In a novel move, country’s biggest phone brand, Nokia has started taking pre-orders or bookings for the upcoming Qwerty candybar phone, the E6.
The phone is notable because it is the first model to sport a revamped Symbian operating system that looks much ‘funkier’ than the usual interfaces found on Nokia phones. The Anna may be the final major update of the Symbian before it is replaced by Microsoft Windows Mobile by early next year.
Consumers can book E6 by going to the Nokia website for India (www.nokia.co.in/E6), filling out a form and then, when the phone is launched, collecting their device from the dealer. They will have to shell out a booking amount of Rs 2,000.
Besides Anna, which will also be made available to other models like the E7, the E6 model will be one of the few or the only one to have both a candy-bar shape, a blackberry-like qwerty keypad and a capacitive touch-screen. Capacitive touch-screens are more sensitive than normal touch-screens and don’t require the user to put pressure on the glass to register a tap.
The screen will be slightly smaller than most smart phones from competitors like Samsung and LG. While Samsung and LG offer screens in the range of around 2.8 inch to 3.2 inches in the lower end of the smartphone market, the E6 will have a 2.5 inch. However, unlike most other phones, E6 will have a physical keypad.
The Nokia E6 will have the same 8 megapixel extended-focus camera that is found on the E7 model. It will also have 3G and a front camera and business essentials.
Pricing details are not known, but going by the features, the model should be priced at Rs 17,999. The phone is likely to appeal to students and professionals with heavy typing and messaging needs, but who don’t want to give up the ‘touch’ factor either.
No word, however, yet on the sexier X7 — the phone that was unveiled along with E6 recently. The X7, made to compete with the likes of Samsung Galaxy and LG Optimus, will have a 4 inch screen and a metal and glass design.
Unlike in the West, Indian firms typically don’t offer pre-orders — a sort of booking before the actual release of the product.
ALSO SEE
Airtel too will launch iPhone 4 tomorrow
Samsung Galaxy S2 available in India for price of Rs 32,830 on pre-order