Nokia N97 Now Available in the U.S.

One of the most highly anticipated devices of the year – the Nokia N97 – began selling in the U.S. today.

It is now available at Nokia Flagship stores in New York and Chicago, as well as nokiausa.com. It's expected to be released at various online retailers in the near future.

This device is being sold directly to consumers, and therefore without a carrier subsidy. That's why the pricetag is $700.

UPDATE:  Online retailers have begun offering the N97, some at prices well below Nokia's. Amazon.com has it for $604, for example. 

More about the Nokia N97
The Nokia N97 is the second touchscreen-enabled Symbian S60 device from Nokia. It features a slide-and-tilt display that's 3.5-inches with a 640-by-340-pixel resolution.

It also has a QWERTY keyboard, 32 GB of internal memory, a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and a microSDHC memory card slot.

Wireless options include quad-band GSM, HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS w/A-GPS. The version made for N. America has the 3G frequencies used in this area.

Because it's being sold unlocked, this model can be used with any GSM carrier, including AT&T and T-Mobile, but it does not have the special frequencies the latter uses for 3G.

Other features of this device include an electronic compass, TV-Out, and a widget-based homescreen,

The N97 also has support for Nokia's Ovi Store, as well as full support for the Nokia Music Store, N-Gage, Nokia Maps, and Nokia Messaging.

For more information, visit Nokia's website and read Brighthand's Nokia N97 preview.

Source: Nokia