New Delhi, Sept 6: In hopes of turning around its struggling smartphone division, Nokia has revealed a pair of smartphones running on the next version of Windows at a special event hosted by Microsoft and Nokia in New York.
The Lumia 920 is Nokia's new Windows 8 flagship model, which runs on Windows Phone 8. It is a beautifully crafted phone which the company claims to offer something unique in the saturated smartphone market.
Powered by dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, the Lumia 920 features a 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, an 8.7-megapixel rear-facing PureView camera capable of 1080p video, 2,000mAh battery, NFC, integrated wireless charging, Nokia City Lens, Nokia Music and Microsoft Office. The phone's other features include 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 1.2MP front camera, and Micro-USB port.
Nokia's next-generation of smartphones also brings the company's PureView technology to Windows Phone 8 along with Carl Zeiss lenses. Although, the 920 may not have the same 41-megapixels of the 808 PureView, it does offer new, "floating lens" optical image stabilization system to smooth out hand-shake photos and give much sharper photos in low-light situations. Nokia has expressed confidence that the new lens system and software will put it ahead in the race when it comes to smartphone imaging.
"With the Nokia Lumia 920 we have made it possible to shoot pictures and video at home, outdoors, in a restaurant or even at night, and come out with professional-looking results," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices.
The striking 4.5-inch Lumia 920 comes in a glossy polycarbonate shell available in five colors: red, yellow, grey, black and white. The glossy looks of the outer shell are sure to set it apart from the usual traditional black-and-white-only world of smartphones.
The Lumia 920 also introduced Smart Shoot software feature, which lets you remove people from the background of photos when you're shooting in public places. It further includes a Cinemagraph feature lets you add a bit of animation to still images (GIF files).
The phone also comes with augmented reality in form of Nokia City Lens, which offers enhanced information about locations you're viewing through the camera lens. The feature is integrated with Nokia Map, so it makes it possible for you to make a reservation or see complete information about the locale.
Additionally, the Lumia 920 supports built-in wireless charging and near-field communications. This feature allows you to charge both the Lumia 920 and 820 by simply resting on small pads. That too without cables!
At the same time, Nokia also unveiled a cheaper, mid-range phone, the Lumia 820. The phone has similar features to the 920, but has a smaller display and a smaller battery. It has a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen that has the same Super Sensitive Touch capabilities as in the 920. The phone doesn't have the special camera lenses, but it sports exchangeable backs so you can switch colours. There is also an option to access the microSD slot that's expandable up to 32GB.
For Nokia, the second largest handset maker by volume, it is the best chance to recapture the market share lost to the iPhone and phones running Google Inc.'s Android software. Both Nokia and Microsoft are hopeful that these handsets will give them the quantum leaps in the fiercely competitive smartphone market. The new Lumia handsets are probably the first in a flurry of planned mobile-device launches expected ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Nokia Lumia 920 specs:
- OS: Windows Phone 8
- Processor: 1.5 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4
- Memory: 1GB RAM, 32 GB mass memory
- Skydrive storage: 7GB
- Display: 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ WXGA (1280x768) IPS LCD, ClearBlack, super sensitive touch for nail and glove use
- Camera: PureView with Optical Image Stabilisation and Carl Zeiss optics 8.7 megapixel
- Front camera: 1.2 Mpix f/2.4
- Video capture: Full HD 1080p @ 30fps
- Connectivity: NFC Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 3.1, micro-USB
- Battery: 2000 mAh, wireless charging
- Colours: Yellow, Red, White, Grey, Black
Nokia Lumia 820 specs:
- OS: Windows Phone 8
- Processor: 1.5 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4
- Memory: 1GB RAM, 8 GB mass memory, support for microSD cards up to 32GB
- Display: 4.3-inch OLED WVGA 800x480, ClearBlack, super sensitive touch for nail and glove use
- Camera: 8Mp with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash
- Front camera: VGA
- Video capture: Full HD 1080p @ 30fps
- Weight: 160g
- Connectivity: NFC Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 3.1, micro-USB
- Battery: 1650 mAh with support for Qi wireless charging
- Colours: Red, Yellow, Grey, Cyan, Purple, White & Black Technical Profile
