Hi Mhlongwane, I’ve been asked to hold back on some of the detail from the Dubai event until a local launch here in SA next month. This post is really derived from about half a page of about 2 and a half pages of my notes from the event. There is quite a bit of exciting stuff about the Ovi Store and the N97 which I am yet to write about (and I will!).

The more I think about it the more I agree with people like Peter Rojas and Ryan Block that the big challenge facing Nokia devices and the N97 in particular is S60. The iPhone, Palm Pre and Android devices have next generation operating systems and while S60 5th Ed works well enough, it isn’t appealing to users who want an iPhone-like user interface. That means that the N97 probably isn’t going to take off like its competition in UI sensitive markets like the USA.

At the same time I enjoyed using the N97 preview model I had recently and I look forward to owning an N97 when they come out. I am not that bothered by the UI but then again, I am hardly representative of all users. If I was the N97 would be toe to toe with the iPhone 3G S.

My big take away from the media event is Nokia’s approach to its consumers. I have already read reports about how the Symbian OS is going to receive an overhaul and with the N97’s (and, soon, other Nokia smartphones’) ability to update its firmware and apps over the air, the problem of a dated OS may well be a thing of the past soon enough.