Nokia E7 flagship smartphone delayed until early 2011

Anyone waiting for the Nokia E7 smartphone to be released will have to exercise some patience. The Helsinki-based company is delaying the handheld's launch until early next year.

However, it might not be that many people who are waiting for this device. According to Reuters, "expectations for the E7 have likely not been very high and the news further dampens expectations."

The E7, following in the footsteps of the delayed Nokia N8, was expected to start shipping this month.

If you've forgotten about the E7, here's a refresher on some of the notable specs:

• Symbian^3 operating system
• 4-inch AMOLED display (640 x 360 resolution)
• Slide-out full QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth 3.0
• HDMI port
• Front-facing VGA cam
• 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash