Nothing like a bit of handset maker rivalry, and who better to epitomize that war than #1 Nokia and #2 Motorola? With Nokia slowly rolling out their retail plan, which started with a store in Moscow last December, Motorola is jumping into the fray and hopes to open their first store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The strip currently houses an Apple Store, but more relevantly is the future site of Nokia’s store, which should open a block away from the proposed Motorola site. Moto is hoping to open their space by June 5, which seems a bit rushed seeing how they haven’t even closed on their prospective space yet, but since they’re getting the former Terra Museum of American Art, perhaps they think there won’t be much construction needed. If Motorola can stay on target, their store will open before Nokia’s, which apparently means a lot to Ed Zander and co. — and who are we to stand in their way?

[Thanks, Joe D.]

It looks like Pantech and Nokia have been hanging out again, but this time Nokia will be the one dropping the rebranded handset, an EV-DO-sporting model for Verizon known as the 6315i (and formerly known as the PN-E330). Phone Scoop discovered this recent approval while enjoying the FCC website, and reports back that it features a 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD slot, and Bluetooth, along with dedicated external music controls. We'll let you know when we find out a release date and some pricing info for this fairly feature-filled flip phone.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Nokia just dropped their new E50 candybar for business users on a tight budget, i.e., anyone not employed by Google. Billed as the thinnest (which isn’t saying much) of the E-series quad-band phones, the E50 goes S60 3rd edition and features the usual support for mobile corporate email solutions like BlackBerry Connect, Visto Mobile, and the like as well as featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera good for a little corporate espionage work and an MP3 player which doubles as that “can’t talk now, on a call” boss impresser. And since it’s business focused, it’s corporate PBX-ready if the infrastructure is in place and supoprts two numbers linked to personal or bidness use. And yeah, they use the word “phone” more than a dozen times in the press release which means there’s a run on cod liver oil in Espoo right about now.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Customers looking for a no-nonsense clamshell that does Bluetooth on the cheap now have a new option from T-Mobile in the form of Nokia’s dual display-packin’ 6103. This tri-band flip phone, which is a followup to the company’s 6101 “Buttons for Humans” model, doesn’t offer much in the way of features — besides Bluetooth, all that’s notable here are the FM radio and VGA camera — but you can pick one up for the low low price of $70 after rebates.

[Thanks, supes]

So instead of revealing that upgraded version of the 770 Internet Tablet as we expected them to today, Nokia flipped the script on us and announced that the Google Talk and keyboard features we had been anticipating will actually be coming in the form of a software upgrade. The good news is that these new features — part of the company’s so-called Internet Tablet 2006 OS — will be available to current 770 owners through a simple update, although those folks who were expecting a hardware QWERTY option (and not just an on-screen “thumb board”) are certainly going to be disappointed. On the plus side, the new OS will support SIP-based VoIP solutions, with Nokia specifically mentioning that a version of the Gizmo Project client is forthcoming. IT2006 will become the default operating system on 770 units, and will be available as a free download to existing 770 users, beginning sometime this quarter.

In an otherwise run-of-the-mill profile on cellphone manufacturing giant Nokia, The Seattle Times reveals this funny little tidbit about corporate culture at the Finnish firm: employees are supposedly barred from referring to the company's products as "phones." Instead, according to Vice President of multimedia strategy and business development Harry Santamäki, all of the handsets are known around the company as "multimedia computers," which we're sure elicits more than a few snickers when they're discussing the no-frills, monochrome, um, computers of the 1000 series. And proving that his anti-phone rhetoric isn't just lip service, Santamäki swears that he'll take a swig from the bottle of cod liver oil on his desk if he himself should ever happen to utter the archaic, forbidden word. Unfortunately for Harry, Engadget Mobile will continue to refer to Nokia's products as phones, cellphones, or perhaps even telephones, but luckily a little program called Greasemonkey should enable him to continue reading the site while remaining blissfully phone-free.

[Via textually]

You've heard of Nokia's DVB-H handsets (N92 to right) for months, but did you know they're also a major player behind the scenes? Nokia just inked a deal in their native Finland to supply Digita Oy with their MBS 3.0 service management platform for DVB-H mobile TV services. Nokia's MBS delivers consumer necessities such as an interface for searching services, an EPG, and the ability to set alerts for upcoming programs in addition to packing-in industry faves like OMA DRM 2.0 to protect content which can be offered within flexible pricing schemes. Digita, which already purchased those precious broadcast frequencies earlier this year, will operate the network and offer-up broadcast services to the likes of cellphone operators. Mobile TV services are expected launch later this year reaching 29% of the Finnish population by the end of 2006. So next time you hear Nokia slaggin' off DMB or Qualcomm's technically superior FLO mobile TV standards, well, now you know why.

