Nokia intros Luna Bluetooth headset, 603 smartphone with NFC
updated 01:00 pm EDT, Thu October 13, 2011
Nokia Luna headset and 603 use NFC for linkups
Nokia put out two NFC-equipped devices on Thursday where the focus was heaviest on the accessory, not the smartphone. The Luna Bluetooth Headset can use NFC when available to automatically pair with a suitably equipped smartphone. Even for iPhones and other non-Nokia hardware, however, it has a unique cradle where owners can answer just by taking out the earpiece and end the call by putting it back in.
The peripheral charges over micro USB and should last for about eight hours of continuous talk. It will come in five brighter than usual colors and ship in the fall for about 69 Euros, or $95.
The Nokia 603 in turn aims to provide a budget entry into smartphones and is one of its cheapest devices using the new Symbian Belle platform. Nokia hopes to raise the baseline by giving it a 3.5-inch, IPS-based 640x360 LCD, a 1GHz processor, and a five-megapixel camera, albeit without autofocus. It too has NFC and can pair with the Luna, Nokia's 360-degree speaker, or the usual payment and tagging that NFC uses so far.
It normally comes in black or white and has six choices of removable back covers. Pricing is the key for the 603, which costs just 200 Euros ($274) even off-contract and is likely destined for China and other areas where customers more often buy their phones outright. Nokia plans to ship the phone in the fall. While not naming carriers, it supports both 850MHz and 1,700MHz 3G band and should work on AT&T, T-Mobile, and most Canadian carriers.
