Nokia offers music, messaging to US phone customers

news
Aug 4, 20032 mins

Phones also give access to corporate data, e-mail

Nokia Corp. released two phones for sale in the U.S. Monday for professionals and students who want to listen to music and exchange wireless messages, the company said in a release.

Business customers who need access to e-mail and corporate data can use the Nokia 6800 to download applications, send messages, and receive images through AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Services) network.

The Nokia 6800 costs $149.99, and is available through AT&T Wireless’ Web site, or at retail locations.

The Nokia 3300 comes with an MP3 player and an FM stereo radio for listening to music. Users can store songs on MMC (Multimedia Card) cards that can be swapped between other devices, or access songs from their PCs via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. It is available for $249.99 through Cingular Wireless LLC, according to Cingular’s Web site.

RealNetworks Inc. will develop a plug-in version of its RealPlayer software for the Nokia phone in the coming months and that will allow users to create and maintain playlists of favorite songs on their Nokia 3300 phones.

Both phones were previously released in Europe, but will be available in the U.S for the first time with Monday’s announcement.

Shipments of mobile phones grew sharply in the last quarter, according to research released last week from IDC. Phones with color screens, multimedia capabilities, and data connections are driving the growth of the market, and Nokia is profiting, with a leading 34.6 percent share of the market in the second quarter.