Nokia N96 pictures leaked to Net

Corporate ploy to steal iPhone pulpit thunder from Steve Jobs’ pre-Macworld 2008 or some kind of Think Smart-esque Nokia lawsuit in the making, who cares?

I mean, is that a Carl Zeiss lens?

That’s right, leaked photos of the forthcoming Nokia N96 smartphone are available for drooling over on the Net. And this, only a few days after the first Android prototype was spotted in the wild.

Of course, until fruition, such toys remain figments. In the meantime, there’s always Tom Yager’s comprehensive smartphone comparison to help you make the most practical tide-me-over choice.

As for the iPhone, which Yager declared the $1,975 iPod in his July InfoWorld Test Center review, the six-month mark has InfoWorld colleagues Kevin Railsback and Eric Hill waxing familiar on this year’s gadget darling — check out Two geeks and an iPhone Part 2 and Part 3 for their deep-dive video foray into the functionality of the iPhone six months since their first-look Two geeks and an iPhone Part 1.

Railsback, who has already MS Exchange-ified head honchos’ iPhones, knows a thing or two about the impact of mobile devices worming their way into the enterprise. And with Avaya’s announcement that it will bring its one-X Mobile platform to the iPhone early next year, the din from execs clamoring for IT iPhone support will only grow louder.

Whatever you do in 2008, don’t step into the personal iPhone support jockey role at your enterprise uninformed. After all, mobile workers – and those bringing unsanctioned devices into the enterprise, in particular — continue to be a top security concern.

Additional resources

Review: Supersmart phones for extreme mobility

We pick seven serious business phones with all the bells and whistles, plus the power and flexibility that real mobile professionals need

Review: iPhone: The $1,975 iPod

Apple’s and AT&T’s high-price gadget is a heartbreaking triumph of greed over genius

Video: Two Geeks and an iPhone: Part 2

Tips and tricks for e-mail, safari, and more

Video: Two Geeks and an iPhone: Part 3

How to add third-party apps to your iPhone