NOKIA is offering consumers a more personal experience on the Internet and new ways to communicate with the launch of four new models at Showcase Nokia 2008 in Sydney, Australia.

According to Chris Carr, Nokia’s vice president, sales, Southeast Asia, the new models – Nokia N96, N78, 6220 Classic and 6210 Navigator – boast better performance and richer set of features to deliver the latest in mobile Internet services.

He said key features aboard the new converged models are high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) technology for fast Internet activities, global positioning system (GPS) functionality and multimedia handling.

Carr added that the N96 is a continuation of the iconic N95 with extensive support for video, which includes a kickstand in its design to tilt the unit to a comfortable viewing angle, 2.8-inch display, and 16 gigabytes onboard memory to store more movies.

The N96 also comes with a five-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, wireless local area network (WLAN) IEEE 802.11b/g connectivity and DVB-H class C (470-750 megahertz) support for mobile TV.

The N78, meanwhile, is optimised for sharing music, images and assisted GPS (A-GPS). With this model, Nokia brings the up-and-coming online fad, geotagging, to a Nokia device.

Leveraging on its A-GPS functionality and 3.2-megapixel camera, the N78 automatically tags images with captured location’s co-ordinates.

The model also offers WLAN connectivity.

“The 6220 Classic, with its five megapixels, auto focus and xenon flash, is a credible and reasonably priced alternative to single-purpose digital cameras and has the added benefit of A-GPS for location tagging, Nokia Maps and possiblity to upgrade to full navigation,” said Carr.

The 6210 Navigator is Nokia’s first GPS-enabled device with an integrated compass for pedestrian guidance. Combined with an “accelerometer”, which measures changes in direction and orientation, the built-in compass makes it easy to follow the map for users travelling on foot.

The N78 is expected to start shipping in the second quarter while the N96 later in the third quarter. The 6220 classic and 6210 Navigator are shipping in the third quarter as well in select markets within the region.

Nokia also announces several new services. Maps 2.0, which has been enhanced to help not only users in cars but also pedestrians, will be targeted at consumers using S60 third-edition devices.

Another service, Share on Ovi, offers free personal media sharing community that makes uploading, managing and sharing of personal media through a mobile, desktop or other connected device a breeze.