Nokia’s new Windows Phone 8 smartphones look set to hit the shops on November 1st according to a German retailer.
MediaMarkt has released a pre-order page for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 bearing the release date: 01.11.2012.
The Nokia Lumia 920 is priced €649 (£522) and the Nokia Lumia 820 costs €449 (£361), of course these prices are SIM-free and the phones will probably be free on contract when they hit the UK.
Earlier rumours (below) pointed to a late November launch, but this new launch date corresponds to recent news that stock of Samsung Ativ S is expected at retailers during the first week of November, not forgetting the official announcement of WP8 is expected on October 29th. (via WMPoweruser)
October 15th 2012
We won’t be able to tell for certain until the consumer can pick them apart, but market availability for these new handsets remained rather vague with Nokia simply stating ‘sometime in Q4.’ Thankfully Reuters were able to establish a more focused time frame, for the new Nokia flagship at least.
Whilst talking with an executive from a European telco operator, they revealed that the Lumia 920 is anticipated to go on sale in the latter half of November. Although this at least gives us something to work towards, many industry members were sceptical that this was an acceptable arrival time for a company who has essentially played catch up with Apple and the likes of Samsung and other Android device manufacturers within the smartphone space.
With the iPhone 5 scheduled to be unveiled later this week and Samsungs new ‘phablet’ the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 arriving to market not long afterwards, Nokia really need to impress with their new Lumia handsets to stay in the game.
September 10, 2012
So the veil is finally off and Nokia has unveiled its newest flagship handset and the first Windows Phone 8 device for the company: the Nokia Lumia 920. With the multitude of leaks permeating news sites in recent weeks, it’s been hard for Nokia to keep the unveil under wraps, but we finally have official confirmation regarding many of our suspicions.
First and foremost the Lumia 920 replaces the Nokia Lumia 900 as the company’s new flagship, with the primary improvements being a larger, higher resolution display, a faster dual-core processor, improved battery life with wireless charging functionality, a PureView-endowed rear facing camera and of course Windows Phone 8.
Nokia have been working hard on their own unique apps too. A lot of the features and functionality of Nokia Maps and the AR-capable Nokia City Lens app are now all being brought under one ‘roof’ (app).
September 5, 2012
What specifications does the Nokia Lumia 920 have?
Nokia have developed technologies already used within their existing product line as well as adding new features not yet seen on a Lumia handset. The PureMotion HD+ technology in the Lumia 920’s ClearBlack display is designed to operate with minimal lag when navigating the device, so everything stays in ‘pin sharp’ focus whilst scrolling through text on a web page for example. It’s also designed to adjust for optimum sunlight readability by altering colour tone and brightness depending on glare and you can even use it with gloves on.
As anticipated Nokia has also made use of the Qi wireless charging standard so that the Lumia 920 will be able to charge on its own dock or other compatible third-party accessories.
- Screen: 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ WXGA (1280×768) LCD curved ClearBlack display
- Processor: 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
- RAM: 1GB
- Memory: 32GB onboard, expandable via microSD slot
- Camera: 8.7-megapixel, optical image stabilisation, f/2.0 lens with PureView technology for both stills and videos
- Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC
- Battery: 2000mAh, Qi standard wireless charging
- Colour: Yellow, red, slate grey, white and black
What operating system will it run?
The Nokia Lumia 920 runs Windows Phone 8. This OS brings with it a range of improvements over its predecessor, the highlights being improved hardware support and a more versatile homescreen with three levels of resizable icons. The additional support for HD displays in WP8 is the main reason as to why the Lumia 920 can make use of WXGA resolution which wouldn’t have been possible with Windows Phone 7. Nokia also include a host of apps unique to their Lumia smartphones such as aforementioned Nokia City Lens, as well as Nokia Music and other services.
What are the alternatives?
There’s only one Windows Phone 8 alternative to the Lumi 920 confirmed right now and that’s the Samsung Ativ S. Announced at IFA 2012, the Ativ S packs a 720p display, 8-megapixel camera and super slim frame. If you’re not fussed about getting the latest version of Windows Phone you could opt for one of the original Lumias and if you’re more inclined towards an Android alternative, the HTC One X will pack comparable design consideration and some impressive power.
When will the Nokia Lumia 920 be available?
Nokia states that both the new Lumia 920 and 820 will arrive sometime in Q4 this year. Rumours elude to a late November launch, but nothing official has been stated.
What do we think?
We had some hands-on time with the Lumia 920 this morning and we are impressed. The unibody design continues from the Lumia 800, but this time there’s a better battery and bigger screen – the screen looks fantastic, certainly one of the best we’ve seen and we can’t wait to put it to the test. It does feel big, but it’s not heavy. Wireless charging is a nice feature to have, but not a major selling point for us, however Nokia is proud of the PureView camera and it certainly sounds like a class leader, it’s the first camera to include an optical image stabiliser and we can’t wait to try it out in low light. At the moment it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to win over the public to Windows Phone, but the combination of WP8 improvements and fantastic hardware deserves to be recognised.
Leave a Reply