Nokia has still not officially announced the Nokia Lumia 925 in India but this device is surprisingly available for pre-order on Flipkart.com. Estimated availability is said to be last week of this month.
Lumia 925 comes with a polycarbonate body. As far as the specification on the device go, it comes with a 4.5-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display with 768×1280 resolution and Gorilla 2 Glass. It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor alongside 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It has an 8.7-megapixel PureView rear camera and 1.2-megapixel wide-angle front camera. The company claims that the Lumia 925’s camera is better than the one in Lumia 920.
With the launch of Nokia Lumia 925 in India the company claims that the low light images would never be this good with the award-winning PureView technology, Carl Zeiss optics and six physical lenses. The Nokia Lumia 925 lets you capture the great moments, day or night. And the beautifully crafted design will turn heads wherever you go. Nokia says one can capture more of the action than our eyes can see. The Action Shot feature in Nokia Smart Camera lets you snap once to get a sequence of movements in a single high-quality image. That means Nokia has come up with all new camera features this time. But, will this work for Nokia ? This is something that we have to wait and see. What’s your take, how many are planning to pre-book ? Let us know in the comment section below.
Nokia has long been rumoured to be moving beyond the 4.5-inch screen range for its Lumia devices, even supposedly working on a 7-inch Windows RT tablet.
With the impending release of a Microsoft’s GDR3 update for Windows Phone 8, which should increase the maximum screen resolution of its partners’ smartphones to 1920×1080 pixels, it’s safe to say that Nokia is looking for a way to differentiate itself in the highly-competitive smartphone market.
This latest leak which supposedly comes from a factory floor in China brings a phablet Lumia device from Nokia one step closer to reality, the kind that would compete against the increasingly popular Galaxy Note series from Samsung.. It measures 6-inches in diagonal and is supposedly already being mass-produced by Nokia.
The updated software is also rumoured to bring support for quad-core processors, likely from Qualcomm, adding extra CPU and GPU horsepower to continue Windows Phone’s consistently-high framerates.
Nokia recently launched it’s flagship device, the Nokia Lumia 1020 with a 4.5-inch, 1280×768 pixel LCD display with PureMotion HD+ and Super Touch Sensitivity.
During a Lumia 925 briefing in the UK, Nokia revealed that they’ve tightened its ever-growing bond with Redmond-based Microsoft, makers of the Windows 8 (mobile and desktop) platform. Nokia UK’s Ray Haddow stated that the Finnish company has been “working even closer” with Microsoft and we can expect to see new collaborative efforts in the near future. Engadget reports that Nokia and Microsoft will work to raise Nokia’s profile.
Nokia and Microsoft first entered into a “broad strategic partnership” that made Windows Phone OS its “primary smartphone strategy,” but there have been rumours of Nokia coming to market with a tablet for years now.
The company went on to discuss marketing opportunities it’s seizing upon as a result of its Microsoft affiliation, so we very well might just be talking about plans for a new promotional blitz. What was less clear is if all that might be focused on a particular product (and we certainly expect the EOS to be a big win for both Nokia and Microsoft) or if it could be more broadly Lumia- or WP-focused in general.
Could this mean that Nokia might be ready to enter the Windows-powered tablet space? No telling what these two have in store but we should know in the next few weeks.
Nokia has just launched the Nokia Lumia 925, the phone features a new Smart Camera app that adds to the imaging capabilities of the Lumia series.
The Smart Camera app has improved low-light performance and noise reduction, and will burst capture at 5-megapixels, with the full 8.7-megapixels available in single-shooting mode.
Nokia will be pushing out “Amber,” an update that’ll bring Smart Cam, amongst other apps, to the company’s wider range of Windows Phone 8 devices especially the recent high end Lumia Devices.
Nokia has launched the new Lumia 925 in London at a press conference today. While all Lumia phones till date have been plastic the new Lumia 925 has a completely Aluminum Frame. While most of the specs remain same and the phone has the same dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1GB RAM and 8.7-megapixel OIS camera of the 920, the Lumia 925 is almost 50 grams (1.8 ounces) lighter than last year’s Lumia 920.
Even with the 8.8mm profile, there’s an identical 2,000mAh battery but the Wiless charging has been removed to accomodate the profile of the new Lumia 925. For those who are disheartened, an accessory cover can be had which will re-enable said wireless features. The colors include red, yellow, black and white. The Lumia 925 model also sports an 4.5-inch AMOLED screen with the resolution of the Lumia 920 (1280 x 768px) it will enjoy superior black levels thanks to the Amoled tech in the display.
