11/06, 12:45pm
IDC Q3 2009 phone share results live
Apple gained market share in the summer but slipped in the face of tougher competition, according to new IDC data. The iPhone's share of smartphones grew from 16.6 percent to 17.1 percent during the quarter but was overtaken by Research in Motion's record BlackBerry sales, which pushed it above Apple from 14.6 percent to 19 percent. The reversal is credited to the BlackBerry's wider distribution and the launch of a pair of key phones, the Tour and the Curve 8520.
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11/05, 10:35am
Nokia X6 available worldwide
Nokia on Thursday said it has started shipping the X6. Its latest touchscreen-only smartphone is the first from the company to use capacitive touch and responds much more precisely and quickly to input than the pressure-based resistive screens of earlier models. Reinforcing this upscale image, the X6 is also more advanced than the 5800 XpressMusic with a 5-megapixel camera and 32GB of internal storage.
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11/05, 8:55am
Telus HSPA launches with new phones
Telus this morning took its turn at launching its own HSPA+ network and new devices, including the iPhone. It sells the iPhone 3G and both the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS units at the same $100, $200 and $300 prices as at Bell and Rogers on a three-year contract. The plans are slightly different than Bell's and start with a $50 Clear Choice iPhone plan that provides 150 minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends after 9PM and 500MB of data with tethering but supplies the perk of either unlimited local calls and MMS/SMS messaging to five numbers, double the minutes, or 1,000 outbound (unlimited inbound) messages.
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11/04, 6:55pm
One Voice initiative aims for interoperability
A long list of cellular providers and manufacturers, including players such as AT&T, Verizon, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Siemens, Ericsson and Samsung, have all agreed on standards for voice calls and SMS messages distributed across LTE networks. The companies have collaborated on a technical profile, the One Voice initiative, that aims to ensure widespread compatibility between different products.
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11/04, 6:35pm
LG targeting iPhone, BlackBerry, Pre
LG now considers the iPhone one of its largest competitors in the smartphone space, CEO Yong Nam said in a Washington presentation today. He dismisses both market leader Nokia and Sony Ericsson as rivals and instead says most of LG's energy is now focused on beating Apple, Palm and Research in Motion. The Korean company is now "investing heavily" in smartphones and is putting most of its focus on touchscreen devices like the Android-based Eve and multiple Windows Mobile phones.
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11/04, 5:10pm
Nokia intros Life Tools service, five new phones
Nokia on Wednesday announced it has developed and will soon release five new entry-level handsets meant for those in the developing world. These handsets will support Nokia Life Tools, a set of livelihood improvement aids for users in small towns or the countryside. The Nokia 1280, 1616 and 1800 are the most basic of the set and are designed explicitly for areas with harsh climates and poor electricity. All have similar features, including FM radio support, a prepaid tracker, built-in flashlight and an anti-scratch cover and dust-resistant keypad. Battery life is rated at up to 22 days of standby time.
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10/30, 3:25pm
Nokia N-Gage closes in 2010
Nokia today closed a chapter in its online history today with news that it would close its N-Gage gaming service. The company plans to shutter the game download and community in September 2010 and is moving all its users over to the Ovi Store. Games on devices and in the store will remain, but Nokia warns that community features like high scores will come to an end as part of the switchover.
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10/30, 9:45am
Phone sales to bounce back in fall
Apple in two years has pushed the iPhone up to 2.5 percent of the entire cellphone market, Strategy Analytics estimates. The company has roughly doubled its share from a year ago and now has half the share of established firms Motorola and Sony Ericsson, which have remained flat at five percent. Some of the gain is likely to have come at Nokia's expense, as it shrank to 37 percent share, its lowest since the start of 2007.
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10/29, 7:20pm
Company attempting to double US market share
Nokia is allegedly working on a Symbian-based handset aimed at the US market, an unnamed source has told VentureBeat. Interestingly enough, the device is expected to integrate a Qualcomm chip. If true, the component choice could indicate the companies are continuing to warm up to each other after a lengthy legal war over patent claims.
