Nokia’s new N82 smart phone is raising the bar for mobile multimedia devices, and sports a plethora of features to make even Apple iPhone fans jealous. Released in Europe just six weeks ago, the N82 is officially called a “multimedia computer,” NOT a cell phone. Got that?

The successor to Nokia’s popular N95 model, the N82 is outfitted for GPS navigation, Internet use, and digital photography. It features a five megapixel in-built digital camera with Xenon flash and a Carl Zeiss lens for vivid, high-resolution photographs, even at night or in other low light situations. Of course, autofocus, manual mode and white balancing are also on offer, to ensure the N82 stands up well as a digital camera.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. The Nokia N82 also features near-DVD quality video capturing and an included 2 GB microSD memory card, which holds 900 high resolution photographs, or as much as 84 minutes of video.

And although you would be forgiven for thinking that the N82 was simply a digital camera and video recorder, there are tons of other features that make this an all in one multimedia “superphone.”

For example, The N82 features a full GPS locator, and comes standard with Nokia Maps, to help navigate your way around any city, or even other countries. You can also save screenshots of the map to the photo gallery, and send directions and routes via MMS. Voice guided GPS navigation is also available for an additional subscription fee, though a trial package of the service comes standard with the phone.

Besides the GPS and digital camera, the N82 is also a well-connected Internet phone, featuring WiFi and the ability to access mobile broadband networks. Although the LCD screen is only 2.4 inches, web pages can be easily navigated, and a direct digital video out allows you to connect the N82 to a TV or computer monitor for more serious web browsing.

Of course, like any self-respecting smart phone these days, the Nokia N82 features a top-notch MP3 and multimedia player, to handle all your music and video files. Oh, and in case I have forgotten to mention it so far, the N82 is also a pretty decent mobile phone, with all the usual features you would expect, including Bluetooth, text messaging, etc.

Nokia claims that the phone has a talk time of up to 260 minutes when used in GSM mode, which is a very respectable battery time for a smart phone with so many high-end features.

While the N82 is already out in Europe, a release date for the US has not been revealed at this time. Let’s hope Nokia starts the New Year off right by debuting the N82 here sooner rather than later. Frankly, the Apple iPhone could use the competition.

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