World's largest mobile handset maker Nokia, announced the launch of its first smartphone based on the eagerly awaited Symbian 3 operating system.
The Nokia N8 is estimated to cost around EUR370 and will be available in selected markets from the third quarter of this year.
According to analysts, Finland-based company is facing fierce competition in the profitable high-end market segment from Apple Inc's (AAPL) iPhone and Research in Motion's (RIMM) Blackberry, while at the same time there is an intensifying battle between different mobile operating systems. In order to fight rival systems such as Google Inc's (GOOG) Android, 
Nokia has upgraded its key Symbian smartphone platform to make it slicker and more user-friendly, but device launches built on the new system have so far been delayed due to quality issues.
The Nokia N8 smartphone will include:-
- - 12 megapixel camera.
- - Provide users with the ability to make and edit HD-quality video clips.
- - Access to Web TV services.
It said it will also offer a range of social networking features and the Ovi Maps navigation service, and will be integrated with Qt, a software development environment that makes it easier to build mobile applications.
The Symbian 3 operating system supports features such as:-
- - multi-touch.
- - flick scrolling
- - and pinch-zoom, a faster and more responsive user interface and faster multi-tasking.
The N8 will have to offer good usability compared with rivals such as the iPhone and Android-based handsets in order to generate substantial sales, said analyst Jari Honko at Swedbank, but the EUR370 estimated retail price looks attractive compared to rival phones, he said.
