Nokia Ships E72 Smartphone For Symbian S60 Loyalists

It's somewhat hard to believe that Nokia's E72 smartphone actually launched way back in June, and trust us, a lot has happened in the mobile world since then. Even Nokia itself has shown off a new smartphone OS (Maemo 5), but the tried and true Symbian S60 is powering this one. The E72 is a slim, broad candybar-styled smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard that's always out in the open. According to Nokia, the wait to snag one has finally ended--if anyone was still waiting around for it, that is.

This phone builds on the similar E71, maintaining the same basic form factor but adding new functionality such as desktop-like email and chat experiences. Morevoer, the latest version of Ovi Maps with A-GPS navigation and compass, an optical navi key and 5 megapixel camera are all packed into the phone. You'll also find push consumer email service, Nokia Messaging, and now for the first time people can set up instant messaging (IM) directly from the homescreen, accessing communities such as Windows Live(TM) Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and Ovi Chat. Just like chatting via the desktop, people can respond to friends and colleagues across multiple communities in real-time.

Amazon has the phone listed at $469 without a contract, though Nokia's official announcement doesn't mention a specific price point.