Nokia N97 Mini Approved by the FCC

Nokia has seemingly hit a solid piece of the market with its 5800 XpressMusic, 5530 XpressMusic, and N97 touchscreen offerings, and apparently seeks to make is portfolio larger with yet another device -- the N97 Mini.

Appearing recently on the FCC website, this device might be nearing release, though it is not clear at this point where the device will sit in terms of Nokia's lineup.

The FCC must approve any wireless device before it can be used in the U.S., so this government agency signing off on a product doesn't guarantee it will be released in this country.

About the Nokia N97 Mini
This upcoming smartphone looks the part of a slightly smaller version of the current N97, but there are some significant differences.

First, the N97 Mini will be a smaller device -- packing the 640x360 pixel touchscreen into a 2.8-inch diagonal versus the 3.5 inch one of the N97. The smaller screen is going to give it a decidedly shorter frame overall, which will be enhanced by forgoing the directional pad.

Other early images of the device show the tilt-QWERTY keyboard having a bit more depth to the keys.

The 5 MPx Carl Zeiss camera will apparently remain, as well as the the dual-LED flash, but the Mini is going to get a slightly redesigned slider mechanism over the camera -- possibly to prevent some of the issues of dust and scratching that has been noted on some N97 models.

Internally, the N97 Mini will reportedly the same configuration as its big brother in everything except memory. The N97 Mini will come in 8 GB and 16 GB versions, half as much as the current model. These smaller internal memory sizes would dictate that in terms of the price it would be $100-$200 cheaper before subsidies.

Availability
The Nokia N97 Mini is not an officially announced device. The first indication of its existence came from a Vodafone advertisement, to which was followed by several leaked shots of the device.

It is possible that this smartphone will be announced at the upcoming Nokia World Conference this September; however, its availability would probably not be for some time longer.

Source: FCC, via Engadget Mobile, Mobile Bulgaria