Loyal Symbian users have been waiting for Belle updates to arrive since last fall. Though Nokia models like the 603, 700, and 701 come with this latest operating system already installed, no update has been distributed to existing handsets, currently running Symbian Anna. At first, it looked like Nokia would be able to get that software out before the end of last year, but in December we learned that plans were now pushed-back until sometime early this year. Then, an announcement last week seemed to suggest that the updates were nearly here (and would already be arriving by today), only to have Nokia retract the statement and commit to February for the updates. Well, it’s not much help for owners of existing Symbian phones, but we’re at least seeing progress implying that Nokia is finally coming through with these releases, as it’s announced that those models which are about to receive updates are now shipping new to retailers with Belle already installed.

Nokia says that just where you can find these models with Belle pre-installed will vary regionally, but presumably they’ll be available in most markets shortly. The list of phones making the transition to Belle includes the X7, E7, E6, C7, C6-01, 500, and the popular N8. With all the delays so far, we haven’t been quite sure what to expect from Nokia, but if these models are already in the hands of users with Belle running, there’s no reason we shouldn’t plan on the company following-through this time and bringing the software to all those existing handsets.

Source: Nokia (Twitter)