After the buzz the guys from Espoo created around their latest devices at their flagship annual event, pundits, analysts and every geek worth his salt have had their say.

While some wonder if the new smartphone line-up – and new product category in the form of the Booklet 3G – will herald a bolstered market share for the Finnish giant, some bemoan the lack of an 'X' factor in any of the devices to help them attain instant success.

At his keynote speech, Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive Vice-President, Markets, felt the need to banish any claim that the world's largest mobile phone maker was desperately trying to claw back market share.

"We are not on the defensive," he said at the Nokia World 2009, held this week in Stuttgart, Germany. "We are on the offensive."

Nokia President and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, popularly nicknamed OPK, said emphatically: "Change is not optional. Piece by piece, we are building a new Nokia. We have a long way to go but we are working hard to understand our customers' needs.

"Over the years, we have listened to your feedback and this is what we have to offer."

Here's a look at some of the latest offerings from Nokia and what we think about them.


N900

- What it is

A star attraction at the Nokia World, the buzz created around the N900 before the event was almost palpable. And boy, did it get a lot of attention.

Nokia says the N900 bridges the "wilderness between smartphone and compact laptop". Although the company has made internet tablets with the Linux-based Maemo platform, this is its debut device with phone functionality and 3G capabilities.

Using the latest Maemo 5, the N900 features a high-res, 3.5inch touchscreen and full physical slide-out Qwerty keyboard. It also stomachs 32GB storage, expandable up to 48GB with a ?micro?SD, a 5megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, an FM transmitter and up to nine hours of talk time.

- What we think

Our first impressions of the N900 were very good, as excited as we were to get our hands on it. The touchscreen was accurate and the interface was attractive and easy to use. Our favourite thing about it was the way it allowed us to multi-task. A small button at the top of the screen helps you see all your open applications, or you could shift to a four-page view with a swipe. This way, you don't have to close any application to run another one. There are so many customisation options to add to the fun.

The beauty of this device and the new platform it plays on is the possibilities. Its Linux base means it could soon be developer heaven as apps and widgets are added to its arsenal.

However, we thought the N900 was a bit on the chunkier side. Although the rather bored Nokia representative did try to explain it was because the device packs so much in, we were not quite convinced. The oomph factor is also missing in the looks department, we think. 

- Availability and price

Nokia says the N900 is "inked in the diary" to go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2009 in selected markets, and will cost around €500 (Dh2,619), before taxes. As much as we tried, we couldn't get anyone to commit on its arrival in the Middle East.


N97 Mini

- What it is

The N97 in a new avatar – after a bit of weight loss and cut in size and price. Although there isn't a major overhaul on the inside compared to its predecessor, the much reviled D-pad has but completely disappeared from the slide-out keypad. Yes, President OPK did say Nokia listens.

An interesting addition to the N97 mini is the new Ovi Lifescasting, a collaboration with Facebook. Through this feature, you can update your status and include a link of a map to your current location on Facebook. You can also capture an ?image and add it to your status update, share it with friends and get them to join in the conversation.

Other specs include a 3.2inch resistive touchscreen, a 5megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, and 8GB internal memory expandable to 16GB.

Still running the Symbian S60 OS, there have been minor improvements in the user interface and an addition of home screen widgets.

- What we think

We thank heavens for the new size; the N97 was too bulky. The Ovi Lifecasting is an interesting addition, bringing a whole new concept to mobile social networking. We think it also has the ?potential to become something much ?bigger.

We've often complained about resistive touchscreens but Nokia seems unwilling to move away from it. So we're giving them the benefit of the doubt. 

- Availability and price

The Nokia N97 mini will be available in Europe next month for an estimated ?retail price of €450 (Dh2,357) before taxes. Although there's been no word on Middle Eastern markets, we in the UAE pride ourselves on being one of the first in the world to have the N97. Will the honour be ours again? We shall have to wait and see.


