As you can see from the pic, this new Nokia phone is one of those strange PDA/smartphone convergence devices - you know, the type where the convergence hasn't quite happened yet. Too big to be a phone, too oddly-shaped to be a PDA. Nokia have been selling them for years, though, so presumably they manage to find a niche for them somewhere in the business world. I seem to recall Paul Daniels having one (an ageing British magician - think David Copperfield crossed with Wallace (he of Wallace & Grommet' fame') - which isn't, perhaps, the best advert for the device that Nokia marketing execs could hope for!

 

The 9300i does seem to have exceptional communications features though:  E-GPRS (EDGE) and WLAN 802.11g, five party conference calling via an integrated speakerphone and multiple email clients (with attachments), including BlackBerry Connect, Nokia Business Center, IBM WebSphere, Oracle Collaboration Suite, Seven Always-On Mail and Visto Mobile.

 

More details on the Nokia 9300i smartphone after the jump

 

[Source: Nokia]

 

 

 

As well as WLAN and support for a variety of email clients, the Nokia 9300i also integrates infrared and Bluetooth capabilities, giving users two different ways to wirelessly synchronize their devices to a desktop PC or laptop, as well as exchange data with other mobile devices.

 

 

The Nokia 9300i enhances productivity by providing a reliable and cost-effective data connection for downloading large files or email1 with attachments.  80 MB of memory capacity (expandable up to 2GB with an optional MMC card) provides ample space for file storage, and the wide color screen makes it easy to view different types of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and web sites .

 

Planned availability for the Nokia 9300i smartphone is Q1 2006. Nokia will offer one tri-band version of the Nokia 9300i optimized for mobile networks in Europe and Asia (900/1800/1900 MHz) and capable of operating in compatible GSM networks in the Americas.