phones, but adds full touch controls, which are enhanced in the Nokia N97 by the inclusion of a full QWERTY keyboard. One of the key areas where Symbian always excelled was with SMS and instant messaging, and the Nokia N97 makes the experience even better. Typing messages, emails and instant messages is both quick and easy, thanks to the combination of touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard.

Any feature that makes it easier to do what you want to do is to be applauded, and the keyboard has uses outside of messaging, even for something as simple as entering web addresses into the Nokia N97's browser. Viewing and surfing through those websites will also be a fast and seamless experience, thanks to the HSDPA data connection which lets the Nokia N97 connect to the web at speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps.

Imaging is another area where the Nseries has always excelled, and the Nokia N97 carries on that tradition with a 5 megapixel camera, which also features Carl Zeiss optics, to help you take sharper, clearer photos. Video capture is also supported, and the Nokia N97's media plays both recorded videos and downloaded movies with exceptional results.

The Nokia N97 also features third party software support, allowing you to install extra software and add extra functionality to the device. In fact, in common with many modern phones, the Nokia N97 also features its own app download service, the Ovi Store, where you can buy and download extra software straight from the phone. The Nokia N97 was always billed as the ultimate handheld multimedia computer, and the Ovi Store is a key reason for that statement holding true.

With the amount of extra content and software available, a large amount of storage space is a necessity, and the Nokia N97 is equipped with 32Gb of internal memory.

The Nokia N97 is, as Nokia themselves say, the ultimate handheld multimedia computer, and with the combination of Symbian, the Ovi Store and the slide-out keyboard, it is easily one of the most powerful phones you can buy.