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Introduction 

Every year Nokia hosts select journalists, developers and partners to show off all of its current products as well as explain where the company is headed. Normally Nokia is very conservative at these events - it is the undisputed champ outside the US, Japan and Korea and so it rarely admits that it needs to improve anything or change strategies. But this year was different. Every presentation we heard or executive we talked to admitted the company needs to make some changes - at least in a few areas.

The issue everyone brought up was ease of use - especially in terms of S60. While Series 40 (the OS that most US Nokia phones run on) has improved significantly, S60 (the smartphone OS) has lagged behind. The next version of S60, which will include touch sensitivity but won't require it, will be Nokia's first attempt to re-focus on such efforts. But the company is dedicated to improving every operating platform as well as hardware to be easier to use.

It is also developing ways to make its hardware more environmentally friendly. Though chips and circuit boards are difficult to improve, Nokia has made advancements in plastics, packaging, and even its chargers so that each will reduce its environmental impact.

The show also gave us a chance to get some hands-on time with many of Nokia's latest models. Though none of them are destined for the US, most will at least operate on GSM carriers here.

N82 

The N82 repackages the N95 into a bar-style design. Though it's narrow and looks like it should be slimmer than the N95, it is not. However, it's difficult to pack so many features into a slim body. You can see the N82 here:

or visit YouTube for more viewing and sharing options.

Luxury Models 

The Nokia 8800 Arte is the closest the company has come to matching the luxury of its Vertu line. The Sapphire version features real leather and a gem stone select key and sells for over 1100 Euros. Unlike the Vertu line, however, the Arte is packed with high end features and is one of the easiest to use designs we've ever handled.

The 7900 Prism has the same OLED screen but lacks many of the other high end features of the 8800. The keypad is also surprisingly easy to use despite the triangular shape of the keys.

You can see a short tour of each as well as a demonstration of some of Series 40's latest features in this video:

or you can visit YouTube for more viewing and sharing options.

3110 Evolve 

The 3110 is a completely unremarkable handset that sits at the low end of Nokia's mid-range devices. However, it is the company's largest effort to date to lessen the environmental impact of its phones. It made sense to do this at a price point where Nokia sells a large volume of its handsets.

All of the light grey areas on the side and back are made from plastics that mix vegetable oils in to decrease the amount of petroleum used. The charger is designed to use significantly less energy than today's models when left plugged into the wall after the phone is done charging. Energy saving tips will also pop up on the screen during charging.

The evolve feels good in the hand thanks to a slightly rubberized texture in certain sections (the slightly darker grey areas) on the sides and back, and the large keys are easy to use. It runs the latest version of Series 40 on an average sized, but inexpensive looking screen.

3110  

S60 Touch 

Nokia's next version of S60 will include support for touch screens. To accommodate this, the interface has been redesigned, and it is demonstrated here. No phones have been shown that are running the touch interface yet, however the company has said that devices running it will be launched in 2008 a number of times. You can watch the demo here:

Or visit YouTube for more viewing and sharing options.

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