Nokia is to release a qwerty keyboard based N-series handset later in the year codenamed the Nokia Liam according to leaked documents from Vodafone.

Broken by American website, BoyGeniusReport, the phone is due in Q2 this year and comes with quad-band, 3G and HSDPA, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Tech specs of the new handset, which has yet to be confirmed by Vodafone or Nokia include a 2.36-inch (320x320) colour display, a full qwerty keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel camera and front camera for video call.

Additionally there will be space for a microSD card up to 8Gb hot swappable on the side and of course sporting Nokia's now almost standard GPS functionality.

According to the slide, which is marked classified, the device is narrower and more stylish than the E61, which it will replace.

Interesting the photo's have "To Bhupinder Panesar in confidence" written on them. Who is Bhupinder Panesar? According to linkedin.com, he is the Enterprise Portfolio Manager at Vodafone and Carrier Product Management at Research In Motion.

To fuel to the leak, shots of the new E71 have appeared on the internet over the weekend.

In a further leak, Nokia is also planning a slider phone codenamed Dora. The phone, the successor to the E65 will boast integrated Wi-Fi and GPS as well as offering HSDPA, a 3.2 megapixel camera and microSD slot.

We expect more details at 3GSM next month.

We will keep you posted.

>> Via - TheBoyGenius.com