"Camera phones are the first step to 3G"

Nokia's latest imaging phone, the 3650, will soon allow UK consumers to join the camera phone craze for just £200.

Unveiled last week, the Nokia 3650 is the Finnish firm's second camera phone, following the 7650. It includes a built-in digital camera and a 176x208 pixels colour screen that supports 4096 colours. The 3650 can take digital pictures, record short sequences of video, and convert an image into a multimedia message or picture email.

As well as recording video, the Nokia 3650 can be used to download and view video clips via email or the Internet, as it runs the RealOne media player and has an XHTML browser. It also supports several multiplayer games, which can be played via infrared or Bluetooth

According to Nokia, consumers want the ability to take and send pictures using a phone - which could drive the take-up of third-generation mobile services.

"Camera phones like the Nokia 3650, which let users add a picture to a message, are the first step down the path to 3G," a Nokia spokesman said.

As a tri-band handset, the Nokia 3650 will work on a 900, 1800, or 1900MHz GSM network. It is expected to ship worldwide in early 2003.

The Nokia 3650 is expected to be cheaper than the 7650, which shipped in the second quarter of 2002 with a price tag of 550 euros (£350) and which is understood to be selling well.

The Nokia spokesman predicted that UK mobile phone users will have to pay between £200 and £300 for the Nokia 3650 - depending what level of subsidy network operators offer and whether a customer is offered a price reduction as part of an upgrade.

Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet.co.uk