Nokia to Launch First TouchScreen Phone in October

Nokia is expected to show off its first touchscreen based mobile phone, codenamed the "Tube" on October 2nd, reports the Reuters news agency. Nokia's forray into the touchscreen market has been widely expected, particularly after the company showed a prototype on a powerpoint slide at the Evans Data Developer Relations Conference on in April.

The handset appeared to be using a touch sensitive screen with haptic feedback and a screen display which does resemble the iPhone interface, if only superficially. The company also added touch screen capabilities to its smartphone OS - the Series 60 platform - at around the same time.

In July, Nokia's Kai Oistamo, head of devices, confirmed that the company plans to launch a touch screen series of phones across its range of devices, but the first model will be aimed at the volume market. He said the mid-range of the market represents over 50% of the total value of the market.

In a research note last November, when news of the new handset emerged, Nomura analyst Richard Windsor warned that Apple claimed to have patented its touchscreen interface. "I think Apple will likely view Nokia as infringing on its user interface patents," said Richard Windsor "But I don't see this being the same scale of the legal battle Nokia has with Qualcomm,"

Taiwan's Innolux, the world's second largest monitor assembler has previously confirmed that it has touch screen display orders from Nokia, with shipments expected to commence shortly. Innolux is an affiliate of Hon Hai, which is an outsourced handset manufacturer for Nokia.

On the web: Reuters

Posted to the site on 26th September 2008