Nokia 5530 XM and 3710

Just as key to Nokia's phone launches this morning is its first lower-end touchscreen device. The 5530 XpressMusic is still a true smartphone with Symbian S60 and a 2.9-inch, 640x360 touchscreen but makes a number of sacrifices to scale down its price. It limits cellular data to EDGE and relies on Wi-Fi as its fastest connection; it also drops GPS with this goal in mind. A 3.2-megapixel camera stays onboard, as does a bundled 4GB microSDHC card (down from 8GB) for storage.

As a newer phone, the 5530 XM has an advantage in a updated home screen compared to the 5800. It now has a "people carousel" that shows as many as 20 preferred contacts from the home screen by scrolling with a finger. The front end also has quick shortcuts to key apps and a pop-up media bar that gives access to and control of music, photos and video without delving into the related apps.

By shedding 3G, GPS and added storage, Nokia has brought the price of the touch phone down to 199 Euros ($278) before applying carrier subsidies. With 850MHz support, the phone is very likely to reach North America either as an unlocked device as well as possible deals through AT&T or Rogers.

By Electronista Staff