Nokia 6212 Classic Cell Phone - Featuring Electronic Wallet

The much awaited Nokia 6212 classic, featuring Near-Field Communication (NFC) is finally here. It's a 3G handset that not only lets you access web services and share content but also use the phone as your wallet - conduct payments and ticketing right from the device. Expect the device to ship in Q3 of 2008.

And it's not just payments that you can use the phones for: two users can conveniently exchange business cards, calendar notes or what not by simply tapping their handsets together. Sure, you could do the same with Bluetooth, but that requires pairing the devices and so on. I don't know what's different with NFC, though - I guess I have to wait like everyone else for the phone to hit the markets.

You can also share photos and videos by tapping an NFC-capable phone and pairing with a Bluetooth NFC-enabled device. The new Nokia BH-210 headset with NFC also allows users to access all functions with a single multifunction key. Fitted with a 2-inch display, a 2 megapixel camera and stereo FM radio, it supports microSD memory cards for added memory.

Priced at €200 before taxes and subsidies, it will hit Europe and Asia by Q3 of '08.