MOBILE PHONE manufacturers are constantly upgrading devices to enable people ?to experience a wide variety of features that complement their personalities and lifestyles,? says Sandeep Khanna, Nokia Philippines marketing head.

?All handset brands, Nokia, in particular, are bringing technology that fuses seamlessly into people?s lives. If you get them to do more with their device, they will stay loyal to you.?

So how does Nokia make its hardware more attractive to consumers?

Khanna cites key trends:

Smartphones or mobiles with IT features are the next big thing. Wide access to multimedia information is available on hand, literally. ?It?s adding more function to a small device. The N97 has 32 gigs of storage. My laptop has 37 gigs,? says Khanna.

According to the New York Times, ?The great promise of a smartphone is that it can be just about anything you need it to be in a given moment.?

Traditional features are getting more sophisticated yet made accessible with lower price points. In the past, a 5-megapixel camera-phone would fetch P25,000. Today, the popular Nokia 6700 classic offers this feature at P16,570. The mobiles are slowly replacing the MP3 player. The 6700 can store 325 songs using the +eaac (high-efficiency advanced video coding) format.

But with its expandable memory of up to 8 gigabytes, it can store 3,000 songs. For the audiophile, the Nokia 5130 Xpressmusic stores 750 songs and is priced at P5,840.

Materials are getting more refined. The new phones are made of high-tech materials such as carbon fiber, titanium and burnished steel, which lend lightness, durability and elegance to the product.

With its constant evolution, Nokia is also blurring the lines between manufacturing handphones and providing mobile data services. Ovi.com, the Finnish word for ?portal,? is going the way of Microsoft, Apple and Google.

?It is our door to the Internet. Through Ovi.com we will bring a range of services and solutions to the Philippines ? e-mail, maps, games and music. It will consist of a fairly rounded repertoire of services that people need today,? says Khanna.

The local launch is still under wraps. However, you can check out www.ovi.com and even open a free e-mail account with 1 gigabyte of storage.

New products

The marketing executive adds that Nokia will present new products that will enable users to open an e-mail account on the phone and access their e-mail in just three clicks. The range will be available from the lower and mid-range phones, which cost between P2,500 and P15,000.

?It?s a very clear strategy for us to make e-mail accessible to the widest mass of users,? he says. These features and services will augur well in remote areas where people don?t own a computer or have access to an Internet café. (Users will pay for Internet charges).

As added feature, Nokia owners can personalize their phones with the company?s latest application outlet, the Ovi Store. Most of the apps are free of charge in the Philippine market, such as games and media entertainment.

Khanna points out the potential of Ovi Share. ?You can upload photos and videos in an unlimited storage for free... More than just devices, we have to present services and solutions to people. That?s the way to encourage usage [of Nokia], the way to build brand equity and live by our mission of connecting people.?

Meanwhile, Nokia is strengthening ties to its market segment through the 6700 classic.

?To connect, you need to go beyond the traditional feature-benefit type of communication. This audience requires a sensorial connection. This is where marketing is important. This segment leads to a fuller, richer and more well-rounded life. We need to be a part of that life,? he adds.

Prestige events

Nokia recently tied up with a society magazine for the launch of its restaurant guide. An event highlight was a photo exhibit of foods by Alex Van Hagen, taken with the 6700c camera.

Nokia also collaborated with Inquirer Lifestyle and Look magazine for the Manila debut of Australian-based Filipino designer Leonardo Salinas.

On September 7, Nokia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Look will hold a style photo exhibit at Ayala Museum. In October, Nokia and Inquirer Lifestyle will hold an art exhibit.

?Lifestyle trends are changing and you need to have your ear to the ground to see what?s new. For example, no-name branding is what connects more with this market profile than the in-your-face branding. Understatement is a big statement by itself. Basically we live through the different facets of our customers? lives. Fashion was the starting point.

