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nazret.com has contacted Nokia to confirm the launch of Amharic based Mobile Phones in Ethiopia and below is the press release and picture from Nokia. nazret.com thanks Nokia for its prompt response to our inquiry.

Ethiopia - Nokia launches Amharic-based mobile phones

At an event held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, mobile phone giant Nokia launched the first handsets to feature Amharic. The launch, which coincides with the millennium celebrations, also marked Nokia’s first official product introduction in Ethiopia and saw the announcement of its authorised Nokia distributor, Glorious PLC.

A Nokia Phone with Ethiopic Characters. Photo sent to nazret.com by Nokia

“I think that ‘localisation’ is the key word at this event,” says Piotr Labuszewski, area manger for Nokia in East Africa. “Nokia is world renowned for being the global leader in mobile phones, but it is only through understanding and tailoring products for local consumers that we have managed to achieve this. Not only are we launching five new devices, but all five are equipped with an industry first in the Amharic keypad. Added to this exciting launch, we are also gearing our local operations with a new distributor and customer care center,” continues Labuszewski. All handsets purchased from the authorised distributor and retailers in Ethiopia carry a 12 month warranty.

The new products announced at the event are the Nokia 1200, 1208, 1650, 2630 and 2760, which all have industry-leading features and applications specifically designed for markets such as Ethiopia.

“Nokia was the first handset manufacturer to launch local languages in countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Mozambique and the launch of the Amharic-based devices will further enhance the convenience for the Ethiopian market. We have seen the benefits of adding local languages across the continent and we expect similar results here in Ethiopia,” concludes Labuszewski.

Nokia 1200 and 1208

The Nokia 1200 and 1208 come equipped with features such as one-touch flashlights, localised languages, a teaching mode that allows non-experienced users to quickly learn how to master the phone, while a seamless keypad protects the phone from dust, another reality of rural mobile phone use. Both models also come with five available phonebooks so it is possible for an entire family to share a phone. The Nokia 1200 phone is offered with a monochrome screen, while the Nokia 1208 features a colour VGA screen.

Nokia 1650

This phone is designed to deliver a wide range of mobile features; the contemporary Nokia 1650 phone offers an aspirational design and practical features to help consumers balance their personal and professional lives. The Nokia 1650 also comes equipped with a flashlight, music-on-the-go via FM radio and MP3-grade ring tones and with an integrated application that allows for a pre-set time limit to be set for each call, the Nokia 1650 answers the need for cost control that is especially important in entry markets.

Nokia 2630

At a mere 9.9 mm, the Nokia 2630 is the thinnest handset in Nokia’s portfolio. Complete with an easy-to-use camera and combined with Bluetooth technology, the Nokia 2630 allows images to be easily sent, shared, stored and printed. Convenient productivity tools such as email, MMS, calendar and a calculator satisfy the work side of life, while features such as an FM radio, with direct access shortcut key and MP3 ring tones satisfy the entertainment side.

Nokia 2760

The stylish Nokia 2760 features a digital camera, giving many consumers their first experience with digital photography, and Bluetooth technology to make it easy to share the photos that they capture. The Nokia 2760 also features video recording, video playback, and FM radio. The combination of Bluetooth and GPRS creates a convenient way to access email and Internet. It also features extra large storage to save up to 1000 contacts in the phonebook. Consumers who want to save special text messages to share with friends and family will be delighted by its large capacity for storing SMS messages.

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. Nokia makes a wide range of mobile devices and provides people with experiences in music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games and business mobility through these devices. Nokia also provides equipment, solutions and services for communications networks. More information about Nokia is available at www.nokia.com

For further press information, please contact:
Dorothy Ooko
Communications Manager
Nokia South and East Africa
Tel: + 254 (20) 386 2243
E-Mail: dorothy.ooko@nokia.com

Emily Kaiga
Account Director
Tell-Em Public Relations
Tel: + 254 (20) 375 5638
Mobile: + 254 (20) 735 726 755
E-Mail: emily.kaiga@tell-em-pr.com

For further information, consumers can contact the following authorized distributor:
Glorious Pvt. Ltd Co
Churchill Rd.
Kirkos Sub City, K01, #287/03/01
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
251 11 551 3482, 251 11 155 1677