDMA phone for US shores

Nokia today made the surprise announcement of the 2135, one of Nokia's few handsets to both run on CDMA phone networks and to ship to the US instead of developing countries. An emphasis on simplicity means the device largely strips the media features in the name of cost and ease of use; without Bluetooth or a camera, the most advanced elements are a speakerphone and a 60-second voice memo recording function. Talk time is rated at 3.5 hours but is supported by a long 11 hours of standby, Nokia says. Its phonebook is comparatively large for entry phones at 400 entries.

No price was revealed for the 2135, which is planned to go on sale for Americans during the fall. The phone must be tied to a particular carrier but has not been named, opening the possibility of releases with Sprint, Verizon, or Virgin Mobile. The phone is expected to sell for a low price and may be available for free with any subscription services.