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10/28, 5:25pm
Nokia N97 mini now shipping, 2.0 update released
Nokia on Wednesday announced it is now shipping the N97 mini and has released a new update for its N97 smartphone. The newer N97 variant still has a QWERTY keyboard that angles out but has a smaller 3.2-inch touchscreen, a more compact keyboard and 8GB of built-in flash instead of the larger model's 32GB. It costs the equivalent of $664 in Europe, where it's sold unlocked and without a contract and should also be available subsidized through carriers in the near future.
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10/28, 12:20pm
Google Maps Navigation official with 3D
Google today provided added details of the turn-by-turn mapping service found on the Motorola Droid. Google Maps Navigation adds many of the features that would normally exist in a dedicated GPS unit, such as a bird's-eye view and spoken directions, but takes advantage of Google's existing Maps features. Traffic is free in those areas where Google provides service, and Street View can show directions overlaid on top of in-location photos.
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10/27, 10:55am
Nokia intros first TD-SCDMA handset for China
Nokia on Tuesday showed off its first handset to support China's native 3G standard, TD-SCDMA. The Nokia 6788 was developed in conjunction with China Mobile, the country's biggest wireless provider, and sports a 2.8-inch display with 320x240 resolution and is considered smartphone-grade through its use of Symbian S60. There is also a 5-megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash.
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10/26, 1:25pm
Analysts dispute possible payments
A Nokia patent lawsuit could cost Apple as much as $1 billion in back payments, argues Strategy Analytics' Neil Mawston. The analyst tells Reuters that because of the over 34 million iPhones Apple has shipped to date, the company could owe anywhere between $200 million and $1 billion, depending on the terms of a settlement. Pund-IT analyst Charles King suggests that a $400 million figure more likely, assuming a 2 percent royalty scheme.
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10/26, 9:30am
Strong Booklet 3G demand nets 2nd model
Demand has been high enough for Nokia's Booklet 3G netbook that the company is moving ahead with a second model next year, a leak to Taiwan's Economic Daily News newspaper claims. Nokia's contractor in the area, Compal, is reportedly working "overtime" to meet demand for the Atom-based portable and that it's likely to receive orders for a 2010 model as well. Details of the system are unknown, including whether or not it's an upgrade to the existing system or an entirely new configuration.
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10/23, 4:40pm
Nokia confirms delay of N900 handset
Nokia will delay the release of its flagship N900 smartphone to November, Peter Schneider, the head of Maemo marketing at Nokia indicated on Friday. This represents a near one month delay and is apparently due to a wait for the feedback of software developers who received 300 pre-production units. The device will be the first from the world's top phone maker to use an open-source Linux operating system.
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10/23, 11:15am
Move a preemptive strike?
Following news of Nokia's patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, UBS analyst Maynard Um suggests the possibility of a hidden agenda. The case -- involving Nokia patents on technology ranging from 3G to Wi-Fi and GSM -- could be a preemptive strike in order to avoid possible infringement issues with soon-to-be-released Nokia phones, many of which contain multi-touch capabilities similar to Apple's own.
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10/22, 11:35am
Nokia says iPhone violates GSM, 3G patents
Nokia on Thursday sued Apple in a Delaware court for allegedly infringing on ten wireless patents. The claim argues that all iPhones violate patents held by Nokia for GSM calling, 3G data and Wi-Fi as well as security. The Finnish company contends that its patents are recognized as key to cellphones and that Apple is enjoying a "free ride" by exploiting technology Nokia has supposedly developed.
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10/20, 4:05pm
EU deal for Euro-wide music licensing
The European Commission today reached a roundtable agreement with several music stores and labels to ensure more widely distributed music for the continent. Apple, Amazon, BEUC, EMI, Nokia, PRS for Music, SACEM, STIM, and Universal now say they will work with the Commission to desegregate music licensing in European Union countries and have labels produce licenses that work across multiple if not all member states. They will also more freely exchange information so that companies can get rights outside of a musician's home country.
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10/17, 12:30am
ITC finds Nokia not violating 3G patents
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) tonight exonerated Nokia by ending an investigation into claims by InterDigital that Nokia had violated its patents. The government agency has confirmed an initial decision by an Administrative Law Judge that said Nokia's use of UMTS-based 3G doesn't violate four InterDigital technology patents. Additionally, the ITC has rejected the portion of the judge's ruling that had originally found the patents valid and has denied InterDigital a chance to claim further patent violations.
