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Mobile World Congress 2009 - Showcase Nokia (Updated with Video!)

By Seow Tein Hee - 23 Feb 2009

E-Series - Nokia E75 & E55

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Following the wildly popular (and successful) Nokia E71 comes another full QWERTY device from the E-series lineup: the Nokia E75. Images of the E75 have been out in the wild for some time, but this is the first time that we actually got close and personal with this messaging device.

On the surface, the E75 sports a very similar look to its earlier cousin, the Nokia E51, with its alphanumeric keypad and form factor. But what got us interested is the new design concept for the E-series: the slide-out, full QWERTY keyboard. Like the upcoming Nokia N97, the full QWERTY keyboard is specifically targeted at consumers looking for fast and accurate typing for documentation purposes. Essentially, this fits the main business focus of the E-series well, and there's also a suite of connectivity options. Besides the usual HSDPA and GPS with A-GPS, there's also a built-in mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) function. This is more suited for office connectivity needs, which allows you to access your company's intranet network securely through VPN usage.

For bells and whistles, the E75 also comes with a bundled 4GB microSD memory card, and like most other Nokia devices nowadays, it's going with the 3.5mm audio jack route. In truth, this is a unified plan for their Nokia Music Store and the soon to be launched "Comes with Music" service. Though the E75 is an E-series device, it seems like entertainment is still a big part in the Nokia master plan. Similar to its earlier E71 sibling, the E75 will also come with two customizable home screens for both work and personal usage. Furthermore, the E75 also supports N-Gage and will be part of the Ovi suite of services, such as Mail on Ovi and Files on Ovi.

With both a numeric keypad and a full QWERTY keyboard, the Nokia E75 does cover its bases well. It also comes with a 1000mAh battery, and 2.4" QVGA screen and a 3.2-megapixel camera for on-the-move snap shots. The Nokia E75 is looking at a Q1 launch, which means very very soon.

If you want something lighter and more compact, let us highlight the Nokia E55. The biggest draw of this compact device is a high capacity 1500mAh battery. Not too shabby for a device measuring 116 x 49 x 9.9mm and weighing only 98 grams. By far, the E55 will be one of the slimmest and lightest devices in the E-series lineup, and it doesn't cut back on the features either. Like the E75, the new E55 is compatible with the suite of Ovi services and is equipped with a 2.4-inch QVGA screen too. What sets this device apart is the compact QWERTY keyboard. And by that, we mean really compact, since it's a 16-button keypad. As you can see, each key is tied to two letters in the QWERTY layout, and though it is a fresh approach for Nokia, it has been seen in other devices.

Though the compact QWERTY keypad is not exactly the newest kid on the block, it is a fresh approach for the Nokia E-series.

Glancing at the side profile, we noticed how slim the E55 is, measuring at a mere 9.9mm. It's also pretty light at 98g, but it doesn't pull back on the feature front with a high-powered 1500mAh battery and loads of features too.

Whilst the E55 is looking at a launch period of Q2 2009 (and thus out of sight for a while), it will come with the latest Nokia Maps 3.0 that works in tandem with its GPS and A-GPS feature. Though it doesn't come with the new touch-screen based Symbian S60 V5.0 interface, the E55 does come with some enhancements to its user interface, such as a voice-based one that gives you access to basic features on your device.

As you can see, the Nokia E55's compact form factor will be targeted at a female audience, whilst the Nokia E75's numeric and slide-out full QWERTY keyboard is more of a man device. But hey, to us, we think it works both ways.

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