Nokia today launched the 5235 music phone that utilizes the company's "Comes With Music" offering, as the No. 1 phone manufacturer still struggles to compete with smartphone manufacturers.
The phone has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 2-megapixel camera, microSDHC slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the battery supports 33 hours of continuous music playback. The microSDHC slot offers an additional 16GB of storage capability, which Nokia hopes will convince consumers to use the phone as a primary music player.
As long as a wireless subscriber remains locked into the mandatory 12- or 18-month contract, they also have access to as much music as they can download to their mobile phone. Comes With Music initially sounded like an ideal solution, but consumers have been hesitant to purchase a Nokia phone for the service.
Nokia plans to release the phone during Q1 2010 for $214 -- the price is untaxed and unsubsidized.
Nokia, which just announced plans to close its two retail locations in the United States, has had a difficult time trying to diversify its product catalog. The company has made several music phones, but consumers are switching to smartphones, which offer many music-related features already.
Analysts expect smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone and RIM BlackBerry line, to gain additional popularity in the future, as wireless providers entice consumers to sign up for text messaging and data plans. Nokia remains the No. 1 smartphone manufacturer worldwide, but has been unable to adapt properly, which has severely cut into the company's profits.
