GearWERKZ TechBlog

It is a little speculative that this is the correct model number for this phone. Regardless, it has cleared the FCC, as you can see from the label example below, found yesterday on the FCC's site. Reportedly this is the successor to the Nokia C7, also known as the C7-00 or the Nokia Astound. The C7 is carried by T-Mobile, and was received fairly well by the press back in April. It seems surprising that an update would be rolling out already, but it may be a minor step-up.

Rumors on the street about what we believe to be the C7-01 include the following:

1 GHz Processor
3.5" Display
8MP Camera

There is not a whole heck of a lot more on this candy-bar phone presumed to be running Symbian^3. Might it be coming to T-Mobile? Given T-Mo's current portfolio, I would not expect to see this on the rogue carrier. As far as I can tell, the Nokia Astound sold so well for T-Mobile that it is no longer available. The handset still sells through Amazon Wireless for $49.99 on-contract, or $299 without a service contract, but there is no sign of it on T-Mobile's own site.

I am not the best at reading the various bands, but it does appear that the device supports the AWS spectrum, which is T-Mobile's data baliwick. It also supports other data bands for both CDMA and HSUPA as well.

There was a lot of buzz about the Astound due to its low price tag. It debuted on T-Mobile for $79.99 with a two year contract. The only thing we can assume is that sales have beeen poor and T-Mobile has dropped it from its first-party portfolio, and that other outlets are simply selling through any remaining stock. If that is the case, it will be interesting to see of T-Mobile is willing to go this route again with this heir apparent.