Nokia 7610 Supernova

Expected Q3 2008
28th June 2008
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The flagship handset in Nokia's Supernova Range, the Nokia 7610 Supernova sports a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, capable of capturing VGA resolution video clips at up to 15 frames per second. As well as having an FM radio and multimedia player, the 7610 comes with a 2.5mm AV connector and TV output capability, so it is quite a capable media phone.

Despite the strong multimedia capabilities, the 7610 Supernova is primarily a fashion phone. A combination of mirrored surfaces and interchangeable covers mean that you can keep the 7610 looking fresh, and you can also customise the handset's key illumination and wallpaper to match.

In the past, we've tended to see these features with 3G phones, but the Nokia 7610 is not a 3G device, although it does support EDGE data which is OK as long as your mobile network actually uses it.

The display is a 2" 240 x 320 pixel panel in 16 million colours, which is perhaps a little smaller than we would like to see. Talktime is pretty decent at up to 5.4 hours with a maximum of 12 days standby time. Overall, the 7610 Supernova measures 98 x 48 x 15mm and weighs 99 grams which is pretty typical for this type of device.

It's not a cheap phone, costing €225 (around £180 / $360) before tax and subsidy. That puts it roughly in the same price range as the Nokia N81 and Nokia N77 which are both 3G devices but don't have the same quality of camera as the 7610.

The standard sales package includes a 512MB microSD card (2GB for the US version), an AC-3 charger, video out cable, two Xpress-on covers and a stereo wired headset. The 7610 Supernova should be available during Q3 2008.

One last thing - this isn't the first time that Nokia have used this model name, the original Nokia 7610 from 2004 is one of Nokia's more off-the-wall handset designs. In fact, despite our misgivings, there are plenty of original 7610s around so make sure that you are ordering the 7610 Supernova rather than a bargain-basement phone from four years ago.