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First Impressions of Windows 8 Powered Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 396

Nerval's Lobster writes "Nokia CEO Stephen Elop first took to the stage at Center548 on New York City's West Side, where Microsoft had first unveiled Windows Phone 7 in late 2010, to claim that Nokia was becoming a 'more nimble competitor' thanks to several strategic decisions under his tenure, including the choice of Windows Phone as the company's primary smartphone platform. ... In terms of [the 920's hardware]: the battery is 2000 mAh; the processor is a dual-core Snapdragon S4, which was apparently selected for its energy efficiency; and the aforementioned wireless charging, based on the 'Qi' wireless charging standard. ... Despite the enthusiasm displayed onstage for Windows Phone 8, the new smartphone platform poses something of a conundrum for Nokia. The company invested heavily in Windows Phone 7, all but abandoning its homegrown operating systems — including Symbian, once a dominant player in the mobile arena — in favor of Microsoft’s platform. But those Windows Phone 7 smartphones won't upgrade to Windows Phone 8 software, and nor will they run Windows Phone 8 apps."
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First Impressions of Windows 8 Powered Nokia Lumia 920 and 820

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  • by Anonymous Coward
    You just put it in the microwave and turn it on high for about 3-4 minutes.
    • That's awesome but now my phone won't turn on?

      If I don't get my fix of Angry Birds soon, I'll have to resort to lobbing real-world objects at other real-world objects...

  • by Chris Mattern ( 191822 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:36AM (#41235245)

    "...here's your complimentary knife in the back."

    • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @11:39AM (#41236161)

      In memoriam: Microsoftâ(TM)s previous strategic mobile partners

      ïMicrosoft's new "strategic partnership" with Nokia is not its first. For a decade the software company has courted and consummated relationships with a variety of companies in mobile and telecom. Here are the ones I can remember:

      LG. In February 2009 Microsoft Corp. signed a multiyear agreement for Windows Mobile to be included on devices from LG Electronics Inc. LG would use Windows Mobile as its "primary platform"for smartphones and produce about 50 models running the software.

      What happened? LG made a few Windows Mobile devices but with WinMo uncompetitive, they abandoned the platform and moved to Android losing years of market presence and all their profits.

      Motorola. In September 2003, Motorola and Microsoft announced an alliance. "Starting with the introduction of the new Motorola MPx200 mobile phone with Microsoft Windows Mobile software, the companies will collaborate on a series of Smartphone and Pocket PC wireless devices designed to create a virtual "remote control" for the Web-centric, work-centric, always-on-the-go mobile professional." In addition, the alliance includes cooperation on joint marketing and wireless developer programs.

      What happened? Motorola launched a series of Windows Mobile phones culminating in the Motorola Q "Blackberry killer". As Motorola hit the rocks in profitability new management reached for the Android liferaft. The company now relies exclusively on the Droid franchise.

      Palm. In September 2005 Palm and Microsoft announced a strategic alliance to "accelerate the Smartphone market segment with a new device for mobile professionals and businesses. Palm has licensed the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system for an expanded line of Treo Smartphones, the first of which will be available on Verizon Wirelessâ(TM) national wireless broadband network."

      What happened? Palm shipped a few Windows Mobile, famously dismissing Appleâ(TM)s potential entry as something "PC guys" could never achieve. A new CEO, a private placement and an acquisition later the company is a division of HP making its own operating system.

      Nortel. When Steve Ballmer was famously laughing at the iPhone and saying that he likes the Windows Mobile strategy "a lot" he was sitting next to the then-CEO of Nortel (Mike Zafirovski formerly of Motorola) with whom the company had just closed a strategic deal. "an alliance between Microsoft and Nortel announced in July 2006 ⦠includes three new joint solutions to dramatically improve business communications by breaking down the barriers between voice, e-mail, instant messaging, multimedia conferencing and other forms of communication".

      What happened? Nortel declared bankruptcy two years later.

