Nokia: the N97 Mini this autumn

The world n°1 in mobile telephony has just announced, straight from Nokia World, a new terminal, the N97 Mini, and an agreement with Facebook.


The N97, the high-end Nokia multimedia phone that came out just few weeks ago and with 2 million models already sold, will soon be joined by a new mini version.

A little smaller than the N97 but still with a full QWERTY keyboard, the N97 Mini has a 3.2 inch (640x360 pixels) touch screen and uses the Symbian 5 OS. The internal memory has been reduced from 32 GB for the N97 to 8 GB for the new model. An extension is available via a microSD port.
For connectivity, the N97 Mini has a standard audio jack, a TV out that works with the GSM, Edge, HSDPA and wifi networks. It has Bluetooth and an A-GPS chip as well as an update of Nokia Maps and various optional features. The camera has a 5 Mpixel sensor.

Social networking: the new little extra

Also at Nokia World, Nokia presented its new “Lifecasting with Ovi” service, or how to stay constantly informed of what is happening on your favourite social networking site and update your status straight from the welcome page. Decidedly, direct access to social networking is fast becoming an essential selling point: Samsung and Sony Ericsson have also brought out products with a similar selling point.

Thanks to the agreement with Facebook, friends of a user of the Nokia terminal with access to this service will be able to follow the geographical position of their friend in real time on a map.

The N97 Mini should also benefit from new widgets, so as to better personalise your welcome page.

The N97 Mini is expected to come onto the market in October at a stand-alone of somewhere around 500 pounds. Perhaps a reduction in price might also have been a good idea!

Still at Nokia World, Nokia boss, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, has reaffirmed the firm's diversification strategy. On top of being n°1 for mobiles and smartphones, Nokia has ambitions for the netbook market, with, in particular, the recently unveiled Booklet 3G, and its record 12 hour battery life. With a price tag of over 500 pounds, it will need to prove itself to persuade customers who are now used to aggressive pricing in this category of product. Will integration of Windows 7 be a sufficient argument?