Nokia's Cameraless E51

Expected Q1 2008
7th February 2008
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When the original Nokia E51 was announced a few months ago, we said the following:

One controversial feature of the Nokia E51 is bound to be the inclusion of a 2 megapixel camera on the back. Many businesses simply do not want cameras on their phones because they represent a security risk in some areas. We very much hope that the E51 comes in an optional no-camera configuration as an alternative.

Well, Nokia have done exactly that and have designed a cameraless version of the E51 that will appeal to people who work in areas where digital cameras are prohibited. You can see where the camera usually is in the close-up below.

The camera controversy is not new - we've been covering this problem since 2004 - but most manufacturers seem keen to include a camera in every handset they make, and there is very limited choice if you don't want a camera but you still want a decent phone. The E51 is a very good business phone by all accounts, so this variant should be popular.

Incidentally, Nokia probably didn't need to look very far to find people who wanted a good business phone with no camera. Nokia's own facilities are very high security, and camera phones are prohibited in some areas, so mobile phones often have to be left with a security desk.

Nokia say that the cameraless version of the E51 should be available during Q1 2008, priced at around €250 (£170 / $340) before tax and subsidy, which is pretty good value for a handset of this specification.