European phone maker Nokia has finally confirmed that they are set to enter the notebook and netbook market with their first netbook expected in Australia by the end of the year.
It is also tipped that both Telstra and Optus will range the new offerings at $0 dollars up front.
There is also speculation that the new Nokia netbooks will have 3G Sim card capability built in.
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The Finish Company has said that It’s first netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G, will incorporate Microsoft’s new Windows 7 software and Intel’s Atom processor. It will also have 12 hours battery life. The Windows 7 OS will be a stripped down version. The netbook will also include some Microsoft applications.
The move comes as Nokia struggles to hold market share particularly in the Smartphone market which is dominated by Apple.
According to Reuters, Nokia has seen its profit margins drop over the last quarters as handset demand has slumped, and analysts have worried that entering the PC industry, where margins are traditionally razor-thin, could hurt Nokia’s profits further.
“We are fully aware what has the margin level been in the PC world. We have gone into this with our eyes wide open,” Kai Oistamo, the head of Nokia’s key phone unit, told Reuters.
Research firm IDC expects netbook shipments this year to grow more than 127 percent from 2008 to over 26 million units, outperforming the overall PC market that is expected to remain flat and a phone market which is shrinking some 10 percent.
The Nokia Booklet 3G is housed in an aluminum chassis and tips the scales at about 1.25 kilo while measuring about 19.81 millimetres thick — less than the thickness of two Apple’s iPhone 3Gs, which measure about 12.192 millimetres thick, stacked on top of each other.
Nokia’s Windows-based notebook offering is powered by an Intel Atom processor, allowing the Booklet 3G to achieve up to 12 hours of battery life. Connectivity on Nokia’s device is handled by a variety of options, including 3G/HSPA and Wi-Fi.
The Nokia Booklet 3G has a built-in HDMI port for HD video-out and front-facing camera for taking video. The hardware also includes Bluetooth capabilities and an SD card reader. The screen size on the notebook measures about 10-inches and the machine comes with Assisted GPS integrated out of the box.
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