Keanu Reeves may have been the star of The Matrix, but it could be argued that the Nokia 8110 played a great supporting role, adding to the overall “cool factor” of the film. At that time, Nokia was a household name and one of the most widely used brands in the field of mobile phones in the United States. Today, Nokia, like soccer, appeals less to Americans and more to people from the rest of the world thanks to devices like the iPhone and pretty much anything running Android.

Nokia is looking to change that with the Nokia N8, a smartphone that boasts some impressive specs and a redesigned Symbian operating system to better compete with Apple and Android offerings.

The N8 is a sleek device that boasts impeccable build quality with metallic touches around the glass display, making the phone look more comfortable in an executive’s briefcase than a teenager’s back pocket. To add to the overall style of the device, Nokia used a 3.5-inch AMOLED display with a decent 640×360 resolution. While it would be nice to have a display with a slightly higher pixel density, the Nokia N8 is still very bright and clear.

Many of the competing phones on the market use a 5-8 megapixel camera, but Nokia upped the ante with a 12-megapixel camera with xenon flash. This camera produces some extremely sharp images with accurate colors. It also shoots 720p video, which also looks clear and smooth.

Like Nokia, Symbian OS isn’t widely used in the US, but the revamped Symbian 3 tries to bring the user experience more in line with Apple and Android offerings. Symbian 3 offers users up to three screens that can be customized with favorite applications or widgets.

It seems Nokia designed the N8 with the business person in mind, and the software bears this out. The N8 supports popular email protocols like Exchange, Lotus Notes, and POP3/IMAP.

Call quality on the Nokia N8 is clear on both ends, it uses a speakerphone that doesn’t sound tinny. Bluetooth headsets are also compatible with people on the go.

If you have AT&T or T-Mobile and are looking for a solid phone that’s ready for business, the Nokia N8 is worth a look.