Nokia N85 hits FCC with US-ready 3G

Nokia is planning the launch of a North America Model (NAM) version of the N85, if a newly posted FCC filing proves accurate. The US agency has been testing a version of the slider smartphone with WCDMA on the 850MHz band, which would let it connect to HSDPA-based 3G with AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada. Nokia's official announcement of the N85 has only included support for 850MHz using EDGE data and GSM calls.

The phone as described is otherwise identical to the international N85, whose centerpiece is a 2.6-inch OLED display that improves visual quality beyond LCDs. It also has features from the top of the Nseries range, such as its five-megapixel camera with flash, a true GPS receiver and Wi-Fi. Storage is its main concession as it drops the built-in storage of the flagship N96 for microSDHC support up to today's 16GB limit.

No clues are given as to the potential release date for the N85 NAM, though the timing of the FCC release makes a 2008 introduction less likely. Nokia to date has passed on selling most of its Nseries phones in the US tied to carriers and is expected to sell any N85 variant as an unlocked model.