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The days are counting down to the Symbian Anna update going live for Nokia’s quartet of Symbian^3 handsets, but while all four are set to benefit from the same set of feature upgrades, where is the refresh needed the most? Let’s take a closer look. 

Nokia has just cranked up the Symbian Anna anticipation factor by revealing four new high-quality video clips showcasing the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01 running the forthcoming Symbian update – and looking pretty good while doing so, we might add.

Symbian Anna video preview on the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01

But is Symbian Anna arriving just in the nick of time for any of the four – or does Anna unlock the potential of one of Nokia’s flagship devices more than the others? Let’s take a quick run-through of how each of the four stands to benefit:

Nokia N8: Nokia’s long-standing N Series champion has aged incredibly well, and if anything the visual overhaul to Symbian Anna simply brings the Symbian OS up to a par with the Nokia N8′s external appearance, rather than pushing it beyond. For the Nokia N8, though, the trump card is the special 720p/30fps video support feature that it alone is getting from Symbian Anna – just another ace up its camera’s sleeve.

Nokia E7: Symbian Anna’s neater, more rounded overall look will come across to full effect on the Nokia E7′s large touchscreen, but one of the key new features – the introduction of a portrait-style on-screen keyboard – is all but irrelevant given the Nokia E7′s hardware keyboard. Still, the speedier web browser and revamped calendar in particular will be welcome additions.

Nokia C7: For the Nokia C7, Symbian Anna’s visual impact is likely to make a bigger difference than for most, because it has neither the outstanding camera of the Nokia N8 nor the large screen and QWERTY keyboard of the Nokia E7, and so relies more on its looks than its pricier brethren. And given its strong focus on social networking, the improved web browser should come in handy too. The potential joker in the pack, however, is the Nokia C7′s NFC support, which is officially activated with the arrival of Symbian Anna. That may not make a huge difference initially, but as NFC technology develops, it could be a significant addition.

Nokia C6-01: At 3.2-inches across, the Nokia C6-01 has the smallest touchscreen of the four Symbian^3 smartphones in Nokia’s lineup, so arguably the portrait-style QWERTY keyboard is of least benefit here. However, its compact size and neat design arguably complement the visual style of Symbian Anna more than the Nokia C7, say, and given its more affordable price point, the improvements Anna brings to the table will be more keenly felt.

Overall, the added video support features Symbian Anna brings to the Nokia N8 give it the edge in our books, but we’d equally argue that because it’s not a range-topping device, the Nokia C6-01 gets the biggest boost from having Symbian Anna on board. And come to mention it, NFC support is a pretty big addition for Nokia C7 to look forward to. Maybe we’ll call it a tie, then!

What do you think – with time counting down to Symbian Anna’s arrival, which of Nokia’s Symbian^3 handsets stand to benefit the most? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments!