Yesterday was the official release of Nokia’s new smartphone named N97, featuring a touchscreen with a 3.5-inch display and a full Qwerty keyboard. This represents Nokia’s effort to step into the smartphone segment mainly run by Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s Blackberry, and the company decided to take certain distinctive elements from each, in order for its device to appeal to a bigger public.

"This is really the start of the new N-series ... really kicking off the next wave," Jonas Geust, vice president of Nokia's devices unit told Reuters in a recent interview, adding that "What would there be these days without touch ... Touch for this category of devices is going to be important. QWERTY is also going to be important."

It is yet too soon to determine whether the N97 has what it takes to ‘steal’ some of Apple’s fan base or RIM’s corporate users, as each company managed to secure a certain market share, based on faithful customers, who found in the devices everything they needed. Some might say that it lacks an identity, as it took its elements from the competition, instead of keeping a stronger connection with its own N Series features.

The presentation also noted that the device will only be available for purchase sometime after mid 2009 at a price of almost $700. It might sound expensive but this is just the initial price, without any carrier subsidy – as soon as the company decides on its carrier-partners, new prices will be released, depending on the different data plans and connectivity contracts.

The N97 supports the WCDMA and EGSM cellular frequencies and also HSDPA for 3G wireless. It features a 802.11bg adapter, Bluetooth 2.0 and enhanced data rates. It supports a Micro-USB connector and Hi-Speed USB 2.0. There is also a built-in GPS receiver with support for assisted GPS services. It features a full HTML web browser with Adobe Flash, cut-and-paste text and options for a removable battery.

Aside from its 3.5 - inch, 640 x 360 touchscreen, there is another distinct feature, its 5-megapixel camera with flash and video recording, and also its 32 Giga Bytes of built-in flash memory that can be expanded by an additional 16 GB using the phone’s card slot.

One of the best apps available on the N97 is the new version of Nokia Maps, used for mobile mapping and navigation, which allows users to pre-plan a route on their PC and then synchronize the results with their mobile device. The service also includes support for high-resolution aerial images, 3D landmarks for 216 cities and even terrain maps. The company also included a new route overview feature. The company’s plans for the future include an upgrade that will integrate Nokia Maps with other personal content, allowing users to combine location-associated media and content with trips or visits, and then share the content with others.

Nokia is looking for its next big hit, as its recent offerings, the N85, N96, and E71, failed to make a good impression on the North American market and have not been picked up by any U.S. carriers.