A short while ago Nokia released the official spec of the N97, including the eagerly awaited processor details, since there has been a flurry of articles discussing whether the N97 has got enough punch to power it's software. The majority of sources believe the processor is a little lackluster, but is it really?

The processor is single ARM11 CPU with a clock speed of 434Mhz, which is to my knowledge the fastest processor in a Nokia phone to date. I truly believe Nokia when they say they've optimised the software to use less processing power.

A more powerful processor would have undoubtably given the N97 a lesser battery life as well as increase the cost of production, resulting in Nokia missing their price point and with too high a price point, it's sure to fail.

Remember the N97 has a 32GB internal hard drive, GPS chip, 5mp camera to name a few high end features, I imagine they've really pushed the boat and struggled to keep the N97 at the price they wanted.

Nokia have been in this game for a long time, they're market leaders, because they make outstanding phones. The N97 is their new flagship model, they've already invested in this phone greatly, I just refuse to believe they've made some categorical mistake with the processor.

Other handsets on the market may have faster processors, but does that mean they'll perform faster? Not at all. Many will contain bloated, un-optimised operating systems, It's likely some of them have been packed with an over powered processor to merely dazzle mobile fans with spec, while really only eating up battery life.

Question: Is an 8MP camera guaranteed to out perform a 5MP camera? No, of course not, it's just not that simple, though most end users are likely to believe the higher MegaPixel camera is guaranteed to take a better picture, and so the temptation for manufacturers to throw in faster processors is always going to be there, needed or not.

Thanks to boygenius, for the following specs: â–ª BlackBerry Bold - 624MHz â–ª HTC Magic - 528MHz â–ª HTC Touch Pro2 - 528MHz â–ª Palm Pre - est. 600MHz â–ª Samsung i8910 - 600MHz

So yeah, the N97 is lagging behind in Mhz somewhat, but as I've said before, it's not just a numbers game and I have absolute faith in Nokia, the N97 is going to perform as it should.

Ultimately the proof will be in the pudding, but I for one am not put off and refuse to get caught up in with numbers. I've not heard any real complaints from those who have been lucky enough to have first hand experience with the N97 and I'm still eagerly awaiting mine arriving late June.

The N97 is shaping up to be an impressive handset; check out more contract phones at the Dialaphone website and see what it's going up against.

Nokia pre-orders are open on the official Nokia website, and it's a steal!

The pre-order page went up last week, but Nokia have a current 10% discount across their site bringing the N97 down from RRP of $699 to a mere $524.25 and they're packing in a free bluetooth headset worth $89.95. The offer includes both the black and white N97.

The small print claims pre-orders are exempt from the special 10% discount but it definitely works at checkout.

Kinda crazy that the price has dropped, before it's even been released. But we're not complaining. Hopefully the UK will see a similar deal.

Hop on over and pre-order your Nokia N97 today!

UPDATE: Hmm it appears it was a mistake on Nokia's behalf. Did you manage to pre-order before the change. Please let us know whether Nokia honor the deal. If not you could always opt for the Chinese Nokla N97 instead ;)

The code CARTP409N shaves $69.90 off your order, but not sure the same.

A long time ago, in a country far far away..... Chinese engineers have put together what seems to be a pretty good attempt at cloning the Nokia N97. At a glance the now dubbed 'Noklan' N97 looks and feels just like its original master featuring a full 3.5 inch display and slide out QWERTY. However, with the Noklan being available for around $150, you really do get what you pay for. Most of the clone's 'features' would be considered out of date for a $10 Casio watch and not to mention the slow, sluggish operating system that would almost certainly come without support for 3rd party apps through the OVI store. 

It does upset me somewhat to see these clones on the market, yet they wouldn't be there if there wasn't a demand for them.  I can understand some people not wanting to wait for Nokia to release the N97, or even the handset being too expensive. If you're one of these people, then be prepared for a phone that will do nothing but irritate and disappoint due to its severe lack of features and support. That being said, there are some people who are just simply fooled into thinking they are buying a true N97. I cant help but feel sorry for these people. Please be careful when anything looks and feels just too 'good to be true'.

Check out and discuss Nokia N97 Clones in the forum.

 If you're like me and are waiting to get your hands on a true N97, then hang in there.... July is not far away and the wait will be worth it!

Its here folks, well almost. As of today, the 4th May, the Nokia N97 is available to pre-order via the official Nokia website, which lists 4 countries only. These are Germany, Italy, Sweden and the United States. We'll keep you bang up to date on any changes to the availability so check back here. Though the bad news is that there is still no official release date from the finnish giants, but all the major suppliers are still showing the 23/6/09 as the release date.

Be sure to get your hands on an N97 as soon as they become available and sign up to Nokia's preorder. Alternatively if you're looking to get the N97 on contract, sign up to N97 geeks N97 stock notifyer. As soon as the N97 is released you will be notified by email helping you avoid all the chopping and changing dates being published.