      Verizon. In January 2009 "Verizon Wireless has selected Microsoft Corp. to provide portal, local and Internet search as well as mobile advertising services to customers on its devices. The five-year agreement will go into effect in the first half of 2009 when Microsoft Live Search is targeted to be available on new Verizon Wireless feature phones and smartphones." The deal would ensure Bing distribution to all of Verizonâ(TM)s smartphone customers.

      What happened? Bing did ship on some devices but in October 2009 Droid came to Verizon.

      Ericsson. In September 2000, "Ericsson and Microsoft Corp. today launched Ericsson Microsoft Mobile Venture AB. This previously announced joint company will drive the mobile Internet by developing and marketing mobile e-mail solutions for operators. The first solutions are expected to be on the market by the end of the year. The company is part of a broader strategic alliance between Ericsson and Microsoft"

      What happened? Ericsson divested itself of the mobile division forming a joint venture which would go on and make more strategic alliances with Microsoft over Windows Mobile culminating in a loss of profits and eventual flight to Android.

      Sendo. In February 2001, Mic

  • by amazeofdeath ( 1102843 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:36AM (#41235249)

    After the announcement, Nokia stock price has gone down 15 % from yesterday's closing value at OMX Helsinki. So, not the kind of announcement the market was expecting, it seems.

    • by Missing.Matter ( 1845576 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:41AM (#41235333)
      Apple's does the same thing after most announcements. Investors are a fickle bunch.
      • by amiga3D ( 567632 )

        Apple stock always drops after an announcement because the rumour mill generates such hysteria that people are expecting something mindblowing. When it turns out to be only an 8 or 9 instead of a 10 they're disappointed. I don't think anyone really had those expectations about this announcement.

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          No, but obviously expectations did not line up with what they delievered... so what exactly were they expecting is the question? The new Lumias are solid spec wise and offer some real advantages over competing phones (Windows Phone or otherwise), Windows Phone 8 addresses most concerns about the platform, app availability is increasing at an excellent rate, accessory support is expanding, Lumia devices are selling... so I'm not sure what Nokia could have done differently today that would really change what
          • by ItsIllak ( 95786 )

            I think some were still expecting a 20MP sensor and a tablet device.

            I'd advise that the drop is entirely temporary and you can make yourself an easy 10% in less than a month by buying today.

            • by micheas ( 231635 )

              Or investors see this as the last chance to sell any quantity of stock before Nokia files the Finnish equivalent of chapter 11.

              Struggling companies tend to fall on good news as people holding the stock view it as their best chance to dump it.

              Nobody said. iPhones are dead this is really great. It does "X' (where "X" is something like telepathic user interface)

            • by Pieroxy ( 222434 )

              I'd advise that the drop is entirely temporary and you can make yourself an easy 10% in less than a month by buying today.

              I guess that's only if they can sell phones for less than the marketing they spend on them.

          • by Sir_Sri ( 199544 )

            Have something that would let them sell 70 million rather than 7 million phones.

            Unfortunately windows 8 sucks. If people don't buy windows 8, why would they particularly care about a windows 8 phone? Does it do anything to the market that the iPhone (for people who want a good phone but know nothing about how phones work) or Android (people who want good phones and who are happy to install a cyanogen nightly build, or people who want a cheap phone that still has some smarts) don't do? Not really. This

            • by Missing.Matter ( 1845576 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @11:53AM (#41236335)

              he unified windows 8 product family was an opportunity for microsoft to really deliver a combined, integrated entertainment and productivity experience. And they didn't.

              Not sure how exactly you can say this. I have Xbox, Windows 8 on a laptop, Windows 8 on a tablet, and Windows Phone 7. Music and videos are available across all devices. I can pause on one device and resume on another. For instance I can listen to music on my TV, pause it and continue listening in the car. Or I can watch a TV show on the TV, pause it and hop in bed, continuing it there.

              My tablet or laptop (or soon phone) acts as a remote controller for my Xbox; I can browse for music or movies or do searches on the device in my hand and see the results on the screen. This is especially good when searching for music to play, which is much easier with a keyboard.

