After a slight delay, Nokia today began shipping its N8 smartphone, which is the first of its kind to ship running Symbian ^3, the company’s most recent iteration of its open-source Symbian operating system.

According to a press release, customers who have placed a pre-order for the Nokia N8 will be the first to receive the new phone. Market availability will vary by country and by operator, with broad availability in the coming weeks.

“The Nokia N8 has received the highest amount of consumer pre-orders in Nokia history and we are thrilled to start shipments of the N8, the first of Nokia’s new Symbian smartphone range,” said Jo Harlow, senior vice president of smartphones for Nokia.

The N8 features a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 12-megapixel camera with flash, 16GB of built-in storage space expandable up to 48GB with a Micro SD card, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The N8 is currently available on Nokia’s website for right around $550. The phone runs on a GSM connection, so it’s compatible on T-Mobile USA and AT&T’s networks in the United States.