AT&T Picks Up Nokia’s 6650 Clamshell

The Symbian-based phone offers 3G connectivity, navigation, and a modern brushed-metal design.

Another formerly Euro-only handset made its leap to the U.S. on Thursday with AT&T’s addition of the Nokia 6650 to its portfolio. Though the phone was developed in Nokia’s San Diego labs, it has only been available in Europe since its June release, until now.

The Symbian-based clamshell supports 3G, AT&T Navigator GPS functionality, and push-to-talk. Its brushed-metal case sports a secondary display and 2.0-megapixel camera on the outside, along with a 2.2-inch QVGA and flat Razr-esque keypad on the inside. AT&T claims it should deliver about four hours of talk time.

For U.S. consumers, the phone represents a rare chance to pick up a Symbian-based phone backed by a major network – usually fans of the operating system have to pick up the unlocked variants at a premium.

“Nokia created this device for the thriving consumer appetite for navigation, multimedia and entertainment essentials in one stylish, affordable package,” said Ian Laing, Nokia’s vice president of sales. “We are excited to introduce this device, built on the most open and mature mobile platform in the world, to AT&T.”

AT&T will begin offering the Nokia 6650 on Nov. 14 for $70 with a two-year contract.