Nokia 5800 Xpress music out , TouchScreen battle hots up

Nokia is finally launching a touch-screen competitor to Apple's iphone 3G.

The 5800 has a 3.2-inch resistive touch screen and it's powered by Symbian S60, 5th edition. The user interface will be somewhat familiar to Symbian users, but the company has tweaked the UI for touch control.

"By adding the benefits of touch-screen technology to S60, the world's leading smartphone interface, Nokia is taking the familiar and giving it a human touch," said Nokia VP Jo Harlow, in a statement. "We have used touch technology where it really adds value such as the contacts bar, media bar, and clever shortcuts from the home screen to menu items such as calendar, profiles, and clock."

With a 640 by 360 display, the 5800 can play multiple types of video at a high resolution. Nokia is also emphasizing the handset's audio abilities, and there will be a built-in music player capable of multiple codecs. The handset will come with an 8-GB microsd card for storing this media, and the memory can be expanded up to 16 GB.

Nokia's first touch-screen handset also has a bevy of connectivity options with built-in Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities. These can be used to browse the Internet as well as check e-mail. The 5800 will also have Bluetooth version 2.0, GPS, and a proximity sensor to save battery life and avoid inadvertent touches.

The handset measures in at 4.3 by 2 by 0.6 inches, and it weighs about 3.8 ounces. Nokia said the handset will be available in Europe in the fourth quarter, and it will roll out to other markets in early 2009. The company said a version with its unlimited music download service, Comes With Music, will be available early next year.

The device has the look and feel of the iphone. Like the Apple device, rotating it causes the screen to switch from portrait to landscape and double clicking on a web page causes it to zoom in.

But unlike the iphone, the camera on the 5800 can take videos, at near film-like 25 frames a second "which for the youtube generation is great for being able to record video and upload it directly", according to Harlow. The battery life of the device is also better than both the iphone and the G1.

The 5800 and G1 share some characteristics such as tactile feedback. Pressing on an icon causes the phone to vibrate slightly, this is particularly useful when using the qwerty keypad on the touchscreen as it makes it easier to judge which key is being depressed. The keys also change colour when pressed.

Nokia's first full touchscreen device will not be its last. Jo Harlow, the company's senior vice president, marketing said: "This is only one of a portfolio of touch enabled devices that you will see from Nokia. Here we are focusing on music and entertainment and touch really enables that. You will see other devices from us that focus on different segments and different needs that touch enables as well."

"This will be available in all operators, we are not looking at limiting the availability," she said.

Nokia said it would begin selling its 5800 Xpressmusic model shortly, and will price it at 279 euros ($395), excluding subsidies and taxes.