With Nokia’s recent partnership with Pantech to re-badge handsets up in smoke, Nokia has released what could be their last CDMA phone.
The good news is that their last CDMAs phones are actually designed and built by Nokia. The 2366i is a Series 40 3rd Edition phone, one of only a few S40v3 phones to make it to the CDMA platform. Like all Nokia-made CDMA phones, it is a 1xRTT-only device. The 2366i is currently only being sold in prepaid form, via Verizon’s INpulse brand. Being rather new, readers are reporting some trouble in finding it, with most reports coming in from Wal-Mart stores carrying stock. The phone can be activated on prepaid and postpaid plans, as well as third-party prepaid providers such as PagePlus Cellular.
The 2366i also has one important claim to fame. Not only is it the first non-camera Bluetooth phone on Verizon, it is also the cheapest Bluetooth-enabled phone ever, coming in at a retail no-contract price of $49.99.Nokia and Pantech recently terminated an agreement to re-badge Pantech CDMA phones for Nokia, but Nokia appears to be ending their CDMA product line on a high note. Nokia declined to comment to PCS Intel on dealings with Pantech, and refused to even confirm if any of Nokia’s existing handsets were Pantech-designed. Such handsets include the 6305i, 6215i, and 6315i.
The 2366i will be followed by Nokia-designed CDMA phones 6155i, and 2126i. Nokia stated to PCS Intel that they expect to release their final Nokia-designed CDMA phones in early 2007… barring any re-evaluation of the market. With Nokia selling their last CDMA phones to the masses via prepaid, increased demand for Nokia CDMA phones may cause them to re-evaluate the CDMA market.
Nokia 2366i Mini-Review
Wal-Mart.com Product Page
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