Nokia unveils N79, N85 smartphones [U]

(Update: official release due tomorrow) Nokia today fulfilled a promise from earlier this month with two new Nseries devices both aimed at driving down the cost of getting into full smartphones. The N85 as flagship appears set to replace the N81 and upgrades the camera from two to five megapixels, also adding GPS both for mapping and for geotagging shots. It also switches to a 2.6-inch AMOLED screen that should supply richer color and as much as 28 hours of music playback on a single charge.

Like the N81, the N85 slider is considered an N-Gage friendly phone and has controls suited to playing games from Nokia's service in landscape view. Music is also an emphasis, though the handset maker has opted against the built-in storage of the N81 8GB and instead bundles an 8GB microSDHC card, giving owners the option of an upgrade to 16GB or beyond in the future. Internet access is supplied either through HSDPA-based 3G or through Wi-Fi, though international support isn't yet known.

The N79 in turn replaces the N78 from just months earlier and upgrades the camera from 3.2 to five megapixels, also using a dual-LED based flash; Nokia is marketing the device as a fashion phone with swappable back covers that change the look to reflect its owner's tastes. The candybar design also has the full 3G, GPS, and Wi-Fi feature set and lasts for up to 24 hours of music. A 4GB microSD card gives it more storage than the earlier handset.

In contrast to some Nokia phone introductions, the company plans a quick release and should make both the N79 and N85 available in the UK as of next month. Releases for Europe and other areas are likely to vary, though both the N79 and N81 have been available in the US as unlocked devices. [images viaPocket-lint]

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