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Nokia C2. Expected Q2 2010.
Nokia's first full dual-SIM phone, the Nokia C2 is a basic entry-level device aimed primarily
at emerging markets, but with a feature set that should give it a pretty broad appeal
worldwide.
Priced at just €45 before tax and subsidy, the Nokia C2 comes with Bluetooth, a microSD
slot, a multimedia player, FM radio, VGA resolution camera, a 3.5mm audio connector, and in addition
the standard sales package includes a Nokia WH-102 stereo wired headset.
The display is a basic 1.8" 128 x 160 pixel panel, and network support is limited to dual-band
GSM with GPRS data only, and the operating system is Series 40 rather than anything fancy.
But then the Nokia C2 does offer pretty remarkable value for money and you can't have everything,
certainly not for €45 anyway.
The clever part with the C2 is the dual-SIM capability. Both SIMs are active at the same
time, so it really is like having two phones at once as either SIM can receive calls and
the user can decide which SIM to use when dialling out.
Perhaps the cleverest thing with the dual-SIM arrangement is that the second SIM is hot-swappable
through a slot in the C2, so it can be inserted when the phone is on. We don't know of any
other phone that can do this, and if you are regularly swapping SIMs then it's clearly
an advantage.
The C2 also comes with the usual Series 40 applications for personal information management,
plus an email client and web browser. The multimedia player can cope with MP3, WMA and
AAC formats, which when combined with the memory slot and 3.5mm audio socket will make
it a useful music player.
Nokia estimates that the C2 has up to 4 hours talktime and 16.5 days standby time, whether
this is in dual-SIM or single-SIM configuration is not very clear. The handset weighs just
74 grams and measures 108 x 45 x 15mm.
It is also a nice looking phone, available in gray, black, magenta, blue and white colour
schemes. It certainly looks more expensive than it is.
Nokia say that the C2 should be available during Q4 2010, and we assume that the C2
will be aimed at south Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe with specialist importers carrying
it elsewhere.