Nokia Booklet 3G

Nokia - the same company that brought us a wide array of high-end mobile phones - has recently released its newest merchandise, the Nokia Booklet 3G. Nokia Booklet 3G, however, is not a mobile phone. It is a mini-laptop or, in our current tech lingo, a netbook.

Nokia fans might have received this with much rejoicing. But, is the Nokia Booklet 3G going to leave an indelible mark in the field of netbooks, which is now filled with competitive brands?

Here is a rundown of its features as mentioned in NokiaUSA.com:

-------------------------------------------------

Operating System: Windows 7 Starter

Body: Aircraft-grade aluminum slim body with super chassis construction

Dimensions: 10.39 x 7.28 (with hinge) x .78 inches (or 2 cm.)

Weight: 44.09 ounces (or 1.25 kg)

CPU and chipset: Intel® Atom™ Z530, 1.6 GHz; Intel® Poulsbo US15W

RAM: 1 GB DDR2

Hard drive: 120 GB

Display: 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 720 pixel display; Glass window

Keyboard: Frame Keyboard (it has a chiclet-style keyboard)

Battery: 56.8 watt hours; up to 12 hours

Connectivity: Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; Built-in 3G modem (data calls only): WCDMA 850/1900/2100

I/O ports and slots

- HDMI 1.2 out for HD video

- 3 x USB 2.0

- 3.5 mm headphone out (OMTP: with OMTP headsets also functions as audio in)

- DC-in

- SD card reader

- SIM/USIM slot

Audio and video

- 1.3 megapixel FF camera

- HDMI port for HD video out

- Built-in stereo speakers, and microphone

- Analog audio output/headphone out (with OMTP headsets also functions as audio-in)

Others:

- Accelerometer (motion sensor)

- Integrated GPS and A-GPS

- Ovi Maps application

Colors: Available in Black, Ice, Azure

-------------------------------------------------

Undeniably, this is a feature-filled netbook. The looks of it alone can send its competitors running away and back to their drawing boards. It is very sleek, good-looking, thin, and light. Aside from those, it has its own SIM Card Slot. This is then a cross between a PC and a mobile phone. It has the power of a PC but the mobility and connectivity of a mobile phone.

One thing that I found very attractive about it other than its general appearance is its amazing battery life. Nokia claims that the netbook can run for 12 hours on its battery alone thereby dispensing with the need to carry the charger all the time. Well, 12 hours translates roughly to about 10 hours in real-world situation or use. Nonetheless, 10 hours of use - unplugged - is still amazing.

The price? As of press time, Nokia USA attached a price tag of $599 to the Nokia Booklet 3G. In my opinion, that is quite a hefty price for a netbook.

The price is a big turn-off for me. At the moment, you can get very good netbooks at a price even lower than $400. I admit that the Nokia Booklet 3G looks really cool but I would still go for ASUS Eee PC 1005HA, which remains my personal favorite because of its [also] long battery life (10.5 hours) and functionality. It is also way more affordable at the price of $349.99 or even less. I don't think that the extra $250 you would have to pay for the Nokia Booklet 3G is all worth it.