?But it was also important to connect to other dimensions such as food and gourmet. The upcoming events are on beauty/style and art. We thought of presenting all of these in a well-rounded and cohesive way. Today, every brand likes to have a lifestyle dimension because people are realizing there is more to products than just features and benefits,? explains Khanna.

?In Nokia, we live through our brand values and personality. We are very sociable, curious and authentic. Those are our brand values. In the way we present ourselves, we stand out uniquely because we?ve always been a leader in the Philippines. The 6700 is sensorial and a piece of affordable luxury. Hence, the Lifestyle and Look event aims to present style as it?s never been done before. It?s all about the look and invoking the senses.?

Angel Aquino, 36 (Photo by MARK NICDAO)
Actress, TV host and model, mother of Iana, 16, and Thea, 14

Pearl stud earrings are indispensable to me. They just up any outfit, and if you?re already dressed up, they make you look really elegant... I would do yoga before, but lately I haven?t had the time. I just try to keep healthy with the food I eat. Beauty for me is more of a feeling than a visual experience. I think those two are connected somehow, beauty and happiness. Both of them are a product of each other.

Astrud Crisologo, 39 (photo by MARK NICDAO)
Designer, boutique proprietor, wife to artist Norman Crisologo, and mother to Jean Paul, 20, Jiuliame, 18, and Joao, 14

My style has always been eclectic ? whatever?s comfortable, a mishmash of everything! But as I get older, I noticed, I?m getting more minimalist. I admire it when a woman knows her priorities and pursues her dream, and is strong for herself and her loved ones. I believe when you?re in love you can do anything. It empowers you.

Jo Ann Bitagcol (photo by Paolo Pineda)
Photographer, professional model

I only have two daily beauty requirements: cleansing and moisturizing. I can go bare without any makeup. I do my own manicure and pedicure. I look up to individuals who are well-mannered, and who have their own personal style. I?m most at peace when I am happy. Books like ?Surprise? by Peggy Sirota inspire me.

Mai Kaufman (photo by JUN DE LEON)
Interior designer, owner of K.A.R.M.A. (Kaufman Auction Retro Modern Antiques), designer and owner of baby clothing line
The Story by Mai Kaufman

I go for comfortable yet chic, edgy but appropriate clothes. I like supporting Pinoy fashion. If there was only one beauty product I would recommend, it would be a good moisturizer. It?s a must for skin of any age. My solution to any type of stress is prayer. I?m also at peace when I know that what I have been doing is right, and benefits other people.

Piolo Pascual, 32 (photo by JUN DE LEON)
Actor

Underwear is indispensable to me (laughs), in white! I go for tailored clothes, depending on how formal the event is. I don?t have any vanity routine. Ito na ?to. I?m a very simple person. I wash my face in the morning and in the night. I also need six hours of sleep to recharge. That?s how I relax. With the right frame of mind, I keep my life schedule and lifestyle light and simple. Life comes easier that way.

Maritoni Rufino-Tordesillas, 40 (photo by JO ANN BITAGCOL)
Yoga and ballet teacher, married to Roque, mother to Emilio, 11, and Tessa, 5

I hate dressing up for functions. I live in yoga clothes like this everyday. The last five years I?ve been in slippers... Women have so many roles, so the key is to balance it and not be overwhelmed by it. It?s important to be centered, to have time for yourself, quieting moments. I feel most beautiful on the outside when I feel most beautiful on the inside.

Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez (photo by JUN DE LEON)
Jewelry designer of Ice Crystals, exporter of semiprecious jewelry, married to José Ramon Gonzalez, mother to Sabina, Lorenzo, Nicolas and Alfonso

Simple lines look more dramatic, and tons sexier! I?m no longer in the experimental stage of dressing, so I know what works for me. Sacred for me is my sunblock. Dieting for me is a don?t. All diets rebound after you return to your old eating habits and lifestyle. Happiness for me is a decision to not want more than what you have, but to instead appreciate what you?ve been handed. I?m most at peace in the arms of my husband and kids.