Nokia adds to business phone portfolio

E71 and E66 tackle iPhone 3G and BlackBerry Bold

Nokia's new handsets support a range of business functions

Nokia has unveiled two email-optimised business phones, the E71 and E66.

The E71 is a BlackBerry-style handset sporting a full Qwerty keyboard, and the E66 is a smaller slider phone.

"The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 were designed for people who lead a mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personal and work email," said Søren Petersen, senior vice president of devices at Nokia.

"With both of these devices, we have responded to consumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at the touch of a button."

Both handsets are encased in stainless steel and support a range of business functions including email, office productivity, integrated mobile VPN support and built-in encryption for the device memory and the memory card.

The phones also include multimedia functions such as music, and the latest Ovi services including maps, music and media sharing.

The Nokia E71 and the Nokia E66 are expected to begin shipping in July and should retail for around €350. The handsets are likely to be free on the majority of business contracts.