14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia announced today the launch of its first mobile phone to come with a built-in radio antenna, eliminating the need for a headset or external speakers. The new 5030 allows users to enjoy FM Radio through the one-touch radio and channel selection keys spotted on the side of the device. The new XpressRadio handset is also able to deliver up to 24 hours of listening time, as well as about 10 hours of talk time.
The new Nokia 5030 comes to the market in graphite or red, it’s small and light, and also packs powerful speakers. It comes with a 1.8-inch screen as well as messaging capabilities and internal memory for 500 contacts in the phone book and 250 SMSes. In addition, the new mobile phone comes with support for 75 languages.
According to the Finnish cell phone maker, the new Nokia 5030 has been developed to fulfill the needs of users in emerging markets, where FM radio is one of the main sources of entertainment and news. Besides the radio capabilities, the handset also features a flashlight, as well as a speaking clock and alarm.
According to Jo Harlow, Devices, Nokia, the company's music-oriented handsets have proved to be quite a success, and the new phone follows its predecessors on the market: “We’ve sold more than 425 million devices with a digital music player and more than 700 million devices with an FM radio, which clearly shows that the mobile phone is the natural device for listening to the music and carrying it with you.”
Nokia also announced that the new 5030 came as one of the most affordable devices the company launched on the market, and that it should start shipping it in the second quarter of the ongoing year. At the same time, the price tag of the handset is expected to float around the 40 EUR mark, before taxes or subsidies.
