Rumours are circulating the web of a Nokia handset launch next week, with Nokia UK boss Mark Loughran reportedly letting slip details at yesterday’s Ovi Maps event. It could be that there’s a replacement for the big-selling Nokia 5800 in store, and if so there’s a number of handsets that we think it might be. To find out more, read on after the jump…

Nokia UK boss Mark Loughran told Pocket Lint that there could be a launch on the 26th January. While Pocket Lint is left in the dark over what it could be, we have a few ideas of what Nokia is plotting.

One theory is that Nokia will officially launch the Nokia 5800’s predecessor – the Nokia 5230. Featuring the same 3.2-inch touchscreen as its older brother, the cheaper price point of the Nokia 5230 should help it to appeal to the masses. It would also be fitting, as the 26th is the first anniversary of the Nokia 5800, which sold over eight million units.

To find out more about the Nokia 5230, check out our Nokia 5230 tech specs

Another phone that we already know all about, but has yet to be released officially, is the Nokia X3.  This entry-level handset is the second device in the X-series range of music phones, and features a traditional 2.2-inch screen and sliding keypad. Although not in anyway related to the Nokia 5800, it’s possible that Nokia could announce the Nokia X3 officially on the 26th. 

If the launch turns out to be bigger than we expect, with a completely new handset in the offing, there are also a number of devices that could be announced. Rumours have been flying around for a while now about a 12.1-megapixel handset, which would fit in well with Nokia’s position at the top end of the camera-phone market.

Nokia has also pointed out that it’ll only be launching one Maemo-based device in 2010, so could it be announced next week? We’d like to know what you think – if it’s not one of the handsets we already know about, such as the Nokia 5230 or Nokia X3, what would you like to see in a brand new smartphone?

Leave a comment and let us know.