Nokia Launches N82 Convergence Device

Like its predecessor the N95, the N82 gets a full 5-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and more.

Having come dangerously close to using three digit numbers when naming the N95, Nokia has backed off its increasing number scheme and dubbed the phone’s predecessor the slightly-less-prestigious-sounding N82. Despite this slightly nonsensical model number, the N82 picks up where the N95 left off, with a full 5-megapixel digital camera, Wi-Fi capability, and gobs of style.

Contributing to its street-cred as a legitimate digital camera, the N82 gets not only a high-resolution CCD sensor, but also Carl Zeiss optics (the same kind used in Sony’s CyberShot cameras) a Xenon flash (no wimpy white LEDs here), and an autofocus assist lamp. With a 2GB microSD storage card the camera should hold 900 hi-res photos or 84 minutes of video.

Of course, the N82 is supposed to be a convergence device, not just a fancy camera phone, so it comes with a boatload of other features as well. Assisted GPS will help users locate where they are, even with interference from objects that throw traditional GPS systems for a loop, like tall buildings (On the downside, users will have to subscribe to navigation service). The phone is also Wi-Fi enabled to upload media at the touch of a button, and will support the Nokia Music Store, N-Gage games, and Nokia Maps.

The N82 officially launches on Wednesday afternoon Finnish time, and will initially sell for a steep 450 Euros ($656 ESD).