14 DAY TRIAL // Officially introduced several days ago, the gold-plated version of the popular Nokia C7 Symbian smartphone is about to make its debut overseas.
The device has just been spotted at the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) waiting for its admission in the United States.
Nokia's move comes as a surprise as the Finnish giant initially stated that the phone will only be available in the Middle East and Russia, where the smartphone is a best-seller for some time, though the Oro features pentaband radio connectivity.
“Premium products like Nokia Oro have always been best sellers in Russia. We have a large number of users who are looking for products with a build quality and superior materials that attest to their success and social standing.” said Nokia’s general manager for Russia, Gabriel Speratti.
As we reported earlier, Nokia Oro is a premium Nokia C7 built from high-quality materials, so fans of the brand should expect a certain amount of gold, sapphire and expensive leather.
Software-wise, the phone comes with Symbian Anna out-of-the-box, unlike its ordinary twin that has to wait a bit more for the promised update.
Furthermore, the device comes with HSDPA 3G and WiFi connectivity, a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, an 8-megapixel camera with 720p video recording and a 680 MHz ARM 11 processor.
It will be interesting to see how much U.S. customers will have to pay for the Oro, as the manufacturer's suggested retail price is around EUR 800 (taxes excluded).
Even though the phone supports both AT&T's UMTS bands and T-Mobile's 1700 Mhz network, it is highly unlikely that Nokia Oro will be retailed by any major carriers in the United States.
Nokia Oro is most likely to be available unsubsidized via Nokia USA for a price that will probably be unveiled as soon as the phone gets approved by the FCC.
On related news, according to a recent interview, the Oro seems to be the Nokia CEO's, Stephen Elop, phone of choice.
