Despite all of its talk of Windows Phone, Nokia is still cranking out Symbian-powered smartphones, and the 500 is the latest handset to come out of the Finnish company's labs. Sporting a familiar slab design, the 500 is the first Nokia smartphone equipped with a 1GHz processor.
The 500 looks similar to the previously announced N9, though it has a smaller 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 640 x 360 pixel resolution. Nokia is positioning the 500 as a lower-cost alternative to the N9, and has equipped it with interchangeable back covers for easy personalization. The back houses a 5 megapixel camera with video capture.
Accompanying the 500's 1GHz processor is 2GB of internal storage and support for microSD cards up to 32GB in size. The 500 runs the latest Symbian OS, Anna, and includes Nokia Maps, social network integration, internet radio services, and an FM radio. It has pentaband HSPA 3G support on the 850/900/1700/1900/2100MHz bands, so it has global appeal. The battery is an 1110mAh unit that provides up to 7 hours of talk time or 19 days of standby. The 500 measures 111.3mm x 53.8mm x 14.1mm (4.4in x 2.1in x 0.6in), and weighs 93g (3.28oz), the lightest of any Symbian^3 smartphone to date.
Nokia will be releasing a black version of the 500 in Q3 of this year, with a white version to follow in Q4. Both versions come with three different colored back plates in the box. Nokia expects the 500 to retail for just 150 EUR (US$216) before any taxes or subsidies when it hits the market. Take a look at the two videos below to see the 500 in action.
