n97

Nokia's new N97 mini is now available for purchase throigh retail stores. The phone runs on the new software version 2.0 and costs EUR 450 before taxes and subsidies. Also, existing N97 users can download the said update from the Nokia Software Update website (http://www.nokia.com/softwareupdate), which will be followed by a wide range of country and operator versions over the coming weeks.

Owners of the Nokia N97 can now download and update their handset's firmware to v2.0. The update is now available for free download all over the world. Sorry, 5800 users, the luck was not on your side.

The first press photo of the upcoming Nokia N97 Mini has emerged in the Interwebs, you can see it above. The phone is FCC-approved and even has some previews, and  cn't wait for the upcoming Nokia World event, where the N97 Mini will be presented.

Apparently this is the so called Nokia N97 Mini, an unannounced handset we can't really tell you much about. We just have these two photos, judging by which device appears to be slightly smaller and slimmer than the regular N97, and it's also has a few subtle design changes, particularly on the back, where the camera has lost its sliding cover.

That's all we can say for now.

The latest Nokia N97 software update adds support for Nokia N-Gage to the handset, and you only need to download the N-Gage app itself through Software Update function to get the service working. Unfortunately, not all games are supported by the N97, plus some of the working titles can't be run in full screen mode, as they've been developed for the QVGA resolution screens (320x240), which are most common for N-Gage devices.

3 UK customers can now order the new Nokia N97 on the company's website. The omnipresent "free calling" tag basically means that you'll be able to use Skype for free calls to other Skype users. Pricing includes a free deal, that is if you agree for £35+ monthly instalments. The unlocked version will cost you £319.

Well, the 1.1 (11.0.021) update for the Nokia N97 we talked about yesterday is now available to everyone, so you can get started right away. If for some reason the software is not available over-the-air, you can always fire up Nokia Software Updater and give it a go. See below for a full change log:

• USB detection error fix;
• PC does not detect N97 or USB charging connection not detected;
• Widget;
• Home screen online/offline widget crash fix;
• Fix for “Alphabetical and Number input are mixed in facebook until end key is pressed;
• Widget UI improvement - New facebook widget fixes a problem of Home Screen background visible on soft-key area;
• Browser fixes to improve widgets stability;
• MfE related fixes;
• Partial fix for Messaging/calendar entry lost;
• Mail for exchange calendar entry synchronization error fix;
• UI transition error fixes (Portrait <-> landscape transition, there is a home screen corruption);
• UI transition (Slowness and bad effects);
• Slow Touch UI response;
• Picture of the device lock appears half of the screen when transitioning the UI sometimes;
• Landscape: in some cases the soft buttons on touch (right hand) show the Home Screen in background (install maps.

We have confirmation that tomorrow, July 1st, Nokia will be releasing the first firmware update for the recently released N97 NAM. The software will be available OTA via the Nokia Software Updater. No word on what exactly will be changed in this release, but you're welcome to find it out for yourself.

Hopefully it includes the kickass LL Cool J startup screen you see on the pic.

Amazon has recently moved the date of shipment for the Nokia N97 from June 25th to June 30th. We don't know the cause of the delay, but since first-party preorders aren't expected to ship until July, you'll still be ahead of the crowd when the phone arrives to your doorstep.

Update: Oh, pardon, I guess this is old news. The date has been changed back to June 25th.