The newly launched Nokia X7 is significant for two reasons: first of all, it gives the X Series a multi-talented new face at the top of the range, but it also gives us our first glimpse at Symbian Anna, the fresh-faced update to Symbian^3. 

That's a significant point, because with Anna set to roll out to existing Symbian^3 phones such as the Nokia N8 and Nokia E7 next month, this gives us a sneak preview of what's in store.

And it doesn't take long for Symbian Anna to make its presence felt, either. The Nokia X7's stunning 4-inch touchscreen does a great job of showcasing the new font and rounded icon style, and we have to say we're quite impressed.

Nokia has managed to strike a compromise between impressing Symbian first-timers with a slick and modern-looking OS, and giving existing Symbian^3 users who are upgrading a familiar look and feel they can relate to.

But there's far more going on here than just a new look. Most importantly, Symbian Anna is faster than its predecessor, responding to on-screen button presses instantly, and generally going about its business quickly and efficiently.

The Nokia web browser, now up to version 7.3, positively zips along. Things have been rearranged on-screen to leave just a single address bar at the top, with the Back button sitting on the bottom left, and a pop-up button on the bottom right with links to adding bookmarks, viewing your browsing history, accessing settings and more.

Another new feature that has been ticked off is the introduction of a portrait-style on-screen keyboard. Many Nokia users have been crying for its introduction for what seems like years now, so they'll no doubt be pleased to finally see it come up for air. For our money, though, the landscape keyboard remains far better and easier to use, and we can imagine the portrait version will be a bit of a tight squeeze on handset with smaller screens than the Nokia X7.

Aside from deliberate changes to improve specific parts of the Symbian OS, Nokia has done well to leave well alone, which is an important point for anyone waiting to update their Symbian^3 handsets.

All the settings and functions are exactly where you'd expect them to be, and there's virtually no change at all to how you go about basic tasks. Some people may see that as an inherently bad thing, but why fix something that isn't broken?

Overall, the Nokia X7 does a great job of demonstrating Symbian Anna's new features. It's a very different proposition to the other new Symbian Anna phone, the QWERTY keyboard-packing Nokia E6, and gives us a better take on what Anna will be like running on existing Symbian^3 hardware. On this evidence, it'll be worth the wait.

Have you been getting to grips with Symbian Anna on a new Nokia X7 or Nokia E6? If so, drop us a line in the Comments below letting us know what you think, and whether it lives up to your expectations.