Nokia taking pre-orders for N97 smartphone

The N97 features a 3.5in touch screen and a full slide-out Qwerty keyboard

Nokia has begun taking orders for its N97 touch-screen smartphone, which is expected to ship in June.

The SIM-free device, which comes in black or white, is available for pre-order at a cost of £499.95 from Nokia's online store.

The phone features a 3.5in screen which can be tilted, and a full slide-out Qwerty keyboard. Also included is a 5-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, 32GB of onboard memory with a microSD slot for up to 16GB of expandable memory, and built-in GPS allowing the phone to offer a range of relevant real-time information.

The N97 will be the first to offer access to Nokia's Ovi mobile applications store, according to the handset maker. It will also feature built-in Skype functionality, letting mobile users make free calls to other Skype users, see presence information for contacts and send instant messages.

Nokia and Skype announced the deal at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona in February. N97 owners will be able to use the 3G and Wi-Fi interfaces of the handset to make Skype calls.

According to reports, the N97 will also be available on an O2 contract from the Carphone Warehouse in June. However, Nokia said that further shipping date, operator and content information would be "announced soon".