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10/16, 11:35am
Nokia swaps phone execs, splits groups
Nokia took drastic action to improve its ailing smartphone business through a swap of executives as well as a reorganization of the company itself. Its Devices group has been split into a group for Smartphones, covering more advanced devices, as well as Mobile Phones, for its conventional Symbian S30 and S40 cellphones. The firm has also taken the unusual step of moving its chief financial officer, Rick Simonson, to head up the Mobile Phones group.
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10/16, 7:45am
Nokia CWM service has poor uptake
New figures provided to music labels show Nokia's Comes With Music unlimited music service has had a relatively poor uptake despite having a year to expand. Data from July obtained by Music Ally shows just 107,227 active users worldwide for the service, which lets buyers of specially-labeled phones get a year's worth of unlimited music downloads they can keep after the subscription ends. The news comes despite heavy promotion by Nokia and the support of all the major music labels.
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10/15, 4:35pm
Keyboard-free Nokia N920 leaked in photos
What appears to be a keyboard-free version of Nokia's as-yet-unreleased N900 smartphone has been spotted on the Internet recently. While the image is not official, it reveals the handset will have a larger, 4.13-inch capacitive touchscreen display and no hardware keyboard. The N900, in comparison, uses a 3.5-inch resistive (pressure-based) touchscreen with 800x480 resolution.
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10/15, 9:10am
Nokia's summer hurt by poor phone sales
Nokia on Thursday suffered one of its larger blows in recent years with word of especially poor results during its summer quarter. The company posted a net loss equivalent to $1.36 billion between July and September and almost completely reversed a $1.58 billion profit from a year earlier. Much of the blame was placed directly on a deep, 19.6 percent plunge in its revenue from phone sales compared to a year earlier, even though the number was a slight 5 per cent gain versus the spring.
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10/13, 11:35am
Nokia's 12-hour netbook ships to US
AT&T today said it would bring the Nokia Booklet 3G to the US as its most advanced netbook. The US version of the portable will ship preloaded with Windows 7 and arrive on the same day as the OS, October 22nd, as a Best Buy exclusive. It will sell for $299 when attached to a two-year, $60 monthly data contract but should still be less expensive at full price than the European version and will cost just $599 by itself.
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10/09, 12:55pm
Telus' HSPA date, phone lineup leaked
Telus' imminent HSPA 3G network has received what should be a more definitive launch date as well as its initial phone lineup. Multiple reports from insiders in HowardForums have staffers training to be ready on or before November 3rd for the new network. The preparation window would have the HSPA deploy at its earliest opportunity and may give a specific timeframe for the announced November iPhone launch on the Canadian network.
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10/09, 11:40am
Nokia ports Qt to Maemo 5, outs some Maemo 6 info
Nokia on Friday revealed early details of Maemo 6, its next-generation smartphone platform. The OS will be the first to natively support multi-touch and capacitive touchscreens and should finally put the Linux-based OS on par with modern platforms like iPhone or webOS. Until now, the software has depended on single-touch resistive (pressure-dependent) screens incapable of gestures or other more precise movements.
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10/09, 2:35am
Device sports an impressive UI and features list
Along with Nokia's Booklet 3G, Electronista at CTIA also had a chance to fondle the upcoming N900 smartphone. Despite criticisms of the predecessor, the N97, the N900 represents a fresh attempt for the company to edge ahead against its competitors in the smartphone arena.
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10/08, 11:55pm
Cellphone maker enters computer market
Nokia showed off some of its latest high-end devices, including the Booklet 3G and the N900, at the San Diego CTIA conference. The Booklet 3G integrates the same 10-inch screen size as a variety of netbooks, although, after handling the device, it is clearly quite different from the competition.
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10/08, 11:00am
JD Power says iPhone tops, hurts normal phones
The iPhone today claimed an even larger edge in satisfaction versus its rivals in JD Power's second phone satisfaction study of 2009. Apple's smartphone climbed ten points from an earlier score to 811 out of 1,000 while its closest rival, LG, managed just a four-point increase to 776. The two were the only smartphone designers to score above the industry average.
