People have been eagerly awaiting the release of the very first Symbian^3 handset ever since the OS developer announced that they will be shifting to open source. Initial images of the new mobile platform have also been quite intriguing –sporting a new look that seems to have a lot more dynamic elements that it’s previous iterations. News about new applications for the OS is still on the down low, but we expect to see plenty of support for the device in the coming months.

The new handset featuring Symbian^3 is being called the N8-00 or the Nokia N98. Images of the device feature a large touch screen form factor with a single button on the bottom of the screen.

An HDMI port has been spied on the edge of the device hinting at HD quality video output to TVs and monitors. It has also been said that the new phone will have a 12 mega pixel camera (with Xenon flash and Carl Zeiss lens) and video recording at 720p HD quality. We are hoping they would also add LED video recording light since the phone already has a good flash.

Nokia however, has yet to actually confirm that they are working on the device. The 98 will be one of the things many of us will be looking out for when the Finnish manufacturer makes their scheduled announcement this April.

The Symbian^3 is making a remarkable comeback this year after its recent troubles last 2009. The OS was bumped off by Maemo on the N series and several Symbian devices suffered from major software issues (such as the SE Satio and the N97).

Find out more about the rumor N98 smart phone at Know Your Mobile.