AT&T (NYSE:T) and Nokia (NYSE:NOK) today announced the upcoming availability of the Nokia Surge, a Symbian S60-based smartphone built with social networking in mind.

In the press release announcing the handset launch, Nokia stressed that it was designed in the US and on an open platform, two significant facts for Nokia as it tries to make inroads into the US market for smartphones. The US has not been Nokia, the global handset leader’s, traditional strong suite due in large part to a lack of carrier relationships. The N97, Nokia’s highest-end smartphone yet, for example, is available in the US only through open channels and retails for $699. more