Nokia unveiled on Thursday a new small mobile phone targeted at a mass market of business users, as the world's largest handset maker aims to grab a bigger share of that lucrative segment of the industry.
The E50, Nokia's 18th new phone model this year, is expected to begin hitting stores before the end of June, with volume sales starting in the third quarter, Nokia said.
The unsubsidized retail prices, before taxes, will be between 300 to 350 euros ($387-451).
"We are aiming for the big market where people need basic phones," said Pekka Isosomppi, a spokesman for Nokia's enterprise unit.
Nokia's struggling enterprise unit, which targets corporate clients, plans to be profitable in 2007. In the first quarter of 2006, the unit's operating loss widened to 66 million euros from 9 million in the same period in 2005.
The unit, which also sells the Communicator phone, competes with successful e-mail and communication devices such as the Blackberry from Research In Motion.