Consumers are set to benefit from a looming war in smart-phones as Nokia releases its flagship phone, the Lumia 800, at a more competitive price point than the top five smartphones on the market, according to leading comparison site, WhistleOut. Cameron Craig, Director of WhistleOut, says the pricing, features and professional reviews of the new Nokia  make it stand out from the crowd.

“This is a boon for consumers. For under $50 per month they’re now seeing a very high-end, easy-to-use smartphone from a brand that they know and trust. There are already 50-plus phone plans released for these two new Nokia phones,” says Cameron.

Vodafone, Optus, Virgin Mobile and TransACT have announced price plans for  the phone, available in shops from late last week, that are broadly cheaper than the iPhone 4S models, the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S2.  Vodafone and Optus are both offering plans for $0 upfront, $49 per month for 24 month plans.

“These price points are very competitive at a time when carriers are increase their pricing. It may be that the stars aligning for Nokia. The Lumia 800 includes features like an eight-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera. It is the first phone from Nokia in partnership with Microsoft using the Windows Phone 7 operating system, a slick and easy to use interface,” says Cameron.

Nokia has attempted to create an entirely new offering with this partnership. The Lumia 800 will include Nokia Drive, a free turn-by-turn GPS, and Nokia music, to differentiate the phone from other Windows devices available in Australia.