After ditching the notion that a perfect mobile phone can exist and lugging around a slew of devices, can the new N97 finally convince guest writer Justin Berkovi that the perfect phone DOES exist? In light of the Palm ‘Pre’ and new iPhone 3GS how does the N97 match up?

"It’s funny when you look back at mobile phone history and remember the excitement that every ‘new’ or ‘groundbreaking’ mobile device bought to the table. Handsets that spring to mind – the ‘Matrix’ phone (Nokia 7110 – First mobile with WAP browser and in 1999?!!), the small Sony Ericsson T68i with its colour screen, GPRS and email… and more recently the all singing all dancing N95 8GB and related spin offs such as the N85, N96 and so on… not to mention, of course, Apple’s industry shocking iPhone.

It is incredible what a mobile phone can do nowadays – shoot HD video, upload pictures instantly to online photo albums in one click, tagging them with your location, read full HTML email, Skype, instant messaging… the list is almost endless and you start to realise that phones are replicating or even taking over from computers or everyday tasks. We once used hard-wired phones at home or on the street (payphones, remember them?) but now use our mobiles, even when not ‘mobile’. Cast your eyes over your email inbox – how many mails have ‘sent with my iPhone’ or Blackberry on them? IM, Twitter… how many status updates are now sent using mobile devices?"

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[Editor's note: this feature was submitted before today's E72 launch - methinks Justin just found himself yet another candidate!]