The Symbian^3 Nokia N8 is scheduled to be released this fall, but Nokia and partner Dolby Labs gave us a sneak peak at some of the capabilities of the device in San Francisco, California. Although Symbian^3 on the phone isn’t finalized and there may be changes prior to shipping, this late-stage prototype looks good and feels great in person with its aluminum casing and solid construction.

To stand out from the crowd against most modern camera phones, Nokia is employing a 12-megapixel camera sensor with glass Carl Zeiss optics as well as a Xenon flash. The camera itself can record videos in up to 720p HD at 25 frames per second for a pretty smooth experience. According to Nokia, they are using one of the largest camera sensors, a mechanical shutter, and glass for a crisp, sharp digital imaging experience. In addition to high-end optics for a camera phone, the Nokia N8, like the EVO 4G and rumored new Motorola Droid X and Droid 2 for Verizon Wireless, also has an HDMI port, which Nokia also bundles a mini HDMI to full HDMI cable. In partnership with Dolby, sideloaded and purchased movies from the OVI Store as well as other web content can play back videos (up to 6 hours via the HDMI connector) with 5.1 surround sound for a great theatrical experience.

You also get a number of sensors and GPS turn-by-turn direction is included free via the excellent OVI Maps software.

Although Symbian isn’t quite as popular in the US as it is in Europe, this high-end camera phone is definitely worth a look if you’re into creating, consuming, and viewing content. The N8 is a revolutionary and worthy successor to the popular Nokia N95 camera phone.