Kevin Sharp writes this in his Blog on Nokia Forum Blog:

"The new Nokia N8, Nokia’s first device powered by the Symbian^3 developer platform, combines internet, social networking, video, photos, music, and maps. The Nokia N8 features a 3.5-inch capacitive multi-touch screen, making it an ideal showcase for the improved UI features in the Symbian^3.

Also included is a new graphics architecture that enables richer UIs, with features such as transparency and the ability to integrate video into almost any screen layout. The UI also features a single-click approach to interaction and a new task switcher to better support Symbian OS’s full multitasking capabilities.

Additionally, for software developers, the device includes Qt 4.6 (a Nokia first), Java MIDP 2.1, and Flash Lite 4.0. developers can prepare applications for the Nokia N8 using the Nokia Qt SDK, now available in a beta version."

i think the N8 will be a great device and this could be a new aera for developers and designers, because Symbian^3 uses new APIs and plug-ins for shiny new apps.

what i like about the N8 is the USB OTG (on the go). you can connect USB flash drives or small disks and copy files from the phone on it (max. 2GB per file) directly. For example: you shoot a video and edit it on N8 and copy it to a USB Drive to have enough space to shoot another scene :-)

But there are a few drawbacks, too:

first is the imho small and non-removable battery. 1200mAh could be a bit too small for such a powerfull device.

the second drawback is the processor: ARM11 with 680Mhz.

is this a step back or is this only a trade-off between efficiency and power consumption? there should be a GPU onboard aswell. although the most apps won't get in trouble :-)