Nokia has announced the release of the S5500 (pictured), a new phone aimed at assisting people with training or general fitness and exercise.

"The Nokia 5500 Sport combines the passion and spirit of sports with the latest in mobile communications. It's an ideal companion for an active, urban lifestyle," says Heikki Norta, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "There is a very sizeable audience of consumers who demand sport-inspired products, even if they are not professional athletes themselves. The Nokia 5500 Sport offers these consumers a mobile phone suited to their specific needs - during a jog in the park, a day at the beach and even that dress-to-impress first date."

The handset features three modes, a phone mode for when you want to, well, use the phone, a music mode, and a sports mode.

When music is on your mind, the Nokia 5500 Sport gives you a jump start. Supporting a multitude of different digital music formats and memory cards of up to 1GB (microSD), the Nokia 5500 Sport can hold approximately 750 songs. With your music collection in hand, every activity has its own soundtrack! Switched into sports mode, the Nokia 5500 Sport helps you keep track of work or your work-out. The integrated pedometer feature serves to monitor distance walked or calories burnt -during a busy day in the city or that breathtaking cardio session.

The new tri-band handsets also features a stainless steel casing and a splash and dust-resistant shell, and will be available in Europe later this year.