With this mindset, I therefore had mixed feelings about attending  the launch of the newest Nokia phone models in Manila Pen aptly billed  “back 2 back excitement.” Little did I realize that the aftermath of the event would make me an  instant convert, pledging to myself “gotta save up and have one of those!”

You bet it right. Nokia as an industry leader simply proves the adage that like wine, it gets better with age. Even if newer and more power-packed models are introduced in the highly dynamic mobile phone market, expect Nokia to keep up with the competition ( or blaze ahead of it.)  Here’s a rundown of the latest Nokia models and what they have to offer for gadget fanatics like you and me:

NOKIA 6680

Weighing 133 grams, don’t be deceived by this smart phone’s slim look for it actually packs a punch. It is a quad-band phone for GSM 900/1800/1900, EDGE and WCDMA networks, thus assuring its users of seamless roaming in over 100 countries around the world. Heralded as Nokia’s most feature-rich 3G Series 60 phone to date,  the 6680 boasts of innovative offerings like two-way video calls and video-sharing  which enables people to share live camera views or video clips during a normal voice call. Its  always-on email functionality, on the other hand, supports  office document viewers and various types of attachments, be it in JPEG, MP3, PPT, DOC, XLS and PDF formats. The HTML  browser enables one to access the web while on the go. On the other hand,  calendar information, contacts and tasks can easily be synchronized with compatible PCs.

Hip factor: The  Nokia 6680 is a top-of-the-line imaging phone all right with a bright screen of 262,144 colors.  I was most impressed  with the fact that there’s not one but two cameras – an integrated VGA camera in front and a 1.3 megapixel camera at the back. It comes complete with a smooth 6x digital zoom, integrated LED-based flash, and high-quality lens. You can also select from various tones when capturing images  such as sepia, black and white, negative and color. The Nokia XpressPrint solution makes it easy for users to produce great prints of the images directly from the camera phones. This is made possible via Bluetooth, plugging the accompanying USB cable to a compatible printer or inserting the enclosed RS-MMC card into THE SAME printer.

NOKIA 6230i

As its name suggests, this phone succeeds the popular Nokia 6230 but with new irresistible features thrown in, namely a 1.3 megapixel camera and Push to Talk functionality. What IS Push to Talk? According to Nokia,  this is their own brand of technology which allows users to connect to others over GPRS, as what one would expect of a “walkie-talkie.”

Hip factor: This camera phone is equipped with  3x digital zoom and  has a high-resolution screen of  208 x 208 pixels. The video recorder enables one to record videos of up to one hour. Music lovers on the other hand will revel in the delightful combo of FM radio with Visual radio, plus a built-in stereo music player which supports digital formats like MP3, MP4 and AAC. Those who are dying to get their hands on this mobile entertainment wonder  will have to wait  until the second quarter of the year when it will be available in the mass market.

NOKIA 6101

Admit it, Nokia is not really known for its fold phones but its hallmark of persistence is demonstrated in the Nokia 6101 – a triband camera  phone with a host of customization options.Playing with its features will make you realize it is very much a fun phone  where you can have your own branded menu icons, wake-up graphics, animated wallpapers and personalized screensavers.

Hip factor: Your diva aura is enhanced with two color displays. The external display shows incoming calls, time and date while the internal screen  displays your favorite images. A first for this phone is the Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging. By touching a few buttons, a user may record and send a voice message to others over the GPRS network.