Nokia launches N79 Active sport phone

Nokia on Wednesday introduced an upgraded version of the N79 tailored to athletes. Called the N79 Active, the device pairs the candybar smartphone with a Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt that wirelessly sends its data to a new version of Nokia's Sports Tracker app. This and the phone's built-in GPS help keep tabs on the amount of exercise. The cellphone maker also adds a social component with the ability to share the playlist from a run and to geotag photos along the way.

The Active variant also gets a more exercise-friendly set of headphones and a 4GB microSD card to give the N79 better music handling out of the box. The 5-megapixel camera, 3G and Wi-Fi aren't changed on the new model, which will cost only slightly more at 375 euros ($497) before carrier discounts when it goes on sale at an unspecified point in the near future.

No mention is made of whether a NAM model will be available.