Nokia Announces N8 flagship Smartphone
27th April 2010 - Nokia has just announced the N8, their new flagship smartphone that includes a 12-megapixel camera and 3.5-inch AMOLED screen. The new phone will be compatiable with both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G networks in the US, but no plans for a US launch have yet been announced.
The N8 is the first phone to use the new Symbian^3 operating system, an updated version of the veteran smartphone OS. Nokia claims that the new OS supports a range of new features, including gesture control (such as swiping and flicking on the 3.5-inch touch screen) and multiple customizable home screens. It also supports a new graphics architecture that supports the hardware acceleration that allows the phone to process HD video.
The camera can capture still images at up to 12 megapixel resolutiuon, and video at 720p HD resolution at 25 frames a second. A small camera on the front of the device also allows for video calls. The screen of the N8 is a 3.5-inch model with an AMOLED panel, which should make for good outdoor performance. It has a resolution of 640 by 360 pixels and uses a capacitive touch screen.
The N8 also includes extensive wireless support, with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and a very wide range of cellular freuqncy bands. This includes support for all of the 3G frequencies use by both AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA, so this phone could theoretically be used on either network. It also supports HSDPA download speeds of up to 10.2 Mbps and uploads of up to 2 Mbps.
No information has yet been released on any US release for this phone, but it is expected to be released in Europe in the third quarter, priced at 370 Euros (approximately $500 dollars). More details are available from Nokia.
