This new Nokia X3 Touch & Type is an interesting development, which could create a whole new dynamic to the mobile phone world. The product melds a small touchscreen with a standard phone keypad, to let people send text messages and the like as they do normally, while using the touchscreen for navigation and things like browsing.

It’s interesting because at the suggested price point of €125.00, it’s firmly in the cheap/free phone camp, while offering a good slice of the coolness that smartphones offer. It’s super slim, has some useful one press hot buttons for features like the music player and comes with a 5 megapixel camera.

More to the point, it features high speed HSDPA, microSD storage and a very familiar Series 40 user interface which is still well loved.  Very interesting move by the Finns indeed. A low cost handset which almost matches the smartphone spec. Hmm….will it be enough to make up for a shortage of apps?

 Type messages on the keypad, and touch the screen to open apps, play games and flip through your albums – all with one hand…Keep up with your friends with one-click access to your email and SMS – and connect to instant messaging services and social networks wherever you go.