              Documents I write on my desktop are available to all my other devices via SkyDrive, and pictures or movies I take on my phone are automatically synced with Skydrive. These are also synced wirelessly if I choose with my laptop, along with any music I download. Soon I'll be able to play a game on my phone, pause it, then resume it on my tablet or xbox.

              Caendar, mail, contacts, messages, all sync between desktop, tablet, and phone. I can even turn my purely entertainment Windows 8 tablet into a fully functional productivity PC (capable of running all my current software including matlab, photoshop, and office) by plugging in a keyboard and mouse.

              So please, I'd live you to point me to an ecosystem which can do all this as seamlessly.

          • by Pecisk ( 688001 )

            Because "good enough" is just not enough in the market where competition is fierce, entrance is quite low for "good enough" and everyone looks for "best".

            Those are rules. They are sure silly, but that's how market work these days.

    • I'll liked this line:

      “This is Lumia, and it’s time to switch,” she said, in what felt like a possible official tagline for the device.

      Isn't that what Nokia owners have been saying for the last year already? You know. "Hmm... I think I'll go see what Symbian device or Maemo/MeeGo iteration Nokia has on offer. Oh. This is Lumia, and it's time to switch."

      Yes, Nokia has great hardware. They've done that well. Now they're pulling the plug entirely on WP7 upgrades. So any developers or custome

      • Now they're pulling the plug entirely on WP7 upgrades. So any developers or customers who took a chance on WP7 are being told "sorry, please buy(-in) again"

        They are not "pulling the plug" as there are still updates in line for WP7. Consumers are getting many features not related to hardware via the 7.8 update and various apps. For instance the apps Nokia showed off today are all available for the Lumia 900. Developers aren't being screwed either, as all WP7 apps are forward compatible with WP8.

    • by starless ( 60879 )

      After the announcement, Nokia stock price has gone down 15 % from yesterday's closing value at OMX Helsinki. So, not the kind of announcement the market was expecting, it seems.

      "Buy the rumor, sell the fact"
      e.g.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_exchange_market#Market_psychology [wikipedia.org]

  • by pesho ( 843750 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:39AM (#41235295)
    Sounds like a nice piece of hardware, but does it run Linux (read Android or MeeGo)?
    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by bondsbw ( 888959 )

      Yes.

      (Stupid question deserves stupid answer.)

    • by amiga3D ( 567632 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:53AM (#41235523)

      Meego would be nice. I wonder if any of the Nokia engineers have it working on the new hardware?

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by peppepz ( 1311345 )
      Windows Phone 8 uses the real Windows 8 kernel, doesn't it? If so, I'll bet that the thing runs UEFI-on-ARM, with the associated "secure" boot in its non-deactivatable personality. In this case you could forget about installing anything not signed by Microsoft on the device.
  • by rjstanford ( 69735 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:39AM (#41235299) Homepage Journal

    From TFA:

    Nokia’s PureMotion HD+ is the company’s name for its tweaks to the display, including blur-free scrolling.

    Why isn't this not only standard, but the only acceptable state these days? When will people (Android, I'm looking at you here) figure out that getting the basics so completely solid that nobody thinks about them is the kind of work that people should expect from their OS/Environment provider? Watching a video talking about how many cores the latest whatever has with jittery scrolling is just embarrasing.

    • When will people (Android, I'm looking at you here) figure out that getting the basics so completely solid that nobody thinks about them is the kind of work that people should expect from their OS/Environment provider?

      People who work for handset manufacturers buy pools and Audis with the bonus money they get for developing highly-marketable thingies like "PURE-MOTION-AITCH-DEE-PLUS".

    • by fa2k ( 881632 )

      Well it does say "blur-free" and that's technically different than jitter. They are probably using the term incorrectly, but they could be referring to ghosting, which would be a seen as a kind of motion blur. I've never seen that problem before though. Also , smooth scrolling will be standard on Android 4.1.

