Nokia X7 takes aim at gaming to rival iPhone and PlayStation phone

New pictures of the Nokia X7-00 have hit the Internet, and it seems the funny-shaped smart phone has its sights set on the mobile gaming world.

Russian phone blogger Eldar Murtazin got his hands on the phone. It's a black model with an unusually shaped, tapered-corner design. It's also branded with an AT&T logo, which could mean the device is pretty close to being ready for a public debut.

The X series of phones, including the X2, is focused on music. The X7 packs four speakers, which could make it perfect for listening to summer tunes while on a picnic, or really annoying people on buses who are nonetheless too polite to say anything.

Murtazin also describes the X7 as a gaming device. Mobile gaming is exploding in popularity, and the Nokia will have some heavyweight competition. The Sony Ericsson Zeus Z1 PlayStation phone is leaking left, right and centre ahead of a likely February launch, while the Apple iPhone 4's stunning 'retina display' screen means games like Infinity Blade look nothing short of spectacular. Nokia has experience in gaming, having been ahead of the curve with the N-Gage. Let's hope this latest attempt works out better than N-Gage did.

Games should look good on the X7's 4-inch AMOLED screen. The phone runs the much-maligned Symbian 3 operating system, which we said hamstrung the excellent hardware of the Nokia N8, sparking a fierce debate between Symbian friends and foes.

Can Nokia pull off a gaming device to take on the iPhone and PlayStation phone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.