NOKIA LAST night introduced its new N97 smartphone, the device which will put the world’s largest maker of mobile phones head to head against Apple, which has surprised the market with strong sales of its iPhone.

Unveiled at an event in London, the N97 is a high-end phone that doubles as a mini touchscreen computer capable of playing music and videos, accessing the web and running a range of software from third-party providers.

Nokia is emphasising its integration with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, its navigation capabilities which has maps for 200 countries, and its access to Nokia’s Ovi store for adding new content and software.

The N97 is technically superior to the iPhone in a number of respects, such as its five megapixel camera compared to Apple’s new iPhone 3GS which upgraded the camera to three megapixels and now records video for the first time.

But Apple’s success with the iPhone, which has sold 21 million units since its introduction in June 2007, has been down to ease of use rather than technical muscle.

Nokia has borrowed a leaf from that book with the N97’s touchscreen interface, but a mini-Qwerty keyboard has been included for the business market.

Consumers have also embraced Apple’s App Store which allows them install new software on their phones with the same ease as buying music from its iTunes online music store. The N97 comes pre-loaded with Nokia’s App Store-equivalent, the Ovi Store, which allows Irish users to add the cost of the software to the bill from their operator.

The N97 goes on sale in Nokia’s flagship Regents St store today with wider availability in Britain next Friday.

It will cost £499 (€592) without a contract but with operator subsidies it would range from free to £35.

No official Irish launch date has been given but the N97 is expected in the Republic in August.