  • by alen ( 225700 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:46AM (#41235419)

    from what i've read they will get most of the upgrades and will go to version 7.8

    but even then it shouldn't be a big deal to code apps for 8 and 7. happens all the time in the app store where most apps now require iOS 4.x and will have some special iOS 5 features if you have the latest version

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by sharpneli ( 2507116 )
      Actually it's not just "Similar OS but with more features". WP8 is a completely new OS with completely new API. You need to do everything differently. WP8 uses the WinRT API. It's like going from pure java android (ndk not allowed) into iOS:
      • You don't really have to do everything differently. First, because it still runs Silverlight-based WP7 apps. And second, because WinRT APIs are actually very close to Silverlight, so porting can often be done with as little as changing a bunch of "using" statements for namespaces in your C# code.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      from what i've read they will get most of the upgrades

      That's a lie. 7.8 gets the new homescreen and that's about it. If wp8 takes off, you can say bye-bye to wp7 development because who in their right mind wastes money devving for a platform with no users. They'll be too busy learning and using the new wp8 APIs. WP7 is done, dude. And if it isn't it'll only be because WP8 flopped.

    • it shouldn't be a big deal to code apps for 8 and 7. happens all the time in the app store where most apps now require iOS 4.x and will have some special iOS 5 features if you have the latest version

      Inaccurate statement. We're talking about a completely different realm here from "people do this in iOS all the time." We're talking about App makers paying app developers to code the same thing two different ways so that their app will work on two platforms, neither of which has any market share to speak of. Even if 8 takes off, no one will pay to port these things to 7--the market share is just too small.

      Basically, I feel bad for anyone who bought a phone running Windows Phone 7, because it is a lost c

  • Quoth the man himself:

    I'll bet you right now that the next app developer to hit it really big will be a developer on Windows."

    I'd quite like to take him up on that bet.

  • For once I agree with Elop on something. I can fully believe that Nokia are "nimble" these days. Same way a gnat is more nimble than an 800-pound gorilla.

    Personally I'm more interested to see what Jolla [wikipedia.org] come up with.

  • -1 Pedantic (Score:4, Informative)

    by Tarlus ( 1000874 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:56AM (#41235545)

    "Windows 8" != "Windows Phone 8." There is a huge difference.

  • Very sad (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @10:56AM (#41235553)

    To think that Nokia's own Symbian had more than 50% smartphone market share only three years ago [wikipedia.org] and big plans [mynokiablog.com] for their Linux based highend OS, which was universally praised, and instead now going for an OS that not only locks the user down, but locks themselves in a position where they give away control of OS development, outsource all manufacturing (after shutting down most locations in Europe and firing loyal employees by the boatload) and need to contend with the likes of Samsung who do their own CPU, RAM, display etc. fabrication is just unfortunate. It's hard to not be cynical about this.

    Microsoft obviously is pushing for positive publicity offering free samples to bloggers etc. but all the money in the world won't make the OS more attractive to the end-user, even with their new funky looking N9-like design. Functionality wise the it's lacking compared to Android and the restrictive Metro UI whether on your computer or on your phone is butt-ugly at worst and uninspiring at best.

    On the other hand this might actually what MS alternatives have needed to become worth considering by more end users.

    • by Lumpy ( 12016 )

      It's nice real world example that the Wrong CEO can utterly destroy a company almost overnight.

    • by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @12:53PM (#41237147)

      big plans for their Linux based highend OS, which was universally praised

      Not by developers it wasn't.

      It might have been fine compared to how people used to develop apps for Nokia Phones, but the MeeGo stuff was awfully limited looking at it from an Android or iPhone developer standpoint.

      The truth is that MeeGo was a good update for pre-iPhone OS's, but could not cut it in the new world which was why Nokia was forced to partner with MS. They just did not have the resources to bring it up to scratch in time.

