Till now it was a race among Apple iPhone, HTC G1 and Blackberry Storm (although G1 was launched about just a month ago and it looks bit unfair to compare it with other big names but anyways). So if we still setup a “competition” among modern smartphones, we have another contender, it’s Nokia N97. The planned smartphone which is a part of high-end N series, is scheduled for launch in first half of 2009. The phone is loaded with the features and accessories necessary for a “superb” smartphone. It has 5-megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, 3.5 inch touchscreen, 32-GB onboard memory (extendable with 16GB microSD), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, support for quad-band plus other exciting features like A-GPS sensors. N97 would use Symbian OS and would be launched in Europe in first half of 2009.
The only thing which can prevent customers from owning a N97 is its price tag. The estimated price of N97 is $695 or 550 Euros (almost 3 times the price of G1).

If Nokia can, somehow, cut down the price of N97, this device certainly has the potential to gain popularity among smartphone users.
Good luck Nokia!