Nokia fights for smart-phone turf with the N8

(Nokia's N8 smart phone)

Nokia has got news for all smart-phone enthusiasts out there. The Finnish mobile phone vendor wishes to remind you all, it is the number 1, numero uno, the big boss, in the smart-phone arena. And Nokia might have a soft voice right now, it is nevertheless holding a very big stick -- the N8.

One can almost sense Nokia's frustration at being labeled as an also-ran mobile vendor playing second-fiddle to the market's more flamboyant players Apple and Research In Motion. Because while Apple's iPhone and RIM's Blackberry may be the most popular, Nokia has been selling more smart phones than both of them.

Available in the third quarter of 2010, the Nokia N8 enables users to produce high-definition content, link up with their social-network friends, and watch on-demand Internet TV programs. The smart phone comes with a 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Xenon flash, and a sensor that compares well with those found in digital cameras.

The Nokia N8 smart phone has a suggested retail price of 370 euros, or approximately Php21,000 before corresponding taxes. Nokia launched the N8 in the Asia-Pacific region on June 14 via the company's annual Nokia Connection event in Singapore.