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Nokia's latest batch for emerging markets includes its cheapest phone ever
We spend most of our time talking about Espoo's Maemo- and Symbian-based lineup, which makes it easy to forget that the company has a vibrant business taking care of the very lowest rungs of the wireless industry -- devices that shatter price barriers and take service to entire new market segments in the furthest reaches of the world. Last year, it was the 1202 raising eyebrows with a €25 price tag, and this week, Nokia's beaten its own mark by coming out with the 1280 (pictured) at just €20 unsubsidized. The phone comes as part of a new five-pack of emerging market devices Nokia has shown this time around, including candybars ranging from the monochrome 1280 to the 1616 and 1800 with color displays for just €4 and €6 more, respectively; we've also got a 2220 slider and 2690 candybar that move a little upmarket at €45 and €54. All of the handsets feature FM radios (particularly critical in some of the markets where these phones will be sold) and feature killer battery life, perfect when power outlets can be hard to come by for days at a time. Indonesia will be the first to get these bad boys in early December, but we imagine they'll find their way to other regions shortly.
Nokia 2220 possibly spotted, clearly has no XpressMusic aspirations
Though Nokia's well-known for its midrange and high-end handsets, the meat and potatoes operation might be the low end -- take the venerable 1100, for example, which is kind of a big deal seeing how it's the best-selling phone in history. That's why phones like this rumored 2220 here are important, even though it won't make much of a PR splash when Nokia finally gets around to announcing it. The sleek slider keeps things ultra-simple with a VGA cam and a dual-band GSM radio, but it still manages to pack a 3.5mm jack, Series 40 (as opposed to the bare-bones Series 30), and an FM tuner. Look for it this quarter in select markets if the insider info here pans out. [Thanks, Daniel]