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10/07, 6:15pm
T-Mobile may have game changer news
US carrier T-Mobile is preparing its staff for a major, mysterious update that could have an impact on other carriers, a rumor implies tonight. A development known as "Project Black" has received few details, as those attached to it have signed non-disclosure agreements, but it will supposedly be significant enough to move T-Mobile up in US market share from its usual fourth place. T-Mobile staff would be trained on it starting Thursday.
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10/07, 1:05pm
T-Mobile shows upcoming handsets
On Wednesday, T-Mobile said it will soon release a number of new handsets, including a variation of the myTouch. Called the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition, it will sport a wood-grain finish to mimic a guitar's look and adds a 3.5mm headset jack. The standard-issue 4GB microSD memory card is replaced by a 16GB version, and is preloaded with exclusive videos and audio from unspecified iconic musicians.
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10/07, 10:30am
Android 2nd place in share in 3 years
Google's Android will be the second-largest smartphone platform in as little as three years, according to Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney estimated on Wednesday. While it trails today, the mobile OS is predicted to climb to 14.5 percent of the market, or about 76 million phones sold per year, by the end of 2012. As a consequence, it would whittle Symbian's market share down to 39 percent (203 million phones) and just slightly overtake the iPhone, which in this view would have 13.7 percent of the market or 71.5 million devices.
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10/05, 10:40am
Suffering declines due to iPhone, iPod work
Scottish manufacturer Wolfson Microelectronics is projecting year-over-year financial declines for its fourth quarter, says the Financial Times. Revenue is expected to be between $33 and $34 million, flat relative to the second and third quarters of 2009, but down from $37.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. The trouble is attributed mainly to a broken relationship with Apple; while Wolfson chips are featured in the iPhone 3G, there are none to be found in the iPhone 3GS.
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10/02, 3:50pm
Nokia Booklet 3G to cost $600 at Best Buy?
A leaked image of a Best Buy inventory screen reveals pricing for its exclusive deal for the Nokia Booklet 3G. The netbook will apparently be priced at $600 when it arrives at the electronics retailer, but possibly without subsidies from wireless providers. While a launch date is still unknown, the presence of the device in Best Buy's inventory indicates it should be out soon.
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10/02, 1:25pm
Juniper sees Symbian doubling in 5 years
The number of Symbian phones on the market should more than double in the next five years but won't have much of an impact on important rivals like the iPhone, a new study from Juniper Research said. Shipments should swell from 87 million phones from Nokia, Samsung and other Symbian supporters in 2009 to about 180 million by 2014. The expected increase is credited to a larger push towards partly or completely open-source code on phones. Combined with Android and LiMo (Linux Mobile) devices, about 223 million open-source devices should ship in 2014 as a result.
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10/01, 4:50pm
Nokia now a member of Wireless Power Consortium
The Wireless Power Consortium on Thursday announced that cellphone maker Nokia has become one of its members. This is expected to result in quicker development and the more widespread use of the Qi wireless charging standard the Consortium is working on. With the addition of Nokia, the company has backed the open standards that would be shared among many makers of cell phones and other portable electronics devices.
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10/01, 1:20pm
AT&T soon getting Nokia 6350 handset
Nokia on Thursday launched the 6350, a flip phone specific to AT&T. The simple handset will be available in red and graphite and carry dedicated external music keys. Data over 3G and a 2-megapixel camera put it closer to the mid-range.
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10/01, 9:50am
New Verizon handsets offer variety
Verizon Wireless has introduced three new handsets recently, including the Motorola Barrage, Verizon Razzle and Nokia Shade. The Barrage is the most unique as a ruggedized flip phone that meets the MIL-SPEC standard for resistance to submersion in water for up to 30 minutes as well as humidity, shock, vibration and exposure to sun. It otherwise has push-to-talk functionality and integrates a 2-megapixel camera.
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09/30, 4:40pm
Dell, LG, Lenovo suffer criticisms
Activist group Greenpeace has released a new edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics, which ranks major high-tech corporations in terms of their alleged environmental friendliness. Among the companies favored by Greenpeace's press efforts is Apple, which the group notes recently disclosed its carbon emissions. Apple has risen in rankings from 11th to 9th, aided not by the disclosure but by being the "most progressive" computer maker in terms of removing product toxins.
