Nokia CK-200

Thanks to @WOMWorld/Nokia and to the  #NokiaNav Challenge (read here, here and here) which ended last Friday (14^th May 2010), I’ve had the privilege of testing the yet to be released Nokia CK-200 in car Bluetooth car kit which was announced over at Nokia Conversations on the 4^th May.

The finale of the #NokiaNav challenge was the perfect ending to an amazing week, with lots of great food, way too many beers and loads of funny, interesting and like minded people.

So what is the CK-200 and what makes it great you ask?

(Thanks to Nokia Conversations for the video)
(FULL DATA SHEET from Nokia)

Not only is this a sexy looking device but it is very easy to use.

The big selling point for me on this little car assistant is the ability to connect to 2 bluetooth handsets at once. This is very handy for those with a business or personal device. It’s also practical when you and your other half are in the car at the same time, allowing both devices to be used for calling out and receiving calls. The CK-200 also has the ability of reading out SMSs and sending pre-defined SMSs.

The CK-200 comes with a small yet easy to use remote control:

The remote gives you full access to all the functions of the CK-200 from configuring volume; to deciding which devices are trusted; to downloading of Contacts from your phone. There is also a one touch switch phone button making it easy control the right phone.

I loved the fact that the size and design of the device has been done in such a way that the CK-200 is never a distraction. I only ever needed to look at it when it was safe and easy to do so. When looking at the display screen, it is very clear and uncluttered, making things very easy to read. For any in-car system this is a huge compliment!

After speaking to some of the other lucky #NokiaNav drivers, I was told that the Nokia kit doesn’t really get on well with Apple and as a result had some issues with connecting, remembering that this could just be a firmware issue, considering we had pre-production devices.

Somewhere in the middle of my 3^rd or 4^th beer I was lucky enough to get some Q&A time with the lovely Elina Paavilainen-Heikkinen who is the Product Manager for the CK-200.

When I asked about one of the issues I had which was the downloading of contacts from the N900 to the CK-200, I saw a smile and glint of frustration on Elina’s face. I was told that yes the N900 is not compatible with this feature and because of the contact/Bluetooth setup on the N900 it was probably not likely to happen in the future.

When I ask, “What is your best feature on the CK-200?” I got the reply that, the CK-200 team have many ideas and upgrades that they hope to implement in the future. She loved the fact that owners of the CK-200 could easily disconnect the system and install firmware updates from their home PC.

Now we all know how much Nokia users love their firmware, so this to me is also a really great feature.

The device is expected to launch this summer in the UK and at a price of €140 (price before taxes, subsidies, and installation), I expect this to be an important accessory for all the Nokia drivers, especially those now using the Free OVI Maps Voice navigation.

My biggest worry is about the Installation. The CK-200 needs to be installed directly into the cars radio/speaker system. Elina mentioned that they have designed the kit with minimal external cables to make this process as painless as possible. I’m also told that it is highly recommended that you get this installed by professionals.

So my question is will the need for professional installation going to impact on the sales of this lovely device?