Nokia launches R223 handset

Rudolph Muller

Rudolph Muller is the editor at MyBroadband and covers telecoms and broadband news. Rudolph comes from an academic background, but left the University of...

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Nokia recently announced that it will launch five basic yet affordable handsets, targeted specifically at emerging markets, within the next few months.

The handsets, namely the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616, Nokia 1800, Nokia 2200 Slide and the Nokia 2690 will support Nokia Life Tools and will include a number of basic functions.

Life Tools, which was initially launched in India in 2008, helps overcome information constraints in emerging markets by allowing basic users for example subsistence farmers to access information such as current seed pricing and weather forecasts.

Priced at 20 Euros (R223), 24 Euros (R267) and 26 Euros (R289) respectively, before taxes and subsidies, the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616 and Nokia 1800 feature an FM radio, prepaid tracker, flashlight, anti-scratch cover and dust-resistant keymat. Each model also has 22 hours of standby time.

The Nokia 2220 slide and the Nokia 2690, priced at 45 Euros (R501) and 54 Euros (R602), before taxes and subsidies, also support email on the device through Ovi Mail. Other device features include FM radio, VGA camera, GPRS and MMS support, phone books for up to 1,000 contacts, and Bluetooth. Standby times for the Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 are about 20 days and 13 days respectively.

Although pricing and time frames have not yet been confirmed, Nokia South Africa has acknowledged that some of these devices will be released locally.

Nokia low cost phones – discussion