The top end ‘N-Series’ range of Nokia handsets has now strengthened further to include a new multimedia device known as the ‘Nokia N97’, which  will hit the European markets during the first half of the coming year (2009).

The N97, which offers a different feature pack, is Nokia’s second touch-screen device in as many months to regain lost ground in the touch-screen market.

The company’s president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo called ‘N96’ as the most powerful mobile computer the world has ever seen.

Mr. Kallasvuo made this announcement on Tuesday at the Nokia World 2008 conference in Barcelona, Spain.

The amazing features of N97 includes a 3.5-inch, up to 48 GB of storage, a Qwerty keyboard, 5-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash, A-GPS (Assisted Global Positioning System), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), 5 megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics and Wi-Fi.

The N97 is fully compatible with Nokia’s Ovi Internet services that comprise the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and the N-Gage gaming platform.

In addition, the N97’s 16:9 widescreen display lets users to view Flash videos, play games, blog, chat, send texts and emails.

“We are transforming the Internet. This is a world where you will have the power to tailor and personalise your Internet, to make your life easier,” Mr. Kallasvuo said.

The Nokia N97 smartphone will be available at a price of at EUR 550 (approx Rs 34,850).