X3

- What it is

A cheaper, smaller and simpler sibling of the X6, the X3 is the first S40 ?device to come Ovi Store enabled. Yes, S40, which is usually Nokia's platform for cheaper, lower-end phones.

But don't take this slider for granted – it sports a 3.2megapixel camera, a slim frame and a 2.2-inch screen. Stereo speakers, dedicated music keys, a built-in FM antenna and support for up to 16GB of storage via microSD card make for a nifty mobile music device. 

- What we think

Not really a Dubai phone, thanks to its price and looks; this is for those who want a simple, no-fuss device while still ?getting the advantage of the manufacturer's growing Ovi services. We loved the in-built FM antenna, which basically means you no longer have to plug your earphones to listen to the radio. 

- Availability and price

The Nokia X3 goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2009 for an estimated retail price of €115 (Dh602) before taxes. Like the X6, we in the UAE will have to wait until the launch of Comes With Music ?service.


X6

- What it is

One of the big launches at Nokia World, the X6 is a touchscreen phone with a 3.2inch LCD, 32GB of internal storage, a claimed battery life of 35 hours and a 5megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics.

A music phone, the sleek X6 is 14mm thin, and is part of Nokia's Comes With Music arsenal of devices, which is fast gaining popularity. A music service, users can load up on an unlimited number of tracks and keep them for the first year of ownership of every Comes With Music-enabled device. The service is currently available in 10 countries, with a scheduled United States launch later this year.

Although we couldn't get an official confirmation, we've been told that a Comes With Music launch in the UAE is imminent.

Another neat feature ?allows you to pack up to 20 of your friends onto your homescreen and also allows you to access Facebook and various other services directly.

- What we think

Having played with it for a few minutes, we were very impressed with the sleekness, elegance and overall design of the device.

The touchscreen was easy and responsive and believe it or not, is capacitive, which is a first for a Nokia device. It will come with a range of features, including video and photo editing features. Our only gripe is that we won't see this device unless Nokia launches the Comes With Music service in our neck of the woods.

- Availability and price

The X6 is to arrive in ?Europe in the fourth quarter of 2009 for an estimated retail price of €459 (Dh2,404) before taxes. As we've said, no Comes With Music service in the UAE means no X6 on the horizon.


Booklet 3g

- What it is

Another main attraction at the Nokia World exhibition area, the Booklet 3G marks the mobile phone giant's entry into new territories. While it did make computers in its early days, this new product category is its foray into the highly-competitive mini laptop arena.

Powered by an Intel Atom Z530 processor, running at 1.6GHz with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive, the Booklet 3G will come pre-loaded with Windows 7 and Nokia's own Ovi services and weigh just 1.25kg.

With a chassis made from a single piece of machined aluminum (sounds familiar?), it's just about two centimetres thin, features a variety of connectivity options, including 3G/HSPA and WiFi. With a battery life of up to 12 hours of usage time, we were told at the demo area that we no longer have to worry about taking the charger everywhere.

The mini-laptop also comes with an HDMI port for HD video out, a front-facing camera for video calling, integrated Bluetooth and an easily accessible SD card reader. Other features include the 10-inch HD-ready display and integrated A-GPS which, working with the Ovi Maps gadget, can pinpoint your position in seconds.

- What we think

We were quite surprised at the sleek design and just how small, compact and solid the Booklet 3G looked and felt. And it definitely did not feel like a cheaper laptop, something netbooks have come to be known as.

We're not sure if the integrated Nokia services could work as a USP, but we do know that synchronisation with all kinds of phones could be a breeze.

According to the representatives we spoke to – and if it can convince operators – Nokia could work out some kind of an arrangement where it could offer a combined deal of buying a Booklet 3G and a Nokia phone with two SIM cards and a combined data account.

All in all, the Booklet 3G is a very interesting entry and while it might not ?actually shake up the already crowded market, it is another great option to consider.

- Availability and price

The Booklet 3G is likely to appear on shop shelves in Europe later this year for around €575 (Dh3,012) before taxes. No word on ?arrival in the ?Middle East.

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