Nokia ships US-ready 5800 XpressMusic at $399
updated 01:50 pm EST, Wed February 25, 2009
Nokia 5800 Xpress NAM
Nokia on Wednesday began selling a North American version 5800 XpressMusic in the US, marking the first time a Nokia touchscreen phone is available in a North America-native version. The new version adds support for 3G data over 850MHz HSPA and lets subscribers to AT&T connect at up to the full 3.6Mbps downstream speed of its network. As an unlocked model, it can also be used with Rogers' 3G service in Canada and supports regular EDGE data on T-Mobile.
The Symbian S60 phone is otherwise a match for its international counterpart with a 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A microSDHC slot handles the bulk of storage, though whether the phone bundles the same 8GB card as in Europe isn't known.
Nokia's flagship stores in Chicago and New York City should have the 5800 as of today, while the online store should have it soon; both are selling it for $399. The price difference is expected to significantly hinder Nokia's attempts to compete in the US against close rivals like Apple's iPhone or the BlackBerry Storm, both of which sell at half the price thanks to carrier discounts. [via Symbian-Guru]