[Via Textually.org]

We’ve known since February that Nokia was working on a QWERTY-sportin’ followup to the 770 Internet tablet, and now the Wall Street Journal has confirmed that the included VoIP app will indeed be, as we anticipated, Google Talk. Unfortunately this means that the device will still be unable to call regular phone numbers out of the box, although G Talk members will at least be able to chat among themselves for free. The WSJ is also reporting (only to its subscribers, not to us) that sources close to Nokia have said that the new device will be officially unveiled on Tuesday, and sell for around $390 when it hits stores.

Despite Nokia's best attempt at a snazzy E3 booth and plenty of 3D game examples on display, the only real draw to their booth was the booth babes. A trio of the cute girls even had their very own line of gamers waiting to have a picture taken with them. Otherwise, the whole booth had a roughly 10:1 ratio of staff to visitors. The games really weren't that bad, and the 3D graphics are always interesting to see running on a random Nokia phone, but nobody much seems to care either way. Click on for pics of all the excitement.

Despite Nokia's best attempt at a snazzy E3 booth and plenty of 3D game examples on display, the only real draw to their booth was the booth babes. A trio of the cute girls even had their very own line of gamers waiting to have a picture taken with them. Otherwise, the whole booth had a roughly 10:1 ratio of staff to visitors. The games really weren't that bad, and the 3D graphics are always interesting to see running on a random Nokia phone, but nobody much seems to care either way. Click on for pics of all the excitement.

Just because you’re a Mobile reader. doesn’t mean you can’t join in on the E3 fun. Nokia used the world’s biggest gaming show to unveil several upcoming titles compatible with not only the N-Gage, but N-series and some S60 devices as well. Among the six games announced were three sequels to popular franchises, Space Impact, System Rush: Evolution, and ONE-Who’s Next?, which improves upon the 2004 fighter with better graphics, frame rates, and support for landscape mode. The new titles also look rather promising, and include an Internet-enabled version of Texas Hold’em called Pocket Aces, which allows players to convert winnings into digital swag for their online avatars, and even allow those avatars to play in their stead. Rounding up the bunch are the N-Gage Arena-compatible Pro Series Golf and a fishing simulator called Creatures of the Deep that uses vibration feedback to enhance the otherwise boring activity of watching a fishing pole on your phone’s tiny screen.

We tend to leave the cellphone behind when we’re in the gym, assuming that callers would just as soon skip the conversation than listen to our heavy breathing as we struggle to actually burn some calories. But if Nokia has its way, more cellphones may find their way into health clubs. The company’s new 5500 “sports phone” not only comes in a ruggedized, rubber-gripped shell, but it also features such sports-friendly features as an integrated pedometer and a database to track and monitor workout goals. The tri-mode GSM phone also includes a music player, text-to-speech engine for message-reading, and 2-megapixel camera. That camera may, however, be the phone’s downfall; we’ve heard of some gyms banning cameraphones, and Nokia might want to consider a cam-free version to beat such restrictions.

A whole six
months after Nokia announced their href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/12/nokias-e60-e61-and-e70-e-series-mobile-business-phones/">E61 QWERTY S60
smartphone to the world, they’re finally “shipping” the phone, and say it is gradually becoming available
across the globe. No word on when exactly we’ll get to hunker down with a retail version of the device in the US, but
Nokia did mention that the E70 will follow later this month. We’re sure you’ve heard plenty of the WCDMA 3G data, WiFi,
QVGA screen, and miniSD this device includes, but it sounds so much sweeter with the knowledge that the phone is on its
way… to somebody.

We still can’t guarantee the href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/05/01/nokia-keeps-em-coming-possible-n83-spotted/">N83 is the real deal,
but it certainly looks to be taking shape, and New Mobile has a very slick looking front-on of the device with those
same promising details: UMTS, 2.5-inch 352 x 416 display, 4GB drive, 5 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio,
MicroSD, and 3.5mm headphone jack. The over the top specs make it out to be one of the hottest Symbian devices we’ve
ever seen, which is exactly why we’re not going to go getting our hopes up just yet that all those pie in the sky
features are going to turn up roses.

[Thanks, MacBoy]

Yeah Nokia, we know you're hot stuff with your ten phones per minute release pace, but even we're a bit surprised to be seeing spy photos of an N83 slider a mere week after the release of your N72, N73 and N93 handsets. The projected release date for this S60 phone is a bit more reasonable, stated as Q1 2007, but with the sweet specs listed we're really not sure we can wait that long. The phone supposedly has a 2.5-inch-ish 352 x 416 pixel screen, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD, 5 megapixel and VGA cameras, UMTS, 802.11b/g, 4GB HDD (alright, now it's just getting ridiculous), and mini-jack audio. While those specs read just like a fanboy wishlist, we can clearly see the dual cameras and some sort of slide up media controls from the pics, along with plenty of screen real estate. For the rest of it we'll just have to spend a year on Santa's "nice" list and hope he has some sway with the Nokia elves.

