Is this Nokia’s iPhone Killer?

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re willing to bet this sleek piece of smartphone sex is the Nokia N9. The Internet is sizzling with rumors about its imminent launch. But what makes it a killer device?

Specs that blow your brains out

Nokia needs to pull out all the stops to get back where it belongs and if half the rumors are true, the Nokia N9, (codename Lankku) is going to be a beast. Thanks to some clever detective work by the guys at NokiaPort, who unearthed the specs from a MeeGo bug report, it looks possible that the N9 will have a dual-core 1.6 GHz Intel Moorestown processor, a 200 MHz graphics unit that drives a 480×854 pixel display, 1 GB RAM and an Infineon 3G modem that supports HSPA+ speeds (21 Mbps downlink). The speed of that Intel processor alone will make the iPhone 1.Ghz seem as fast as a tortoise on crutches.

All operating systems are MeeGo

Added to the amazing stuff under the hood, the N9 is going to have the world’s newest operating system, MeeGo. Imagine taking all the best features from Android and Apple OS and creating something breathtaking. If it operates as great as it looks, smartphone lovers everywhere are going to be swooning with anticipation

Research budget to die for

As the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones, Nokia might be taking a kicking from all sides, but that doesn’t stop it investing billions in R&D. In fact, it spent nearly 4 billion dollars in 2010, ten times more than HTC and five times more than Apple. For that sort of cash, you’d expect anything launched this year to be simply amazing.

Sherlock Holmes would be proud

Even if all this is true, how do we know that concept sketch is the Nokia N9? Well, it was posted on Nokia’s official blog last year to test the water. It got lots of love. Then last week the main man at Intel, Anand Chandrasekher, (Nokia’s partner on MeeGo) was photographed holding up an unidentified smartphone, which looks very, very similar to this stylish design.

Just a coincidence? Maybe. But think about it. Intel need to get in on the smartphone action. Wouldn’t it make sense to make a grand entrance with a device that will blow the competition away?

We think so. And hopefully in a couple of weeks, at the Mobile World Congress, we’ll find out.