Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia has performed a series of updates to the applications that are available for its flagship device Nokia N97. The new software versions can be downloaded via the 'Software update' app available on the handset, and include the Ovi Maps 3.1, N-Gage 1.3, Nokia Messaging 10.0 Ovi Contacts 1.20, as well as a small app that can help users free space on the internal C: drive of the phone.

Some of the application updates that are now available for the N97 through the software update have already been spotted in the wild via Nokia Beta Labs or on the Nokia web site and now they can be downloaded directly to the handset as the updater app on the latest Nokia phones can be set to automatically check if new versions are available.

When it comes to the latest version of Ovi Maps, namely Maps 3.1, it replaces the Maps 2.0 solution that came along with the device from the start. The new flavor includes a more touch-friendly user interface, as well as syncing with the web variant of Ovi Maps, enhanced pedestrian navigation, improved mapping data, extra traffic information, and a series of performance improvements.

N-Gage 1.3, another application that is now available for Nokia N97, comes to show that the mobile phone maker was serious when it announced that the device would also sport N-Gage compatibility. Although the platform was not present on the handset at launch, now users can easily add Nokia's gaming service to their high-end N97.

Another app updated for the phone is Ovi Contacts, which integrates with the Contacts application in the form of an instant messaging solution. Users can not only chat with their friends through the app, but also share with them what they are doing. According to All About Symbian, the solution works rather well with Google Talk, though compatibility issues surface when it comes to mainstream instant messaging networks like MSN, Yahoo, AIM, or Skype.

The Nokia Messaging 10.0 app that comes to the N97 via 'Software update' is meant to deliver the Nokia Messaging service to the handset's owners. Nokia Messaging, as many of you might already know, is a service that mobilizes up to 10 email inboxes at the same time, while also featuring push email capabilities.

As for the N97 C: Phone memory update, it comes as a little helper that offers users the possibility to free space on the N97's internal drive. It seems that this app can prove rather useful at any time, especially since it has a very small size, 21kb, and those willing to go for N-Gage and Maps 3.1 solutions for their phones will have to install this little app first.