It has happened! Nokia has finally fired its first salvo against the iPhone - nearly two years after the latter's launch. The company on Tuesday unveiledits brand new N97 during the Nokia World 2008 Conference at Barcelona, Spain.

While we have had many discussions regarding phones that were launched and were touted as the next iPhone killers, none of them have actually managed to remove the iPhone from its coveted pedestal. Will the N97 too meet with the same fate?

Let's go back a little in time. Circa 2007: In January 2007, Apple announced that it was planning to launch something very revolutionary; and the world got to see the iPhone. While some took potshots at Apple's "uninspiring" design, others cribbed about the non-availability of 3G. Additionally, the fact that people had to wait six months until the launch date in June for the device added to their grievances.

Things were set to change however. The first generation iPhone was finally released on 29 June 2007, and the rest, as they say, is history. Thirteen million iPhones have been sold since then. All of a sudden, Apple, which virtually had no presence in the mobile phone market, became the third largest mobile phone manufacturer in terms of revenue!

The USP of the iPhone was the amazing user interface that the phone sported. The usual mobile phone user had not seen anything like this before. Yes, there were touchscreens and high-end devices that made people drool, but the iPhone managed to reinvent the touchscreen - thanks to multi-touch. For the first time, the 'stylus' seemed to be headed towards certain extinction - a thought which was inconceivable a few months before the iPhone's launch.

Fast forward to 2008. A lot of water has since flown under the bridge - but one thing hasn't changed, the iPhone still reigns supreme. Almost two years down the line, it manages to ward of potential "killers" by the virtue of one revolutionary feature - its UI.

Back to 2007 again. Half way around the world, in Europe, Finnish giant Nokia was having a rollicking time. The N-Series from Nokia was doing exceptionally well and Nokia led the smartphone market by a significant margin. The iPhone was barely a blip on Nokia's radar back then. Established manufacturers like Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and Motorola were having a tough time playing catch-up with the N-Series. Then, the iPhone was launched! With a relative newcomer like Apple managing to deliver a serious blow to an established player like Nokia, other big manufacturers had plans of coming out with a credible competitor to the iPhone.

Unofficially, people did pit the N95 against the iPhone. While the N95 scored well on the features front, it had no match for the iPhone's slick UI. This trend continued until 2008. Even with the launch of N96, Nokia had not made any headway in providing users a capable alternative to the iPhone. Not any longer! The N97 is here!

The first ever touchscreen N-Series device from the company, with a horde of attractive features, it does score some brownie points on the UI front. While mutitouch is still missing, the navigation and UI has been thoroughly revamped. However, there is one problem with the N97. It's like doing too little, too late. The N97 might be a revolutionary device as far as Nokia is concerned, but due to its timing it is relegated to one of the many iPhone killers out there.

One question that is bothering users and analysts alike is why did it take Nokia so long to come out with such a device? Even smaller players like Sony Ericsson and Samsung have released devices (Xperia X1 and Omnia, respectively) with features comparable to that of the N97. Google too has introduced the Android platform with the G1 - starting off the open source, mobile phone OS war.

The features that stand out in the N97 are the widgets functionality, the colossal 48GB memory (32GB internally and upto 16GB with a micro SD memory card), and the fact that the web browser supports flash - a feature absent in the iPhone. The UI is based on the Series 60 fifth edition previewed on the Xpressmusic 5800 launched recently.

People might also complain about the thickness of the phone - which was unavoidable - thanks to the slide-out keyboard. With the features seen on paper, the N97 should give the iPhone a run for its money, but so can a multitude of others.

So what makes the N97 special? The answer is Nokia, the brand. I am sure Nokia would use its marketing muscles to make the N97 a (guaranteed) success. However, will that achievement necessarily match the iPhone's iconic status is the million dollar question. Only time will tell.

Do you think the N97 will be able to do what the others (still) haven't managed to achieve, or will it take another effort by Nokia to churn out a device that can truly outshine the iPhone? Post away your comments and take our poll. Do let us know!

Related Links:

Samsung's Omnia Debuts in India

iPhone at Midnight

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Experience