In a press conference Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, Nokia announced four new, low-cost cell phones, including two with dual SIMs — plus a phone battery charger powered by a bicycle. The new devices can help strengthen the Finnish device maker’s already powerful presence in emerging markets.
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Three of the phones are part of the company’s C1 series, and one — coming out at the end of the year — is labeled the C2. The C1-00 is the first to offer a dual SIM.
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By simply holding down a key, said Nokia Vice President Alex Lambeek, people are able to switch between SIM cards. He added that this allows a user to take advantage of reduced call rates, provides flexibility when traveling between countries, and makes it easier for sharing between users — each with a separate phone number.
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Ovi Life Tools
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The C1-00 will also offer a standby battery life of up to six weeks, which Nokia said is the longest ever for one of its mobile phones, and it has a small flashlight and an FM radio.
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The C1-01 and C1-02 are both single-SIM devices, up to 32GB, and each has an FM radio and a VGA camera.
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The C2, also with dual SIMs up to 32GB, has dual standby capability. This means that calls and text messages can come to either phone number on the SIMs. One of the two SIMs is hot-swappable, so it can be exchanged while the phone is on. The four phones range from about $37 for the C1 to about $45 for the C2.
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The C2 also features information on health care, agriculture, education and entertainment within Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools, and an Ovi Mail e-mail account designed for the developing world.
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‘Smart Moves’
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The bicycle charger kit fastens onto a bike, and the dynamo, or small electrical generator, uses…