Nokia announced two new slider 3G phones Tuesday -- the 6700 Slide and the 7230. The Finland-based company described the new models as "made for the design-conscious consumer and optimized for socializing and sharing." The devices are among a series of steps Nokia is taking to recover from a downturn.
The phones are expected to be available in the first quarter. The 6700, offered in half a dozen color choices, is compact and designed for a pocket or small bag. In addition to its high-speed 3G connectivity, the phone offers a five-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash, and a 2GB microSD card.
Not 'Anything Particularly New'
The 6700 also features a dedicated camera key and a one-click upload to Ovi, Nokia's Internet service. It has a 2.2-inch QVGA screen, which slides out to show a keypad. Frames are available in pink, petrol blue, lime, purple or aluminum.
A Symbian-based phone, the 6700 has WCDMA 900/1900/2100, WCDA 850/1900/2100, and GSM 850/900/1800/1900, as well as Bluetooth 2.1.
The 7230, also compact but with color choices of only pink or graphite, has a 3.2-megapixel camera with 4x zoom, a 2.4-inch TFT display, and a missed-call feature that shows a soft illumination. A Series 40 phone, the model supports WCDMA 850/1900/2100 and 900/1900/2100 networks, as well as Bluetooth.
Nokia is promoting both phones as colorful, social and offering easy ways to snap pictures and share the results. Both also feature a FM radio and a music player.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said the new models "don't bring anything particularly new," but he noted that they offer high-end cameras at modest prices. The retail prices for the phones are about $240 for the 6700 and $150 for the 7230, without carrier subsidies.
An Eight-Megapixel Camera
Although no U.S. carrier partner has been announced, Greengart noted that both models seem designed for the AT&T network  .
As with other device makers, Nokia is hoping these and other new releases will propel it through the holiday season. The company announced Tuesday that it is laying off 220 employees in its research and development division in Japan, which follows layoffs announced last week of 330 jobs in Copenhagen and Finland.
Its third-quarter results showed a loss of more than $800 million, with sales that declined about 20 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago.
Nokia is facing increasingly stiff competition from Apple, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, and others. In terms of profit, Apple recently passed Nokia as the lead handset maker.
Smartphones are increasingly becoming mass-market items, and it's a continuing challenge for Nokia to differentiate its models. Trying to reestablish some leadership positions, the handset maker is busy releasing a variety of new models in various markets. For instance, the Nokia N86, its first eight-megapixel camera phone, was released Tuesday in Canada.
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