Nokia Announces 5230 SmartphoneNokia Announces 5230 Smartphone

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Nokia 5230

With the introduction of the low-cost 5230, Nokia is trying to bring touchscreen smartphones to the masses.

The handset has a 3.2-inch resistive touch-screen, and it is powered by Symbian S60 5th edition. While the handset is not as powerful as the iPhone or Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic, the 5230 packs multiple features to keep users connected on the go.

Users can send and receive e-mails, as well as visit social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook thanks to its 3G capabilities. The handset also can connect via EDGE connections, but there is no Wi-Fi. The smartphone comes with a GPS chipset that can be used in conjunction with Nokia Maps for directions and location-based searches.

The 5230 can also access Nokia's Ovi Store to download new applications and other content. There is also a preloaded document viewer, so users can read Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files on the handset.

The handset should be a capable multimedia device, as it can play various types of video and audio files, and it comes with an FM tuner. It only has 70 MB of onboard storage, but that can be expanded up to 16 GB via the microSD slot. Additionally, there's a 2-megapixel camera that can record video, and the device comes with software to edit pictures.

The 5230 is expected to roll out in certain markets in the fourth quarter for about $215 before taxes and subsidies, and a premium version with the Nokia's Comes With Music service will cost about $370.

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