Nokia has just unveiled, in the most official way possible, its latest E-Series smartphones: Nokia E71 and Nokia E66. This comes after lots of leaked images and details about the handsets have been surfacing on the Web in the last months.

Presented by the Finnish company as "email-optimized devices", E71 and E66 pack what the E-series smartphones always have: business-oriented features. Both handsets will be available from July, for retail prices starting at 350 Euros (about $540). Nokia says that E71 and E66 will be on sale only on "key markets", but it didn't specify which ones exactly.

The E71 and E66 are both dressed in metallic cases and will come in two color versions: white steel and grey steel. Although Nokia did not unveil all the features of the new E-series smartphones, we do know that the main difference between them is that the E71 features a full QWERTY keypad, while the E66 is a slider with only an alphanumeric keypad. Plus, the E66 comes with an orientation sensor that enhances full-screen viewing and also allows users to mute the phone only by turning it over.

The common features of the new smartphones include: one-touch e-mail access, Microsoft Exchange (Mail for Exchange comes pre-installed), Nokia Intellisync wireless email, built-in encryption functionality for the internal memory as well as for the memory card, GSM and HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, Nokia Maps, support for mobile VPN, 3.2 Megapixel camera with auto focus, flash and video recording, high-end displays with 16 million colors, expandable memory (up to 8GB) and so on.

Talking about the new E-series smartphones, Søren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Devices, Nokia, said: "The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 were designed for people who lead a mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personal and work email. With both of these devices, we have responded to consumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at the touch of a button. Equally important, people want well-crafted devices that are as beautiful to use as they are to behold. Stainless steel was chosen as the core material for these devices, giving them additional strength and a touch of class. Furthermore, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 offer all the latest multimedia features that people desire."

All in all, it's nice to see Nokia finally came up with the prices and release dates for the E71 and E66 and we're now waiting for the smartphones to hit the market so that users can enjoy their features.