It seems that the luxurious series started by Nokia with the 8800 model will be receiving a new member - Nokia 8600 Luna. If rumors were spreading all over the Internet at the beginning of last month regarding Luna, this time we already have official pictures of the handset and even some of its technical specification. Just like its predecessor, Nokia 8600 Luna is a mid-level handset with a "high-end" design that will probably sell very well no matter its price.

There's no word yet about the material used for its design, but from the pictures it looks like a clone of the 8800 Sirocco Edition. Except for the external controls which are placed right above the slider mechanism, this time you'll be able to reject or accept calls without sliding up the handset. Whether or not Nokia will use the same sapphire glass mixture (which made Sirocco so expensive) for display, the phone most likely targets people that value the look and not the functionality.

Nokia 8600 Luna will run a S40 platform with the only option to run Java applications in case users will need additional productivity or entertainment tools. Unlike Sirocco's TFT 256K colors display, Luna includes a QVGA screen that supports 16M colors and let's hope that it will be scratch-resistant.

Furthermore, we have Bluetooth connectivity, GPRS and EDGE for Internet surfing and a 2 Megapixel camera. Rumors are saying that this phone will be quad-band (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) compatible, so it should be available both in Europe and Americas.

The phone has already been approved by the Federal Commission of Communication and we will probably be able to tell more about it in a few weeks. The handset is due to launch late in the summer at a price that hasn't been disclosed yet.