Nokia N77 3GSM Mobile TV in phone

Nokia is set to unveil its first mid-priced mobile TV phone model next week, as the world’s top handset maker aims to increase the awareness of television on the go, sources close to the company said.

A lack of affordable TV phones has capped the take-up of mobile television services around the world.

The few available models are among the most expensive handsets on sale.

One source at a Nordic operator told Reuters the new model will be similar in form to Nokia’s N7x series.

The N7 line-up is part of the N-Series multimedia phones aimed at the mass market, with N8 and N9 series aimed at more specific segments.

The phone, expected to be called the N77, is set to be unveiled at the 3GSM mobile communications trade show in Barcelona next week.

It will be able to receive TV signals broadcast in DVB-H technology, one of the most popular of the many new digital broadcast formats for mobile devices.

“Immediately when the phone prices reach the 200-300 euro price point, mobile television goes mass market,” the source said.

Harri Mannisto, a director in Nokia’s Multimedia unit, declined to comment on the possible product launch.