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Nokia and Symbian unveil newest smartphone

Nokia has unveiled the N8, its first smartphone powered by the Symbian 3 operating system.

The Finnish phone giant is the first manufacturer to use Symbian 3, and hopes the handset – due for release in the third quarter of 2010 – will show off all its features and enhancements.

Foremost on the phone is its 12-megapixel camera, with Carl Zeiss optics, xenon flash and a substantially larger sensor than other camera phones. Nokia claims it will "rival dedicated point and shoot cameras".

Symbian's executive director, Lee Williams, said the handset perfectly showed what their platform could make possible.

"Symbian 3 enables an unparalleled set of options for device creators and apps developers to extend the usefulness of Symbian products and services and, in turn, enhance the lives of mobile consumers," he said.

The N8's 3.5in, 360 x 640 touchscreen will offer iPhone-style multi-touch controls, including pinch to zoom.

It also boasts 16GB of built-in storage, 720p HD video recording and editing capabilities, three home screens of apps and widgets, and an HDMI television connection point.

Nokia said the result will be faster graphics, enhanced memory management and a much improved interface.

The third quarter, however, will also see RIM launch its new BlackBerry operating system, Dell launch its own Android phones, and Microsoft update its mobile operating system to version 7.

The handset will cost £320 before VAT and network subsidies.