Nokia's N8 may finally be arriving in the hands of eager Symbian fans (and our own Noah Kravitz), but that doesn't mean that the N9 can't get a little love, too.  While the device hasn't even been officially announced by Nokia, Russian journalist Eldar Murtazin was able to score some hands-on time with the MeeGo-based N9.  While Murtazin was brief in his description of the N9, he did say that the hardware was "near perfect."  The software was a different story, though, which was called out for being "not so good at the moment."  The Nokia HDBlog believes that the N9 will be launched in early 2011, a bit later than the December time frame that was rumored in the past.

While Murtazin's analysis of the N9's software isn't totally positive, it should be noted that its OS is likely no where near complete.  The hardware looks pretty promising, though, and the full metal construction and sliding QWERTY keyboard should definitely help draw some interest.  What would help even more, though, is if the N9 were made available on a subsidy from a U.S. carrier.  Perhaps Nokia's new contest with AT&T is a sign of good things to come?

Via IntoMobile, Nokia HDBlog