src="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2006/04/l_os_n93-6.jpg" />

Hot on the heels of href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/25/nokias-n73-and-n93-launched/">Nokia’s N93 announcement are some
shots of this camcorder/phone in the wild. Japanese site PlusD Mobile has plenty of snaps but little in the way of
review commentary on Nokia’s new flagship N-series phone expected to drop for some €550/$690 in July. So kick
back, and feast on the eye-candy for a few until we can nab ya’ll some actual MPEG-4 recordings from this pup. Then
we’ll see if Nokia’s plan to href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/03/21/nokia-plans-demise-of-mp3-players-and-video-cameras/">take a bite out of
the camcorder (and DAP player) bidness in the same way cellphones have kicked alarm clocks, wrist watches, and
low-end digitalcams to the curb, is for realz. The N93 is certainly capable given its relative size (to a camcorder)
and fact that it packs in a 3.2 megapixel Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with image stabilization, microSD expansion, big
2.4-inch fold-out display, and the ability to pump video down the TV-out jack or over WiFi to any href="http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=upnp">UPnP capable device. Ogle more pics after the break.

[Via
Slashphone]

align="right" src="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2006/04/ipass.jpg" alt="" />Owners of WiFi-enabled, Series
80- and S60-powered Nokia handsets will soon have "one-click" access to over 50,000 hotspots worldwide thanks
to a new software client being developed in conjunction with trusted connectivity services provider iPass. Already
available for Windows, Macintosh, and Windows Mobile devices, the iPassConnect client gives people an easy way to
connect to any hotspot across some 28 different networks, including T-Mobile, Wayport, and The Cloud, offering both a
consistent user experience and simplified billing. The first models to receive the iPass treatment will be the href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/02/03/nokia-9300i-communicator-reviewed/">9300i and href="http://www.engadget.com/2004/03/30/nokia-9500-communicator-preview/">9500 Communicators, which should see the
new software sometime this summer, followed by a version for href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/12/nokias-e60-e61-and-e70-e-series-mobile-business-phones/">E-series devices
by the end of the year.

[Via href="http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,125566,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp">PC World]

Taking a cue from other design-obsessed companies such as Apple and Sony, Nokia has announced plans to open a line of retail locations in the U.S. -- the first ones outside Russia and perhaps Finland that we're aware of -- and even better, will be offering models not available from carriers or traditional channels. The flagship store is set to open in Chicago on June 21, and will sell "virtually anything that could possibly be available in this market," according to a Nokia spokesperson, including such high-end handsets as the recently-launched N93 and N73 3.2 megapixel cameraphones, N91 4GB musicphone, and UMTS-enabled N80 smartphone (which happens to sport a three megapixel CCD as well). PC Mag's article on the upcoming stores, the second of which is scheduled to hit New York before the end of the year, also includes an update on the N91, which will apparently receive a key software upgrade sometime after launch that enables playback of DRM-protected content.

Update: Several readers have very kindly pointed out that Nokia has stores in much of Europe and Asia.

border="0" src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/n73-n93-stacked.jpg" alt="" />

Well hello there href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/17/nokia-n73-revealed/">N73 (bottom) and href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/17/the-next-n-series-n93/">N93, how nice to see you in the for realz at last.
Other than finally making these phones official we don’t really have too much new information to offer. Both models run
Series 60 3rd edition and feature large 2.4-inch QVGA, 262k color displays, Bluetooth 2.0, miniSD slot expansion,
MP3/ACC media players, FM radio with Visual Radio, and a chubby 3.2 megapixel shooter with Carl Zeiss optics,
autofocus, mechanical shutter, and integrated flash. Want to share those snaps? Coolio daddy-o, ’cause a new
partnership with Flickr gives you the ability to upload and add comments to your photos directly from your new N-series
cellphone without the need to download any additional software. The N73 will launch as both a quad-band GSM/EDGE model
and another which includes 3G (2100MHz UMTS). It features 42MB of on-board memory and 3D stereo speakers at the top and
bottom of the unit to kick out some tinny jams. Meanwhile the href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/02/nokias-n71-n80-and-n92-media-phones/">N92-lookin’ N93 turns-out
900/1800/1900 GSM/EDGE and 3G (2100MHz UMTS), 50MB built-in memory, 802.11b/g WiFi, href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/04/nokia-embraces-upnp-with-new-n-series-additions/">UPnP, TV-out, and adds a
3x optical zoom to the shooter which can record MPEG-4 VGA video at 30fps. If you’re looking for mobile TV, you’ll have
to stick with the N92 though, since the N93 does not feature a DVB-H tuner. Both will drop in July. Welcome to the show
boys. More product images after the break.

