MOTOROLA has done it. Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG are doing it. And now Nokia has joined the fold of companies hoping to tug at the purse strings of ladies who want to make a bold red fashion statement.

The Finnish phone giant on Monday took the wraps off a trio of new products to be released in the first part of this year. Among the offerings - part of Nokia's 'N' series of multimedia phones - was the N76, a flashy clamshell 3G handset coated in glossy red.

At first glance the N76 bears an uncanny resemblance to Motorola's highly-popular Razr handset, but it is chockful of additional multimedia bells and whistles.

Touted as a slim music-centric device, the N76 features dedicated quick cover keys for easy access to player functions without having to flip the phone open. And despite being one of the thinnest 3G handsets to hit the market, Nokia still manages to pack in a 3.5mm headphone jack and an integrated microSD card for users to expand their music storage capacity.

On the multimedia front, the phone also sports a two-megapixel camera and standard frills such as support for Web browsing and e-mail, as well as connectivity options like Bluetooth and Mini-USB. Besides red, it will also be available in glossy black.

Joining the N76 is the N93i, the latest version of Nokia's camcorder phone. It promises the ability to capture DVD-quality videos through its 3.2 mega pixel Carl Zeiss lens. It sports a new metallic exterior and a 2.4-inch display with a 160-degree viewing angle. In addition, it supports a new photo and video blogging service called Vox so users can upload their pictures and recordings to the Web through a few simple clicks on the phone.

The final addition to the N series line-up is a GPS (global positioning system)-enabled handset called the N95. Besides phone functions, the device will allow users to navigate the streets of Singapore and neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Thailand through an integrated application from Agis called AsiaMaps. Consumers who purchase the N95 will also enjoy free voice navigation for 60 days.

All three phones - the N76, N93i and N95 - will be launched in Singapore before March but pricing has not been announced.

This article first appeared in BT on January 11, 2007