Until the partnership starts to bear fruit, however, Nokia looks set to remain a struggling figure in the high-end smartphone market. Its latest product, the Symbian ^3-based E7, is marketed as a touchscreen business smartphone complete with consumer-centric features.
The product contains business-focused capabilities such as Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile, VPN access and mobile security (implemented in conjunction with various partners such as Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, F-secure, RSA, Kaspersky, TrendMicro and Symantec.
Other features include a slide-out qwerty keyboard, USB support, mini HDMI output, and 4-inch AMOLED screen. The S$989 ($775) price tag is on par with that of popular smartphone models such as the Blackberry Torch and Samsung’s Nexus S.
Just how the E7 will fly with an operating system that is fast losing popularity and a non-competitive price tag in the high-end device market is questionable.