Nokia N8 with Symbian 3: Symbiotic relationship

The Nokia N8 is the first phone that will show off version 3 of the Symbian operating system, as well as a 12-megapixel camera and HD video

Flora Graham

See full bio

Flora Graham

April 27, 2010 6:47 a.m. PT

1 of 4

Nokia hopes to clear the cobwebs that have been gathering on its smart phones with the Nokia N8, the first phone to run Symbian 3.

Symbian 3 polishes up the OS that was so smart on the Nokia N95, but soon felt out of date on the Nokia N97, adding more intuitive touchscreen gestures that iPhone users already know and love -- multi-touch support, flick scrolling and pinch to zoom. We're also thrilled to hear it streamlines the notoriously complex menu structure and cuts the number of prompts.

But don't get too excited, because this isn't a full-scale Star Trek-style reboot of the venerable OS, just a Terminator Salvation-esque revisiting.

The N8 will drop in the UK this autumn for around €370 (£320) SIM-free.

Click 'Continue' for details of the N8's massive camera and HD-quality video.

2 of 4

The home screen looks similar to the N97's, with widgets that update with live data from your social networks, and allow you to control phone functions such as the music player. But the N8 bumps the number of home screens up to three, and offers a new task switcher to help you handle the Symbian's multitasking power.

3 of 4

The N8 will deliver the fresh Symbian goodness along with a honking great 12-megapixel camera. It's packing a xenon flash and a large sensor, which Nokia claims rivals those found in compact digital cameras. It can also shoot HD videos, which you can edit on the phone and show on your TV thanks to an HDMI socket.