February 17, 2009 Nokia has announced two new E series messaging devices; the E55 and E75. Both devices feature 320x240 displays and Series 60 Symbian OS and build upon the excellent E71 device Nokia released last year. The E55 device has a"two letter per key" keyboard similar to the Bleackberry Pearl that it's targeted to compete with while the E75 includes a slide out QWERTY keyboard as well as an exterior 12 key keypad and is aims to be the successor of Nokia's iconic Communicator devices.
The Nokia E75 should hit shelves in March for around 375EUR with the E55 to follow in Q2 for approximately 265EUR.
Nokia has coordinated these releases with an update of their Nokia Maps 3.0 service (which previously ran only on N series devices).
Read on for the complete press release from Nokia or see the gallery for lots more pics.
Nokia Press release:
Barcelona, Spain – Nokia today unveiled two new additions to its Eseries range, the Nokia E75 and Nokia E55, which are the first to ship with the company’s new email user interface. Both devices also come standard with Nokia Messaging that, when added to the company’s corporate email clients, gives people the most efficient solution for accessing the world’s consumer and corporate email on the go.In today’s climate, the costs and benefits of technology are under closer scrutiny and email is an essential driver of efficiency and productivity. “Efficiency is about doing more with less and focusing on what’s truly essential,” says Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President at Nokia. “With direct access to Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes, companies can potentially save up to a third of their operating costs as there’s no need for middleware or additional servers.”
With the latest Eseries devices, people will no longer need to boot up a PC to get a full desktop email experience. The enhanced email UI includes folder and HTML email support, expandable views and sorting capability by date, sender and size, as well as the most commonly used email functions just a single click away. On top of email, the devices also offer improved calendar capability, as well as contacts and task management. “With the Nokia E75 we took a lot of inspiration from the Nokia 9300, which was our first mini communicator,” adds Oistamo. “Owners of the Nokia 9300 loved the messaging functionality a full keyboard provided, but also used the traditional phone keypad a great deal. With the Nokia E75 we kept these essential ingredients, significantly upgraded all of the features and made it as compact as possible.”
“When we launched the Nokia E71 last year, we really set a new standard for just how compact a full QWERTY device could be,” continues Oistamo. “We have continued on this theme and have come back with the world’s most compact messaging device, the Nokia E55.” With the benefits of a compact QWERTY keyboard - as well as one click access to the most commonly use programs - reading, managing and responding to emails is quick and efficient. Another standout feature is the extensive battery life, with the Nokia E55 providing up to 28 days of standby time.
“With the Nokia E55 we have made messaging as efficient and pocketable as possible,” continues Oistamo. “In our usage tests, the Nokia E55’s compact QWERTY keyboard has been proven to be fast to learn and quicker to use than standard phone keypads.”Added to the Nokia Messaging service, both devices come with full Nokia Maps and assisted GPS with integrated 3-month license for turn-by-turn navigation, and a great gaming experience with N-Gage on board. With Ovi Files, also included on the Nokia E75, important files stored on a PC can be remotely managed and shared, even when your PC is switched off.
The new handsets come in the wake of the most successful year for Eseries to date, with more than 10 million units shipped in 2008. “With companies looking to consolidate costs and assets, and with the number of email-enabled devices in the Nokia range and our direct access model, Nokia look set to continue this performance in 2009,” concludes Oistamo.
The Nokia E75 is expected to ship in March at an estimated retail price of 375 EUR, before taxes and subsidies. The Nokia E55 is expected to ship in the second quarter at an estimated retail price will be 265 EUR, before taxes and subsidies.