  • Where is the Start button?
  • by ItsIllak ( 95786 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @11:13AM (#41235807) Homepage

    Not in the 10k region but still - I appreciate the first post was a bit heavy on the enthusiasm - my guess is an enthusiastic MVP rather than anything more sinister..

    A dual core CPU and a huge battery are pretty great hardware specs. Also a mechanically stabilized sensor mechanism could be very big news, especially if their software really does make innovative use of the available pixels. The point has been made recently that for PC usage (sharing on FB etc, 2MP is more than enough, for print 5MP is enough - IF THE QUALITY IS THERE.

    I assume the stock has plummeted because until a few days ago everyone was hoping for a 20MP sensor and a new tablet to go with the phones. On the other hand - the markets are idiots - buy today, you'll be 10-15% richer by the end of the month if you sell at a time when they don't arbitrarily decide to mood swing again...

    I am a bit disappointed that we loose the smaller screen model - the 820 doesn't really replace the 800, it's more of a slightly smaller variation on the 920 - which is a pity. I personally prefer to hold a smaller screen closer to my face... However, for the feature set that WP8 brings (NFC, more home/lock screen flexibility, better camera tech), I might just have to go larger.

    Final comment as everyone takes a snipe at this. I have a lumia 800 and I'm looking forward to windows 7.8. I don't care that they're not giving me Windows 8 - the differences between 7.8 and 8 are the differences between the base specification of the current hardware and the next gen hardware (screen resolution, NFC etc). Microsoft are just being honest that their latest phones have features that their older phones don't support. Apple astroturf that fact and that causes heaps of faulty software that fails to cope well enough.

    Love Windows Phone, like iPhone (though these days can't justify the cost), frustrated by having to sideload, hack and generally tweak Android whenever I use it.

  • by aristotle-dude ( 626586 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @11:16AM (#41235849)

    I was hoping see some decent competition from MSFT to keep Apple on its toes but that is so weak. Why do they insist on that stupid flipping titles? People that I care about? If I want to see what "people that I care about" are doing, I can see notifications in the notifications bar pop up on my iPhone 4S or I can *gasp*, go into my facebook or twitter app instead of cluttering up my homescreen with their faces. Alternatively, I can alway "call" them. I hate the hub concept still and the flipping tiles are likely to give someone an epileptic seizure. It reminds me of some really badly designed website from the late 90's or early 00's.

    Get it through your thick skulls MSFT, people like apps and they don't like distractions with flip-flopping tiles on the homescreen. I have to give you credit for trying to be original but give it a rest already. Also, nobody except fanboys like the "hub" concept. Stop trying to oversell your Xbox live and other services on the mobile platform.

    BTW. Nice touch on slavishly copying Apple on the screenshot with the power and home button combo.

    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 ) <slashdot&worf,net> on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @11:49AM (#41236273)

      Get it through your thick skulls MSFT, people like apps and they don't like distractions with flip-flopping tiles on the homescreen. I have to give you credit for trying to be original but give it a rest already. Also, nobody except fanboys like the "hub" concept. Stop trying to oversell your Xbox live and other services on the mobile platform.

      Uh, the tile concept would be closer to Android than iOS.

      Google did the "home screen" thing to avoid the "rounded rectangles with square grid of icons" patent on Android. So what happens when you unlock an Android phone? You see the home screen, which by default has a huge analog clock (only present on the lock screen on iOS, and it's digital there), and a bunch of frequently used apps (phone/messaging/browser), while the "grid of icons" is hidden by the "show all apps" button.

      In its place, you can drop widgets to your heart's content on the home screen so you can see the weather at a glance as well when you unlock your phone, plus all your other social media things.

      And judging by Android users, especially on /., they like the widget thing and seeing htat stuff.

      Microsoft extended the concept with tiles - thus avoid any design issues with iOS and Android. The tiles are effectively widgets and you can see all your update stuff right there on your "home" screen (whatever it's called on WP8).

      Why does "blocking innovation" mean "you must copy the UI"? Between Apple, Google and Microsoft experimenting with different UIs, I'd say it's far better they don't copy (Microsoft probably did LiveTiles to avoid anything Google might have.)

