The Nokia N8 is still one of the very best camera phones available, despite being more than a year old, but its successor could be waiting in the wings, ready for its big moment, even as we speak. A manual for a new Nokia device called the 803 has been leaked to Pocketnow.com, and they’re speculating that this could be it.
Although the manual obviously doesn’t state that the 803 will replace the N8, it’s fair to assume that if it will, the camera will be its standout feature. Judging by the picture and the massive, bulging camera lens housing on the rear, we’d say there’s a good chance it’s hiding something special.
Unfortunately, the manual doesn’t give away much on the 803’s potential features, just that NFC will be built-in, along with an HDMI-out and DLNA wireless transfer support.
Previous rumors surrounding the N8’s replacement include the possibility of an optical zoom being fitted to the camera, which would certainly make use of that hump on the 803’s back, but is still a rarity on mainstream camera phones. There’s also talk of a 3.5-inch touchscreen with an 800 x 480 pixel resolution, which may not sound all that groundbreaking, but that resolution would be a Symbian first.
That’s right, whether the 803 turns out to be the N8’s replacement or not, it’s almost certain to run the Symbian operating system, in this case Symbian Belle. While Mobile World Congress in February 2012 seems the logical place to launch such a highly anticipated phone, Nokia didn’t announce the N8 there back in 2010, preferring to do it at a separate event in April; so be prepared to wait for further news on this one.
