Nokia last night introduced the shiny new Nokia 5530 Xpress Music handset to the South African market at an exclusive event hosted in the Holiday Inn, Sandton. After the event everyone in attendance was issued with a review handset to use for a period of 12 months. Wow thanx Nokia

The shiny new Nokia 5530 Xpress Music is a low cost device and supports the same applications as the Nokia 5800 and N97. Most applications can be easily downloaded via the Nokia Ovi Store. I thought it may be good to do a post showing the applications I have personally found to be the most useful on my review handset, the sexy new Nokia 5530 Xpress music.

Please note that my list of top 10 must have apps for the 5530 includes both free and premium services.

1. fring – Lets you talk, chat and interact freely between: Skype, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Twitter, Facebook, GoogleTalk, AIM, SIP, Gmail Notifier, LastFM, Orkut and Yandex
2. JoikuSpot – Turns your mobile handset into a secure WLAN (Wi-Fi) HotSpot.
3. Gmail – Google’s free email service – this is the best email service on earth.
4. Google Maps – Possibly the best free mobile mapping software available.
5. Shazam - Amazingly powerful music search application
6. BrightLight - Turns your handset into a handy torch.
7. Accuweather – The best weather application on the 5530. It’s also in the download menu on handset.
8. Best Screensnap – A cool application for taking screenshots. In the download menu on handset.
9. Qik - A cool live video streaming service.
10. Digia Web Browser – The best touch screen web browser available.

This is my current Top 10 and when more applications become available the list will change

fringsters put your hands together for the one and only Nokia 5530 Xpress Music.

This sleek and sexy Nokia handset is now officially available in South Africa and we are excited to announce that fring already lets you take your friends mobile with this great new Nokia device.

Although “Nokia might have been late to the touchscreen game,” it sure is “making up for lost time now by following up the successful 5800 XpressMusic and N97 with the budget 5530 XpressMusic.”

Most of the western world is abuzz after Apple recently introduced the Apple iPhone 3Gs. Here in Africa though things are different. Most of us cannot afford the high tech gadgetry on offer from Apple. I mean lets face it, most people here in Africa are just looking for something cool yet low cost which will do the job and boy oh boy does the Nokia 5530 do just that.

Nokia last night together with the launch of the Nokia 5530 and 5630 Xpress Music also launched “Comes with music.” “The service, which offers consumers a year of unlimited access to the entire Nokia Music Store catalogue, is now available in South Africa. Comes With Music devices enable the consumer to download an unlimited number of the over 5-million digital tracks available on the South African Nokia Music Store http://music.nokia.co.za for a one year period. In addition, the consumer is able to keep all their downloaded music from the diverse catalogue of international and local artists - even when the service period of one year is over – on both their Comes With Music device and dedicated PC.”

This is why in my humble opinion, companies like Nokia will always have market share in Africa. They are making sure that people of all walks of life are able to groove to the beat on a sexy touch screen device. Thank you Nokia

fringsters if you happen to be one of the lucky few who already has your hands on the Nokia 5530 what are you waiting for download fring today. If you are still thinking of upgrading to a new device, think no more, head over to your nearest cellphone dealer and grab yourself one of these beauties while stocks last.

Note: I will review the Nokia 5530 more closely in the coming weeks.