A Look Ahead at Nokia's Devices for the Rest of 2008

For a company that has a 40+% share of the worldwide market, a range from low-end candybars to high-end multimedia devices, and services for consumers and businesses alike, Nokia has proved itself a bit slow to respond to the changing market place.

Where it was once the choice for consumers looking for style, now this group turns to Sony Ericsson and iPhone. Where it was an innovator only a year or so ago with the N95, refreshes such as the E71 and upcoming N85 look ordinary compared to devices like the Samsung InnoV8 or the HTC Touch HD.

Apparently, though, Nokia intends to respond, and a recent document leaked to Engadget shows the products it is going use, even if some of the models shown do not come to fruition.

Devices for 2008... Maybe

There are less than ten weeks left in 2008, but according to the leaked document Nokia is not quite done with announcing or releasing devices.

However, this list is just of the prototype development schedule, and it appears to be about a year old, so plans can and probably already have changed.

Some highlights from this list:

• With the exception of the N79, no other devices with these specifications have been released or announced by Nokia. The E63 (Sofie) is rumored, but there’s no word about when this model might be introduced.

• The N85 has already been unveiled, but the model codenamed Athlon is not among the devices that were named in the official announcement.

• Of the models noted, there is only one that will be using Symbian S60 version 3.1. Version 3.2 seems to be making significant headway throughout the model line. The specific notation of version 3.2.3 might indicate a major update supporting some type of advanced/refined features.

• The hybrid keyboard noted for the model codenamed Terra might indicate something other than the sliding or on-screen keyboards that have appeared across model lines.

• The model, Mobile Office 09, might be a replacement in the Communicator line. The current model, the E90, has had polarizing reviews, so this might be a significant effort on the side of Nokia to increase the ability of this device to be an enterprise-class communicator.

If this leaked document is accurate, Nokia seems to be bolstering the mid- and high-end ranges of its E and N-series lineups. Models such as the IP08 and Ivalo look to be high-end models which will not only command a high price, but also the eyes of many mobile enthusiasts.

As development cycles go, though, nothing is certain. And the current global economic conditions might shift the release timelines of these devices to later or never-at-all.

Note: The document leaked to Engadget also lists the smartphones Nokia intends to release in 2009. These will be described in a separate article.

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