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Nokia chose Delhi, India, to launch seven GSM mobile phones for emerging markets, including two intended for shared use by families or entire villages. India had 166 million mobile subscribers at the end of March, up 68% over a year earlier, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Most of these subscribers are in urban areas. Large mobile service providers have identified the rural market as the next big opportunity. The government is also subsidizing roll-outs of mobile services in rural markets, and has proposed that operators share infrastructure to reduce costs. To help manage airtime costs, the call-time tracking feature allows consumers and village phone entrepreneurs to preset a time or cost limit on individual calls, automatically ending the call after the limit has been reached.

Nokia's 1200 and 1208 models offer call-time tracking and multiple phonebooks, the company said. The Nokia 1200, with a monochrome screen, will be available this quarter with an estimated retail price of about $48 before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia 1208, with a color VGA-resolution screen, will be available in the third quarter of this year with an estimated retail price of $65. Nokia also launched the entry-level Nokia 1650 ($75) and the Nokia 2660 ($115), both available this quarter. In the third quarter, Nokia plans to ship the Nokia 2630 ($115) and 2760 ($122) with features such as a built-in camera, an e-mail client, an FM radio and Bluetooth connectivity. The company also unveiled the Nokia 2505, an entry-level phone based on the code division multiple access standard for markets in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, China, and Latin America. The phone (price was not disclosed) will be available in select markets in this quarter.

News source: InfoWorld