      People want widgets - Microsoft extended Andorid's concept a bit further to explore stuff. iOS merely took popular widgets (weather and stocks) and tucked them away in a pull-down drawer (probably again to avoid anything Google might have), the concept of which well, came from Android (which would be hard for Apple to defend against if Google has patented that).

      It's called innovation. Incremental at times, but worthy to test it out.

  • by Lashat ( 1041424 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @11:19AM (#41235885)

    I know that I swim against the /. current here when it comes to Window Phone. I haven't drank of the MS or Apple or Linux koolaid. I use all three desktop OS flavors at work every week and they all have strengths and weaknesses. I never bought the first iPhone because of the soldered in battery. At the time I was using 2 batteries a day in the field. (not to mention the privacy concerns of not being able to REALLY turn off my phone). I had a miserable experience with the first Droid (randomly calling and texting). I went Blackberry for a while. Revisited iPhone, but the screen typing was horrid (large fingers). When it was time to upgrade in 2010 I went with the Samsung Focus and it just worked for me. I do like the Metro interface on the touchscreen, but always by-pass it when using Win8 on the desktop. Seems pretty useless on the desktop, but it would surely be useful on a tablet and possible a laptop with touchscreen.

    The Nokia 900 WP7, had some advantages over the Samsung Focus S on the spec sheet. Bigger screen, bigger body (again... large hands), and the camera cmos appeared faster to me in the store. The other advantage is the Xbox Live connection. Love it! Games developed my interest in computers and I am a gamer at heart. My only complaint is that with the Case-Mate case I confuse the phone with my wallet when it's in my pocket sometimes, but I am working on the brain power required to recognize the difference.

    I am only mildly concerned about not being able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 with my Nokia 900. If I feel like I'm missing out on some must-have super app before my 2-year upgrade comes around, I will bite the bullet and pay the phone price.

  • As a vendor/customer/developer, that's *your* problem, buddy. Start recoding. Too bad about that little cost thing you and your clients now have to deal with. Unless you're a C++ developer, of course, in which case, compatibility is magically not a problem.

    Microsoft's motto: We don't provide and automatic compatibility or upgrade path unless our development staff happens to give a shit.

    Cheers!

  • every year. Upgrade your PC to run the new Windows, and upgrade your Phone to run the new OS. 1 year warranty, and 1 year life cycle.
  • Repeated exhortations of how WP8 and the Lumia 920 were developed in conjunction. Wheeling out top Microsoft execs for every Lumia launch. Does any other WP8 really have a chance? Why do they even bother? There are several problems with Android, but Google has always gone to extreme lengths to make sure they didn't appear to favour an OEM, releasing flagship NExus devices with Motorola (when they were independent), Samsung, HTC, and Asus. That may of course change with Googorola. But right now, it seems Mic

  • Still nobody will buy it.

    Honestly, they just cant compete with iOS and Android. and with the latest release of android, Google just upped their game hard. Now all they need to do is tell handset makers that if they dont use the latest version they cant call it android or use any android branding to help flush off the craptastic 2.3.3 gingerbread phones that are still coming out.

  • by rickb928 ( 945187 ) on Wednesday September 05, 2012 @12:29PM (#41236817) Homepage Journal

    "those Windows Phone 7 smartphones won't upgrade to Windows Phone 8 software, and nor will they run Windows Phone 8 apps"

    My G1 can in fact run a very limited relase of Android Jelly Bean. The CyanogenMod guys keep doing this just because they can.

    IOS 6 does run on a 3GS, albeit missing some features. Before that, I think the iPhone 3 is pretty much out of it, but that's what, 4 generations back? My G1 is at least 3 generations back...

    But your Windows 7 phone, booting Windows 8? Nope. Not even for fun.

    And this goes back past Windows Phone to the old CE releases.

    Clearly Microsoft still doesn't get it. Or they want to continue to go forward, leaving the old behind.

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