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With smartphones becoming the big thing in the world of mobiles, the operating system is becoming ever more important. Let's take a look at one of the most well-established software platforms out there: Symbian.

Nokia 5800 and N97 - taking Symbian to new heights

Two phones from Finnish manufacturer Nokia have opened up Symbian to the modern world, as they're the first two to include full touchscreens. First up is the Nokia 5800, part of their XpressMusic range. The 5800 features a keyboard-less design, making the touchscreen and the interface all important. And what an interface it is, with full finger-touch controls, and a superb user experience, that really gets the best from the phone. Of course, the Nokia 5800 is more than just an operating system, and features such as the 3 megapixel camera, super-fast internet access and the brilliant XpressMusic media player lift it above its rivals. However, one thing the Nokia 5800 isn't is a top-end, uber-smartphone device. It was always designed to be a mid-range phone, and as good as the Nokia 5800 is, that leaves a gap at the top of their product range.

Well, that's where the Nokia N97 comes in. It takes the Symbian touch interface, and builds it into the body of a true smartphone, with sliding QWERTY keyboard, a larger screen, and a massive 32Gb of built-in memory. There are very few phones on the market that can match it for sheer performance, and... well... the word 'powerhouse' could have almost been made exclusively for the Nokia N97. In addition to the obvious extra benefits you get from a QWERTY keyboard, it also includes a bigger camera than the 5800, coming in at 5 megapixels. Without a doubt, the Nokia N97 is the most advanced Symbian phone in production at the moment.

It won't stay that way, though, because another upcoming phone is definitely going to steal its thunder...

Sony Ericsson Idou - the ultimate touchscreen phone

As things stand at the moment, the Nokia N97 is the most advanced Symbian phone you'll be able to lay your hands on, beating out its lower-end cousin, the Nokia 5800. However, it WILL be superseded, and it will lose its crown, because at the recent Mobile World Congress, a new phone from Sony Ericsson was announced. And it's a beast! Called the Sony Ericsson Idou, it features the same Symbian touch software, but with an added interface on top, that's sexier than anything seen before. Smooth, fluid animations are the order of the day, and the music player, derived from Walkman technology, beats everything else out there. However, it has one, huge, not-so-secret weapon, because the Idou from Sony Ericsson is the first phone to feature a TWELVE megapixel camera. Because of that, and because of the superb interface, there's simply nothing out there that can touch (no pun intended) the Idou...

About the Author:

Expert on mobile phones, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.