"Mass market" Nokia E63 announced

By Nick Mansell on Wed 12 November 2008

Nokia's just announced a new E-Series handset that bears a striking resemblance to one that appeared in a leaked video two months ago. Dubbed the E63 (rather than "E72" as it was badged in the vid) it'll actually sit alongside the E71 rather than nudge it from the shelves.

It's been pegged as the phone to give Nokia's BlackBerry rivalling E-Series the "mass market appeal" it craves. Given that it'll be up against the all-singing, all-dancing BlackBerry Storm, we'd seriously question that statement but the E63 does have one ace up its sleeve: price. Even before any network subsidies it'll sell for 199 Euros plus tax. At today's exchange rate and adding the VAT, that comes out at a sim-free price of just £195.

The price-cut does come with a features cut. Gone is the stainless steel case in favour of cheaper plastic. It loses its dedicated on/off button, which moves to the "end" key. There's no GPS or infrared and the camera's been downgraded to a non-auto focussing 2mp, with no front-facing cam for video calls. While Nokia's press release (below) is short on facts, it's thought it also loses HSDPA, but does retain 3G and Wi-Fi.

On a positive note it does (finally) get a proper 3.5mm headphone jack and the keys are, er, slightly larger. Other "consumer" touches include the option of two colours, "ultramarine blue" or "ruby red". Suits will also be kept happy with the inclusion of a 1GB Ovi subscription for online file storage and the usual Mail for Exchange support.

One nice touch is a dedicated button for switching between work and play modes - let's call it a boss key, or as Nokia Senior VP, Soren Petersen, puts it, people can "be just as involved in their social network as they are in their business network." Cringe.

Expect it in the next few weeks on a high street near you.

Press release:

Nokia launches Eseries messaging device with mass market appeal
November 12, 2008

Nokia E63 joins the successful Nokia E71 to form a compelling QWERTY messaging device range
 
Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced the latest addition to its Eseries range, the Nokia E63, designed for people who need to manage their business and personal lives equally well. Building on the success of the Nokia E71, the company's flagship messaging device, the Nokia E63 brings the QWERTY keyboard form factor to a broader audience at a great price. The Nokia E63 is expected to begin shipping in the coming weeks for an estimated retail price of EUR 199, before taxes and subsidies.
 
"Our research shows that people want a device that deals with both their personal and professional lives, but helps them to separate the two. When someone sits down at lunch, they want to update their social network or browse their personal email account and they don't want work getting in the way of that. It's another great case of technology adapting to the people that use it," says Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Nokia. "The Nokia E63 is a new proposition for Eseries - a messaging device where people will be just as involved in their social network as they are in their business network."
 
Whilst appealing to a new group of consumers with a design that feels great in the hand and has two new colors, the Nokia E63 is still very much a member of the Eseries family. Petersen continues, "People use Eseries to access their corporate mail, review their calendar and work in their business network, so the Nokia E63 still includes Wi-Fi connectivity, easy access to Mail for Exchange and dedicated key access to contacts, calendar and email."
 
The Nokia E63 also has the ability to switch modes with a single key press, switching from a view of corporate mail, appointments and intranet data, to a personal mode with a picture of friends, personal email and shortcuts to favorite hobby blogs or websites. Petersen adds, "The amazing response we have seen to the Nokia E71, which has very quickly become the best selling model in its category, let us know that we are heading in the right direction. People want a rich experience when using messaging, social networks and the Internet. With the Nokia E63 you can enjoy the web, update your status and work meaningfully with multiple email accounts."
 
The Nokia E63 also includes Files on Ovi, a service where people can get remote access to their PC files even when their computer is offline. Anyone buying the handset will have access to 1GB of online file storage for free. 
 
The Nokia E63 will be available in ruby red or ultramarine blue with a range of multimedia features.  Record and view images and videos with the digital camera and bright landscape display, listen to music downloaded from the Nokia Music Store, or a number of other sources, via the standard 3,5 mm audio jack or customize the device through the thousands of applications available for download.