Nokia is all set to follow up the Nokia 5800 with another touchscreen XpressMusic phone, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. And while the release date has been given as a fairly vague "third quarter 2009", we reckon this handset could be in the shops very soon - heck, Nokia is already sending them out for hands-on previews. Join us after the jump if you want to see the next S60 touchscreen star poked and prodded...

First leaked back in April, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is an affordable phone aimed at people that want a touchscreen Nokia but don't want to shell out for an N97 or 5800 XpressMusic. It's also thinner, lighter and more compact than the 5800 and N97, and despite its lower price tag (€199) sports a rather fetching stainless steel frame around its 2.9-inch touchscreen.

You can check out its full tech specs here, but if you want some in-depth first impressions take a look at the hands-on preview over at The UK Mobile Phone Blog.

According to the hands-on, the 5530 is small but usable, and the premium materials give it an air of class. On the front there is just the touchscreen and three semi-touch sensitive buttons (answer, end and menu), while the right side features zoom and capture controls for the camera, plus a slider to lock the controls. The left side has slots for SIM and microSD cards, and there's a full-size 3.5mm headphone jack and micro USB port on the bottom.

A stylus is also included, but according to the hands-on you can use your fingers quite adequately, despite the display being a little smaller than the 5800's 3.2-incher.

Also on board is a proximity sensor which turns off the screen when you hold the phone up to your ear, an accelerometer and handwriting recognition.

It's well worth checking the full hands-on for more details, plus some decent pics of the 5530. And it's just the first part - they'll have more info on the phone tomorrow.

(Via UK Mobile Phone Blog)