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A version of Nokia's N95 uber smartphone with 8GB of storage and U.S.-friendly 3G cellular-wireless data networking has been approved by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for release in this country. This is significant because all devices slated for American airwaves must receive a thumbs up from the FCC before shipping here.

Two editions of the N95 are already available in this country, one with 8GB of memory and the other with far less storage but with 3G support. The version just given a thumbs up by the FCC is the first to combine both of these important features.

During CES earlier this month, Nokia announced this smartphone would ship sometime during the first quarter. Clearing the FCC hurdle makes this timeframe all the more likely. Rumors estimate a February 15th release.

As with the other versions of the N95 available in this country, the new edition probably won't be available directly from a carrier. That means it won't be subsidized.

So those who want to buy the smartphone will have to shell out Nokia's full $750 asking price. Fortunately, this will be for a version they'll be able to use with whatever GSM carrier (T-Mobile or AT&T) they like.

In addition to having considerably more internal memory than the original version of the N95, the N95 8GB with 3G sports a slightly larger display, 2.8-inch at 240 x 320 pixels (QVGA), than its predecessor and better battery life.

It’ll otherwise be the same as the current model, with a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, and A-GPS.

There's also the same unique two-way slider design that reveals media controls when slid one way and a numeric keypad when moved the other way.

Built-in stereo speakers offer a 3D stereo effect, plus there's a standard 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones, a microSD slot for storage expansion, and mini USB for data transfers.

Bluetooth with A2DP allows users to leverage wireless stereo headsets.

Not too long ago, Nokia added support for Adobe's Flash Lite 3 through a firmware update for the N95 8GB available in European markets. This allows folks to view animations and videos (including those on YouTube) created in the Flash format on Web sites through the N95's S60-based Web browser.

We'd expect the same type of capability to ship with the new Americanized N95 8GB as well.