Nokia prepares MeeGo-powered N9 for launch in 2011
3.9-inch AMOLED display and 8MP camera on board
Despite Nokia scaling back support for MeeGo following its adoption of Windows Phone, the Finnish firm's one and only MeeGo device is looking like a bit of a corker.
The N9, which sports a 3.9-inch AMOLED display and an 8-megapixel wide angle Carl Zeiss autofocus sensor camera, is scheduled to be in stores "later this year".
As is now traditional for Nokia's high-end handsets, it'll also be available in three different colours – black, cyan, and magenta – with either 16GB or 64GB of storage, and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology built in.
Looking swish with swipesBut it's the N9's webOS-esque focus on gesture controls that Nokia believes will ensure the device stands out on the shop shelves.
N9 does away with the need for a home key, replacing it with swipes. Lots of swipes.
"With the Nokia N9, we wanted to design a better way to use a phone," head of design Marko Ahtisaari said.
"To do this we innovated in the design of the hardware and software together. We reinvented the home key with a simple gesture: a swipe from the edge of the screen. The experience sets a new bar for how natural technology can feel.
"And this is just the beginning. The details that make the Nokia N9 unique - the industrial design, the all-screen user experience, and the expressive Qt framework for developers - will evolve in future Nokia products."
Nokia owners looking to upgrade later this year won't just have the N9 vying for their attention, however.
Alongside the firm's MeeGo handset, Nokia has also committed to releasing up to 10 new Symbian smartphones over the next 12 months.
These devices will sit alongside the firm's first Windows Phone handsets, due to launch first in Europe before the end of the year, before making the leap across the Atlantic most likely in 2012.
[source: Nokia]
