14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia 1508i was recently approved by the FCC to work on the CDMA 1900 MHz frequencies, this making the phone ready to be commercialized in the US. Nokia said the handset should hit the market in the third quarter of the year, hence in the next few months the 1508i might get to US users.
Officially presented at the beginning of June (together with the 1508 version), 1508i is a candybar that comes with a simple look. Since it's a CDMA device, Nokia 1508i can, theoretically, be released in the States by any of the following operators: Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, TracFone, US Cellular, MetroPCS and Cricket. Or, it might even be released by Virgin Mobile, since the MVNO is known for offering basic and affordable handsets (the latest of this kind, weirdly named TNT!, being unveiled today).
Regardless of which operator will offer the new Nokia 1508i (if any), the candybar will only attract users who don't want or don't need advanced handsets. That's because what we have here is an entry-level device with a limited list of features.
Nokia 1508i brings a 128 x 128 pixel display with 65K colors, stereo FM radio, a 2.5 mm headset jack, microUSB, SMS and a "smart messaging" feature, PC Suite support, speakerphone, calendar, alarm clock and distribution lists. With an internal memory of only 1MB (not expandable), the new candybar can store up to 500 contacts and up to 400 text messages.
Weighing 68 grams and measuring 103.8 x 43 x 14.8 millimeters, the 1508i packs an 860 mAh battery, which should be able to last up to 3.2 hours in talk-time mode and up to 8.3 days in stand-by mode.
For now, there are no details about the price of Nokia 1508i, but users should expect to pay about $100 for it or even less.