Nokia, the world's top cell phone maker, is next to launch a touch-screen handset according to the Reuters news agency. The Nokia touch-screen “Tube” will reportedly be unveiled at a media event in London on October 2. Thus Nokia’s device will join the recently surfaced Android as well as Apple’s notorious iPhone. In other words the competition is quite hefty.

In the meantime, Apple's iPhone continues being the highlight of its domain as it now commands 5.3 percent of the smartphone sales after only 15 months on the market. Moreover Android is also receiving interest from developers interested in creating applications for its platform, which may prove to increase its appeal to carriers and users.

The “Tube” however also marks the latest stage in Nokia's wider effort to match the demand for more advanced phone features among U.S. consumers.

"The phone is extremely important," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi to Reuters. "We have been waiting for the market leader to respond to Apple's iPhone for a year and a half now. There is a lot of pressure on Nokia." Milanesi also added that the Finnish firm had a history of coming late to the market with innovations but succeeding anyway.

A Nokia spokesman wasn't immediately available for comment.

Nevertheless Nokia remains optimistic: the company has predicted it will ship 10 percent more mobile devices this year than the approximately 1.14 billion units it sold in 2007.

As far as the Tube is concerned, it will also run on the S60 platform that powers many of Nokia's devices. S60 is software developed by Symbian, which Nokia said it was acquiring.

Nokia shares closed the day Friday at $19.68, down almost 3 percent.