Nokia N9 Delayed, Pushing Back the Debut of the MeeGo OS

Nokia admitted today that it has been forced to delay the launch its first smartphone running the MeeGo OS. The Nokia N9 is expected to be the debut of Nokia new operating system, but it won't be on the market until next year.

Speaking during a conference call with investors today, Stephen Elop, Nokia's new CEO and President, said that the "first MeeGo device will be a 2011 event." Previously, company executives had said that a MeeGo-based smartphone will be available by the end of this year. Elop did not give a reason for the delay.

This isn't good news for Nokia, as it means this device -- which rumors say will be the Nokia N9 -- will miss the very important holiday shopping season.

Even more importantly, Nokia is hoping to use MeeGo to gain ground against with Google's Android OS and Apple's iOS in cutting-edge smartphones, and any delay gives its competition time to get farther ahead.

What the Rumors Say
In late summer, images of the Nokia N9 began to leak out of its manufacturer. These show that this device is going to have a landscape-oriented keyboard and a slide-and-tilt display.

Aside from these sparse details, little is known about this upcoming model. Still, it's likely to be well supplied with features.

More About MeeGo
Earlier this year, Nokia and Intel announced that they are combining their Linux-based operating systems. Nokia's Maemo is currently available on the N900, while and Intel's Moblin was created for netbooks and tablets.

The resulting operating system, dubbed MeeGo, will run on a range of mobile computers, including phones and tablets.

Nokia has said it will be the operating system for its high-end smartphones, with Symbian powering its mid-range and entry-level models.