Nokia E80

The Nokia E90 was launched at 3GSM in February 2007; at this time a more compact, feature reduced, version of the E90 was expected to follow, however it has not as yet been announced (Dec 2008).

There were rumours that the E80 may be announced at Nokia World event in Barcelona (2/3 Dec 2008), alongside the Nokia E75, Nokia were keeping at least one device tightly under wraps for this event.

• Robert Scoble - Nokia exec brags "the Internet has no clue what we will announce this week"
• TIETOKONE - Nokia's new mini communicator expected soon (Finnish) - Google translation

Scoble's assertion that "only a handful of people have seen the new device they’ll be announcing on Wednesday", is very interesting and quite unusual for Nokia. However, the device announced was the Nokia N97 and not the E80.

There are still rumours of a business oriented communicator to be announced at MWC in Feb 2009, this device would be the much rumoured Eseries variant (code named eitri) of the recently launched Nokia N97. A side-sliding communicator-like device, it may be badged as a Nokia E77 rather than E80.

Initial Speculation (Early 2007)

The speculation below was prior to the Nokia E90 launch, when a pair of communicators were expected, it's interesting from a historical perspective, but rather inaccurate.

There are rumours of a Nokia E80 (and E90) as communicator format Eseries devices on the Telefon-Treff forums here and here, but the E80 (if it comes to fruition) has not formally announced yet.

Here's some food for thought from some very well informed commentators, much refers to the now released E90:

• Steve Litchfield - Possible S60 Communicator
• Rafe Blandford - "S80 development is stopping. I think we'll see an S60 communicator style device before too long"
• Michal Jerz - "Future Communicators will be S60 based", "The new Communicator is in prototype stage. Some developers who have good contacts with Nokia even had a chance to see it at the Smartphone show", "The new Communicator will be S60 3rd Edition (3.1 precisely) based. The internal screen will be VERY HUGE, and the external screen will be S60 as well - thanks to S60 3rd Edition's scalable UI. The keyboard will be large and comfortable, too", and the new Communicator has two screens. The PDA screen inside is really HUUUGE ... VGA or even higher. Because of the large screen, the device is considerably wider than old Commies ... The cover screen is normal S60 3rd Edition, probably 240x320 ... The Communicator is equipped with GPS ... available in March-April 2007
• Mobile Review forum - "The next 9x00 device WILL USE S60, instead of S80" also 3 devices include a Nokia 7710 style device with touch screen?
• Mobile Review forum - further rumours and details? - including E80 due to be announced after 3GSM replacing 9300i. This is the new "small Communicator/Smartphone"
• Shaun McGill - possible new Eseries device
• Nokia - Press briefing (PDF)
• Fony.sk - more rumour coverage

In summary it appears that there are protoypes of an S60 based communicator floating around, and some lucky folks got to see these at The Smartphone Show 2006. Given that the specifications appear to be similar in many ways to those of the Nokia N95 I would not expect the E80 or E90 to ship before the N95, perhaps Q2 2007. Many of the rumours are speculating about an 800x352 screen, which would be very nice and not unlike Nokia's experiments on the 7700, 7710, and 770.

There are plenty of other Specific Phones in the S60, Nokia Eseries, and Nokia Nseries ranges, some of which aren't Vapour Ware.