Nokia E63, 1006 headed to US

Nokia's turn at CES saw the company launch American versions of two of its phones. The E63 is surfacing in the US as an unlocked device and adds support the 850MHz band for 3G on AT&T, with GSM and EDGE supported on both AT&T and T-Mobile. Like the reference version, the E63 is considered a budget counterpart to the E71 and uses a plastic shell, a lower-resolution 2-megapixel camera and the absence of GPS to reduce the price. A 3.5mm headphone jack partly compensates for the difference.

The phone will ship in its signature blue and red color options within the next few weeks and should be priced at a comparatively low $279.

In a low-key introduction, the company has also unveiled the 1006, a starter phone for CDMA networks. The bar design is meant for simple calling and counts MMS and speakerphone use as its main features. Little else is known about the handset, which hasn't received a formal launch from Nokia, though its network support most likely puts it on Sprint or Verizon if it ships to the US.

E63