[Via href="http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=1696">PhoneScoop]

Read href="http://press.nokia.com/PR/200604/1046576_5.html">N73
Read href="http://press.nokia.com/PR/200604/1046557_5.html">N93

Well hello there N73 (bottom) and N93, how nice to see you in the for realz at last. Other than finally making these phones official we don’t really have too much new information to offer. Both models run Series 60 3rd Edition and feature large 2.4-inch 262k color QVGA displays, Bluetooth 2.0, a MiniSD slot, MP3 / ACC media players, FM radio with Visual Radio, and a chubby 3.2 megapixel shooter with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, mechanical shutter, and integrated flash. Want to share those snaps? Coolio daddy-o, ’cause a new partnership with Flickr gives you the ability to upload and add comments to your photos directly from your new N-series cellphone without the need to download any additional software (don’t forget to ZoneTag!). The N73 will launch as both a quad-band GSM / EDGE model and another which includes 3G (2100MHz UMTS). It features 42MB of on-board memory and 3D stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the unit to kick out some tinny jams. Meanwhile the N92-lookin’ N93 turns out 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM / EDGE and 3G (2100MHz UMTS), 50MB built-in memory, 802.11b/g, UPnP, TV-out, and adds a 3x optical zoom to the camera, which can record MPEG-4 VGA video at 30fps. If you’re looking for mobile TV, you’ll have to stick with the N92 though, since the N93 does not feature a DVB-H tuner. Both will drop in July; welcome to the show, boys. More product images after the break.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Read N73
Read N93

Joint tech firm and university research labs are absolutely all the rage these days, and one of the more interesting combos we first heard about last year -- Nokia and MIT -- officially opened its doors. The pair's new joint research facility in MIT's Kendall Square neighborhood will leverage research at MIT's CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory). What fun things this pair will produce has yet to be seen, but we can only imagine it'll be magical and wonderful -- perhaps a OCPC (One Cellphone Per Child) project, anyone? No? Fine.

[Thanks, Dave]

You know, we have to hand it to Nokia for keeping their luxury 8800 handset worthy since it's launch over a year ago. Already available in original stainless steel, a limited Aston Martin Edition, with over-the-top gold plating, and even as a candybar-style knockoff -- now she's resurrected herself in Black stainless steel. And that £799/$1429 price tag makes this the most expensive version yet. You go old girl, you go.

[Via CrowdedBrain]

href="http://forum2.mobile-review.com/showthread.php?s=f9980444bf679e0b241e28086da531a2&t=45082&page=6"> vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2006/04/post40811441041137wk.jpg" alt=""
/>

Some pix of that href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/03/26/pics-of-nokia-n93-deets-of-unannounced-n73/">unannounced Nokia N73
we told you about a few weeks back have surfaced in the forums over at mobile-review. The N73 (on left in the picture)
as it’s currently called, is the the supposed successor to the N70
(on right), and is expected to pump Symbian 9.1 and Series 60 3rd addition while featuring a 3.2 megapixel cam with
with autofocusing Carl Zeiss lens, Bluetooth 2.0, stereo speakers, memory card expansion and that good 3G (UMTS) lovin’
for video calls on that large QVGA screen. So really, no additional details, just some fuzzy eye candy this time around.
More pics after the break.

[Via href="http://www.newmobile.nl/eur/en/news.php?news_id=b5e421">NewMobile]

If you or
anyone you love has ever been subjected to the horrors of a href="http://engadgetmobile.com/category/nokia/">Nokia keypad gone terribly wrong, you’re sure to get a chuckle out
of their new "Buttons for Humans" slogan for the href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/02/14/nokia-throws-down-three-6s-at-3gsm/">6101 clamshell. Russell Beattie gives
the campaign a great sendup, and has collected a few of his favorite instruments of torture as seen above. We’d just
like to know who the buttons were for in those pre-6101 days of pain. Cthulhu? Dolphins? Your mom? We know Nokia has a
wide customer base to please, but we’d really like to know which alien race they got to do usability testing for some
of these handsets.

[Via Russell Beattie]

border="0" src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/nokia-6126.jpg" alt="" />

In addition to those href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/05/nokia-drops-three-cdma-phones-2365i-2865i-and-6175i/">three CDMA
handsets announced earlier, Nokia also dropped the Series 40, 6126. This flip goes quad-band GSM/EDGE and features
a 2.2-inch, 320 x 240 pixel 16.7-million color internal display (128 x 160 external), a 1.3 megapixel camera, and
microSD slot to store all those MP3, AAC, AAC , and eAAC digital music formats for playback over stereo Bluetooth. The
6126 sports a soft-touch Finnish finish in black on black, silver and white, or even beige with red
accents just in case you like the idea of your cellphone matching your childhood basement. Available in Q2 06, which
could mean tomorrow if ya just gotta have it.