HELSINKI (AP) — Nokia Corp. says it has begun shipments of its top N9 smartphone model, ahead of the Windows Phone 7 launch expected later this year.

The cell phone maker said Tuesday the N9, based on the MeeGo open platform, has free navigation and voice-guided maps, storage ranging from 16GB to 64GB and a swipe feature to return to the home screen. It is priced at $650-$750 (euro480-560).

After the N9, Nokia has said it will use the Windows Phone operating system as its main platform — hoping to regain momentum against stiff competition, especially from Apple Inc. and Research In Motion.

Nokia stock was up almost 4 percent at euro4.11 ($5.55) in afternoon trading in Helsinki.