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09/30, 3:35pm
AdMob August 2009 gives iPhone the lead
Apple's iPhone OS has successfully overtaken Symbian for the lead in all mobile web traffic, according to the latest data from AdMob. The combined iPhone and iPod touch share has jumped from 33 percent in February to 40 percent in August. Symbian, meanwhile, has almost exactly traded positions with Apple and fell from 43 percent near the start of the year to 34 percent in August.
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09/28, 8:45am
Nokia acquires Dopplr
Nokia on Monday said it has acquired Dopplr. The deal gives the phone designer access to Dopplr's social location service, which lets users share each other's trips and recommended places at each stop, such as museums and restaurants. Nokia didn't provide the financial terms of the deal or say when it expected the deal to finish.
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09/24, 10:40am
Vodafone intros 360 platform, new handsets
UK provider Vodafone on Thursday announced it has launched Vodafone 360, a series of Internet services for cell phones and computers that brings together all contacts, favorite multimedia and photo files as well as social networks. This will allow messages or chats sent through IM programs or social networks such as Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk, to be synced between computer and phone, via both wired and wireless methods.
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09/22, 4:25pm
Moblin Linux 2.1 for smartphones
Intel at its Developer Forum keynote entered the smartphone field in earnest with the first edition of Moblin Linux for handsets. Version 2.1 is reworked to optimize the interface for touchscreen phone input and adds a panel-based interface for app switching, somewhat like the metaphor used in Palm's webOS. The software still centers on features from Moblin 2.0 like dedicated media playback and a full web browser.
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09/21, 3:00pm
CTIA worried neutrality hurts business
The CTIA industry advocacy group today reacted harshly to the FCC's suggested net neutrality rules. A statement from the carrier-backed group attempted to foster worries that there might be "unintended consequences" to forcing carriers not to discriminate against certain app types. The claim also suggested that all cellular devices might "be the same" if the rules took effect, as it would theoretically force device makers to allow a level playing field.
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09/17, 5:20pm
Technology approaching commercial deployment
Nokia Siemens on Thursday announced that it has made the first voice call on a 4G LTE network. Although the technology has been previously tested, the latest demonstration was performed on a commercial base station while using standards-compliant software. The call was placed at Nokia Siemens research and development facility in Ulm, Germany, using the company's Flexi Multiradio Base Station.
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09/16, 4:05pm
Environmental organization claims health threat
Apple's latest iPhone, the 3GS, ranks almost squarely in the middle of smartphones in terms of radiation output, a non-profit activist organization says. The Environmental Working Group notes that according to compiled data, the 3GS produces approximately 1.19W/kg of radiation. The figure is substantially lower than the worst-case examples, the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the Kyocera Jax S1300, which each produce 1.55W/kg.
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09/16, 10:25am
Nokia 5130 XM at T-Mobile
T-Mobile upgraded its budget media phones on Wednesday by bringing in the 5130 XpressMusic. Coming very close to the reference version, the candybar design centers on its dedicated media control strip along the side and its inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack. A 2-megapixel camera, FM radio, stereo Bluetooth and EDGE-based Internet access are part of the design.
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09/11, 3:45pm
AT&T stops sales of Nokia Mural handset
AT&T has stopped sales of the entry-level Mural flip phone from Nokia, which launched at the carrier earlier this month, because the device runs only on AT&T's 2G network instead of the 3G network, as promised. This was revealed by a Thursday BGR report, complete with an AT&T memo screen capture, and is blamed on a mistake at Nokia's factories.
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09/11, 12:45pm
Nokia says no-customize story untrue
Nokia this morning reversed its seeming stance on excluding carrier customization from Maemo-based smartphones like the N900. Despite an executive claiming Nokia would at least partly follow the Android and iPhone models of giving less control to carriers over software in the OS, the company now says the argument is "simply incorrect" and that there are "many customization points" for carriers to alter the platform.
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09/10, 9:50am
Nokia Twist swivel phone debuts in US first
Nokia today launched one of its most unusual phone designs to date through Verizon. The often-rumored 7705 Twist has a short, squat shape that has a swivel-out QWERTY keyboard instead of the usual slider. It also has a new contact light ring that can be programmed to flash when text or voice from a recognized contact comes in. Nokia lets owners customize the back shell with replacable covers, black and purple versions of which come with the Twist in the box.
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