At the 'Nokia World' event in Barcelona, the world’s leading handset vendor has unveiled the HSDPA-enabled Nokia N97 smartphone, its first-ever touchscreen Nseries device. With a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, WiFi connectivity and integrated A-GPS sensors and electronic compass, the N97 integrates social-networking applications with Nokia’s location-based and navigation services, introducing the concept of “social location”. Multimedia features include a 5-megapixel camera and DVD quality video capture of up to 350 frames-per-second. Capable of downlink speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps, the device supports 32 GB onboard memory capacity, with an additional 16 GB microSD card. Nokia will start shipping the smartphone in the first half of 2009 at a retail price of 550 euro, before taxes or subsidies, targeting internet-savvy consumers. The N97 is Nokia’s second touchscreen device following the launch of the 5800 XpressMusic handset in November in a response to the success of Apple’s iPhone and other touchscreen devices from rivals, including the HTC Touch 3G, BlackBerry Storm, Google’s Android G1, Samsung's Omnia and Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1.

Tilting touch display, QWERTY keyboard and personalized home screen - a true mobile computer.
 
Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N97, the world's most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5" touch display with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an 'always open' window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia's flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology - including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds - for people to create a personal Internet and share their 'social location.'

"From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence," said Jonas Geust, Vice President, heading Nokia Nseries. "Together with the Ovi services announced today, the Nokia N97 mobile computer adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most. With the Nokia N97, Nseries leads the charge in helping to transform the Internet into your Internet".
 
Sensing your 'So-Lo'
The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of 'social location'. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their 'status' and share their 'social location' as well as related pictures or videos.
 
Widescreen - Internet and entertainment
The home screen of the Nokia N97 mobile computer features the people, content and media that matter the most. Friends, social networks and news are available by simply touching the home screen. The 16:9 widescreen display can be fully personalized with frequently updated widgets of favorite web services and social networking sites. The Nokia N97 is also perfectly suited for browsing the web, streaming Flash videos or playing games. Both the physical QWERTY and virtual touch input ensure efficiency in blogging, chatting, posting, sending texts or emailing.
 
The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.
 
The Nokia N97 is expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR 550 before taxes or subsidies.

For more information and materials on Nokia World 2008 event and announcements, please visit:
http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld
www.nokia.com/press/nokiaworld08

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Source: http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1274500