Nokia touts business smartphone as focus shines on iPhone

Nokia Corp. announced with little fanfare the impending launch of its E51 smartphone at BT, an operator in the United Kingdom and rival to O2 UK. But the Finnish company’s timing spoke volumes.
Nokia touted the E51’s no-nonsense e-mail solutions in an apparent attempt to contrast the device with the more fun-oriented features of the iPhone from Apple Inc., which received most of the spotlight today during a pre-launch announcement from Apple and O2 in London.
The E51 will launch globally in the fourth quarter, including the United States, at an unsubsidized $486, Nokia said. (The iPhone will sell at retail in the U.K. for $538.) In the U.S., Nokia will sell the E51 device through its Nokia for Business Channel program-which focuses on traditional IT channels-as well as through Dell.com, Gateway.com and other mass-market PC dealers, which also sell a range of Nokia enterprise devices.
The press release for the E51 emphasized its ability to serve both business and personal needs “with the convenience of one phone number, one voice mailbox, one dial plan-in a single device.” The language appeared to take aim at possible iPhone purchasers, who may well buy the latter device to complement their primary, voice-oriented mobile handset.
The E51 offers a home screen with user-selected icons for high-use applications, dedicated buttons for e-mail, contacts, calendar and the home screen. The device also offers a range of e-mail applications, including Nokia’s own Intellisync and Mail for Exchange, which communicates with Microsoft Corp.’s Exchange server and consumer e-mail applications. The device also is able to integrate with corporate telephony systems, or PBX.