Nokia ‘Phi’ design confirmed by newly-issued patent?

Earlier today we reported that Nokia would be revealing two new Windows 8 devices for US carriers — the “Arrow” and the “Phi” — at a press event early next month. So far we’ve seen various parts and even a prototype of one of these new handsets, and now LiveSide has unearthed a Nokia design patent issued earlier this week that’s likely for the Phi. While the sketches bear a large resemblance to the Lumia 800 and 900, it’s clear from the thinner bezel and the speaker’s size and location that the phone depicted is neither of these models, but closely matches the new prototype that surfaced earlier this month. So far we haven’t seen any clues as to the design of the mid-range Arrow handset, which means Microsoft and Nokia will have a least one surprise in store for their joint event on September 5th.