Nokia music phone

Electronics giant Nokia hopes to with its new N91 mobile phone. The device offers 4GB of storage space, positioning it against the iPod mini, rather than Apple's high-capacity iPods. Nokia claims the device can hold up to 3,000 songs, but would hold closer to 1,000 by Apple's measure. Besides functioning as a phone and music player, the device offers digital camera and e-mail functions. "Our research shows that people prefer to leave the house with just one device," Nokia director Bob Shallow says. The N91 claims to offer around 12 hours of battery life, about the same as Apple's claim for a 20GB iPod. The phone will allow users to download music on the go, rather than having to sync it to a computer. Nokia hopes phones that combine music playing will give a boost to slowing sales of handsets. The mobile phone industry's annual growth rate has slowed from 44 per cent at the beginning of last year to 10 per cent now. The N91 is expected to sell for $500.

by MacNN Staff