Nokia has announced five new affordable and easy-to-use phones which will support Nokia Life Tools, and these phones will be available globally. With affordability and ease of use as the cornerstones of solutions for emerging markets, the five new Nokia phones – Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616, Nokia 1800, Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 – support Nokia Life Tools, and bring with them all the features that consumers around the world have come to expect.

Priced at EUR 20, EUR 24 and EUR 26 respectively (before taxes and subsidies), the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616 and Nokia 1800 support FM radio, prepaid tracker, flashlight, anti-scratch cover and dust-resistant keymat, among other features. The long battery life, with up to 22 days of standby time, is vital for people in areas where access to electricity is limited.

The Nokia 2220 slide and the Nokia 2690, priced at EUR 45 and EUR 54 (before taxes and subsidies), also support email on the device through Ovi Mail, giving people in developing markets their first digital identity directly from their handsets. Ovi Mail accounts can be created on the device and people can start sending and receiving emails without ever needing a PC. Other device features include FM radio, VGA camera, GPRS and MMS support, phone books for up to 1,000 contacts, and Bluetooth. Standby times for the Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 are about 20 days and 13 days respectively.

The first of the five new mobile phones will begin shipping before the end of 2009, with others expected to start shipping in the first half of 2010.

Almost a year ago today Nokia announced the 1202, and at the time it was the cheapest phone the company made, coming in at 25 EUR. Thanks to advances in technology, and price advantages brought on by having massive scale, Nokia has now launched the 1280 and it is available for only 20 EUR ($29.50); huge savings when you consider that many people spend months worth of their wages just to purchase a mobile phone. This device weighs in at 81.92 grams, is 107.2 mm tall, 45.1 mm wide, and 15.3 mm thick. It has a 800 mAh battery that gives it up to 22 days of standby time and 8.5 hours of talk time. The display is black and white, which is to be expected at these price levels, is dual band (900/1800 MHz), has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, flash light, FM radio, and even has user exchangeable covers. Expect to see this in Q1 2010.

Next we have the 1616 coming in at 24 EUR ($35.40), which is still cheaper than the 1202 that was introduced a year ago. You get a 65,000 color 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, 3.5 mm headphone jack, FM radio, and a flash light, all in a package that weighs 78.55 grams and is 107.1 mm tall, 45 mm wide, and 15 mm thick. It is a dual band device, but will come in two variants: 900/1800 MHz and 850/1900 MHz. It has the same 800 mAh battery the 1280 has, and will start shipping in Q1 2010.

The 1800 is essentially the 1616, but with a different look. It will cost 26 EUR ($38.35) when it ships in Q2 2010. It has the same 800 mAh battery, 65,000 color 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, 3.5 mm headphone jack, FM radio, and flash light. It is a dual band device, supporting 900/1800 MHz networks, and it weighs 78.5 grams while coming in at 107 mm tall, 45 mm wide, and 15.3 mm thick. It has a standby time of up to 22 days, or you can drain the battery with 8.5 hours of talking.

The 2200 Slide, which was leaked almost a month ago, is coming out this quarter and with it brings GPRS/EDGE (internet) support and a VGA camera at only 45 EUR ($65.40). The battery holds 720 mAh, and that should last up to 20 days in standby mode or 5.37 hours of talk time. The slider has a 65,000 color 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, is dual band and will come in both 900/1800 MHz and 850/1900 MHz models, and weighs only 93.5 grams. It’s 97.14 mm tall, 47 mm wide, and 15.85 mm thick.

Last we have the 2690, the most “expensive” device announced today, coming in at 54 EUR ($79.70). This Q1 2010 device has support for a microSD memory card, it has a VGA camera, supports GPRS/EDGE, has a VGA camera, and most impressive: it is quadband, meaning you can take this thing anywhere around the world (with a GSM network) and it will work. The internet will look small on that 1.8 inch, 262,000 color, 128 x 160 pixel display, but it’s better than nothing. It has the same 720 mAh battery as the 2200 Slide, and it will last you up to 13 days in standby mode, or 4.5 hours of talk time. The whole package weighs 80.72 grams and is 107.5 mm tall, 45.5 mm wide, and a svelte 13.8 mm thick. Nokia Conversations is saying this device has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a fact that wasn’t mentioned in the phone’s data sheet, but I’ll trust what they’ve got to say.

Via intomobile