It might seem strange to see a news article dedicated to the CPU on the N97 but for many, its very important as it gives an idea of the general purpose processing power of the device which, in turn, is important when assessing a devices ability to decode and render web pages quickly.

Unfortunately, it looks like the N97 won’t be using the latest OMAP 3 platform or anything that contains the latest generation ARM Cortex core. The news was relayed through a Jaiku microblog from the always-reliable, always careful, All About Symbian that it’s using an ARM11 core just as the existing high-end smartphones use.

I heard a few other rumors too. 1) Its ‘as fast or faster’ than the E71. 2) Its clocked higher than on previous Nokias.  Unless its an ARM11 MPCore device clocked up high, I don’t think we’re looking at a big-change in browser performance with the N97 over other Nokia phones which, for me, isn’t good enough to get the device on my personal ‘wanted’ list.

Keep an eye on Nokia Forum though as the official specs will probably be posted there first and they may be different to what All About Symbain has heard. In the meantime, I’ve updated our N97 datasheet to reflect the new info.

I have deliberately left out any personal opinions on the N97 today for fear of being overcome by the hype surrounding it, but having just had a strong cup of tea, it’s time to put my own thoughts down here. Does the N97 cut it for me as a mobile Internet device?

The N97 looks rather stunning doesn’t it. Its hitting the MID market square on and including Web, photography, navigation, location, video, audio, connectivity and productivity like no other device has done before. Just look at the sites that are covering it. LaptopMag, WhatHiFi, Mashable, DailyTelegraph, UMPCPortal! This is exactly where Intel want to be with their MIDs in 18 months but it looks like Nokia is well ahead of them in terms of design and software. They’ve taken other concepts and refined them too. The HTC advantage had a great screen but was a little large. The E90 was small but not very stylish and the iPhone is stylish but a little lacking in the ‘creation’ of content. The pricing appears to be very competitive (the E90 still retails for over 600 Euros, the N97 is coming in under that) and if there’s a reasonable amount of power under the hood and a high build quality, the old communicator range from Nokia will probably phase out fairly quickly.

Of course my first thoughts are that I want one. It looks like a great gadget to have around and something you’d be proud to own. I have always enjoyed the S60 environment and adding the new home screen, touch capability and OVI features will make it even better but there’s a number of things that I’ll think carefully about before I add this to my wish-list…

Read the full story

The N97 is now in the product database and we’re linking in as much info as we can for you so keep checking back for updates. We’ve also got the data sheet in PDF format and a photo gallery.

  
View the full gallery here.

You can track news as we add it to the database via this link. (RSS also available.)

From the keynote speech. Thanks to JKK for the grab.

There’s an even better Nokia-produced video below .

Read the full story

Update: All information now being added to a new N97 reference page.

Update: Nokia have now issued a news release..

Details also coming through at Atmasphere.net. Many others now posting, obviously pre-prepared, posts. All About Symbian have published hands-on: "Subjectively, the ‘feel’ and the design of the handset screams high end with materials that can not be fully appreciated in pictures (it has that caress-ability x-factor)"

The N97 has a 640-wide screen will cost 550 Euro (confirmed, unsubsidised) and will be available in Q2 2009.

More details will be updated below.

• 640×360 resolution (announced by Nokia on-stage)
• 5-megapixel-camera with Carl Zeiss-lens, dual-LED flash., video light
• 16:9 video in DVD-quality.
• GPS
• 3.5" screen
• 3G wireless radio
• 802.11 b/g WiFi
• Bluetooth 2.0
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support
• Accelerometer. Digital compass.
• 32GB onboard flash memory with microSD for adding 16GB more (Nokia are talking about 64GB of storage on-stage)
• 3.5mm headset jack
• microUSB port used for both syncing and charging
• Haptic feedback
• 1500 mAh battery
• S60 5th edition software

Unknown/To be confirmed.

• CPU / Processing platform. Apparently Nokia aren’t saying at the moment.

Questions raised:

• Where does this leave the Nokia Tablets? I suspect that the tablet will remain, will move forward with a bigger screen and faster processor, will get cheaper.
• How much space is left for a web-focused device?

Favourite quotes from keynote:

• "Nothing replaces the feel of a real key on a QWERTY keyboard"
• "That’s how a mobile computer should look"
• "We believe the Internet is as it is, and we need to support it" (in reference to 640 screen size)

Resources:

• Nokia announcement.
• Wall Street Journal
• PhoneScoop hands-on
• Gallery (will be updated as images come in)

All specifications and details have now been transferred into a new N97 product information page. We’ll be updating this as we get information. Feel free to comment and ask questions on the page too.