Nokia Comes with Music US launch smartly pushed back to 2010
Not that most Americans could care, but Nokia is pushing back the US launch of its DRM-laden Comes with Music service into 2010. CWM, you'll recall, is Nokia's "free" all-you-can-eat music service that bundles the 12-18 month music subscription cost into the inflated handset price -- although like any DRM music scheme, solutions already exist to break the CWM shackles. The delay is probably a wise move considering the weak state of Nokia's US partnerships required to offset consumer costs, lukewarm response to its latest handsets, and the fact that most US consumers share a broad distaste for DRM music. We'd rather see Nokia launch late but with a compelling proposition than launch now in blind adherence to a timeline.
There was a bit of a false alarm at the flagship stores yesterday -- Nokia's New York and Chicago stores got inventory, but didn't start selling the 5800 right away, causing much anguish in the hearts of American plectrum lovers and our very own Chris Ziegler. Well, all has been rectified, and now you can pick up Nokia's touchscreen pioneer, the 5800 XpressMusic, for $399, unlocked and unsubsidized. If you aren't so much into retail stores you can head to Nokia's online store, though the phone is still inexplicably listed as "pre-order" there -- we're sure things will be rectified soon enough.
In the run-up to Mobile World Congress it seems like there’s nothing but cellphones around; latest leak is an old favorite, the Nokia E75, which has already appeared twice (first here, and then here) and by now is well overdue a launch. There’s not much we’ve not seen about this side-sliding 3G smartphone, but given how distinctive it is among Nokia’s current line-up we love it all the same.
T-Mobile have announced the new Shadow, by HTC, a compact smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1, a slide-out SureType-style 20-button keyboard, WiFi and support for T-Mobile’s HotSpot VoIP service. Available today, in “white mint” and “black burgundy“, the T-Mobile Shadow has a QVGA touchscreen and a 2-megapixel camera.
It’s been a few months since we first saw the Nokia N75, complete with its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but now the latest unannounced Nseries smartphone is back in some higher-resolution pictures. Full spec details on the E75 are still scarce, but it’s believed to have 3G, WiFi and a 3.2-megapixel camera.
