Nokia Unveils Socially Aware C5 Smartphone At Cebit

Finnish manufacturer Nokia has released a new smartphone called the C5 which looks like a direct replacement for the Nokia 6x00 series and will be positioned as an entry level smartphone for the masses.

As expected, it runs on Symbian OS S60 3rd edition and comes with a small 2.2-inch colour screen that is the main attraction of an otherwise, tried and tested candybar format.

There's also a 3.2-megapixel camera and Nokia's own navigation app, Ovi Maps, which has recently been made free and makes use of the onboard GPS to offer turn-by-turn navigation.

Described by Nokia as a "smartphone optimised for social networking and sharing", it does come with a number of social networking and messaging tools like email, native Facebook and Myspace support.

The C5 takes the unusual step - at least at this price - to add Facebook Status to the names on the phone's contact book. The phone offers up to 12 hours worth of battery life and is only 12mm thick.

Nokia has surprised us as well by including a keypad that reminds us of the one found on basic phones like the Nokia 1100. Is that therefore a sign of cost cutting?

Expect it to go on sale for around £120 before taxes and any network subsidies. It will come complete with a 2GB microSD card which can be upgraded to up to 16GB.