The display also has Gorilla Glass 2, with ClearBlack tech and a high-brightness mode for improved outdoor visibility and hopefully the same hyper touch tech that lets you use the Lumia 920 with gloves on.
The Camera is the same 8.7-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor, but Nokia has added another lens to make it a 6 Carl Zeiss Lens camera, this 6th lens element improves sharpness of images.
Lumia 925 Camera Samples
The Lumia 925 will launch in parts of Europe and China this June, priced at 469 euros (roughly $609 or INR 33500), India should see similar pricing and availability this summer.
[toggle title=”Read Press Release”]Nokia introduces Nokia Lumia 925
New interpretation of world’s most innovative smartphone captures the best low light images London, UK – Nokia today introduced the Nokia Lumia 925, a new interpretation of its award-winning flagship, the Nokia Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces a metal design and showcases the latest PureView camera innovation, new features and third party applications coming to the Nokia Lumia range.
The Nokia Lumia 925 includes the most advanced lens technology and next generation imaging software to capture clearer, sharper pictures and video, including the best low light images. The Nokia Lumia 925 also introduces the new Nokia Smart Camera mode, coming as an update to all Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Nokia Smart Camera offers an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image.
Nokia also announced Hipstamatic will arrive on Nokia Lumia smartphones, allowing people to share their high quality pictures with like-minded enthusiasts on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram.
“We keep innovating,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices. “We’re advancing experiences on Nokia Lumia portfolio whether that means great new benefits for an existing Lumia owner, or bringing new showcase devices like the Nokia Lumia 925.” The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces metal for the first time to the Nokia Lumia range, bringing appeal and unique benefits like increased robustness.
The polycarbonate back comes in white, grey or black. A wireless charging cover can be clipped onto the back of the phone to take advantage of Nokia’s extensive wireless charging accessories and ecosystem. Covers, sold separately, come in white, black, yellow, and red. Leading Nokia services, such as the HERE suite of integrated location and navigation services and Nokia Music for unlimited streaming of free music playlists, add to the great proposition offered by Nokia’s latest smartphone.
Sales are expected to start in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and China in June, followed by the US and a number of other markets. The Nokia Lumia 925 will be priced around 469 EUR before taxes and subsidies. Country-specific pricing and availability will be announced locally.[/toggle]
Nokia has just launched their most affordable Windows Phone 8 device the Nokia Lumia 620. The Phone which runs Microsoft latest Mobile operating system is powered by a Qualcomm S4 1GHz dual-core CPU. Includes a 3.8-inch ClearBlack WVGA screen running at 800 x 480 resolution. FOr Optics we have a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front facing VGA one. The Phone has a fixed storage of 8 GB and no expandability upto 64GB via MicroSD.
Nokia is ready to play the 610 game with the Lumia 620 as the company will offer seven colors with exchangeable shells in gloss and matte finishes depending on color. You will also get a full host of Nokia only apps including Nokia Drive, Nokia Music and Nokia Maps. Nokia is also calling it the world’d most affordable Windows Phone 8 device yet with a price of 190 euros or Rs. 12,999 globally. We are hopeful that the company can quickly launch and make the device available in India around the same price mark
[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]
Nokia introduces new Nokia Lumia 620
Nokia’s third and most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone offers youthful appeal
Espoo, Finland and Paris, France – Nokia today introduced the Nokia Lumia 620, the third and most affordable in its range of Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Alongside the flagship Nokia Lumia 920 and mid-range Nokia Lumia 820, the Nokia Lumia 620 offers a more fun, youthful appeal, and compact design.
The Nokia Lumia 620 uses a new dual-shot color technique to deliver a variety of striking color and texture effects. Dual-shot adds a second layer of colored, transparent or translucent polycarbonate on top of a base layer to produce secondary color blends and depth effects. With seven different exchangeable shells to choose from, people can adapt the look of their Nokia Lumia 620 to their own personal taste and style.
“We continue to execute on our strategy to reach new audiences and new markets,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Nokia Smart Devices. “With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8 software and signature experiences from Nokia, like Nokia lenses, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, the Nokia Lumia 620 is a highly competitive smartphone at this price point.”
Among the features shared with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 are exclusive camera lenses that transform the creative power of the Nokia Lumia 620’s five megapixel main camera and VGA front-facing camera. The Cinemagraph lens adds simple animations to still photographs, while Smart Shoot creates a single, perfect shot from multiple images, even removing unwanted objects from the picture.
The Nokia Lumia 620 also provides access to the world’s best maps and location experience, including Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and the exclusive Nokia City Lens. Nokia City Lens displays information about local surroundings overlaid onto buildings as seen through the camera viewfinder.
Making it easy to discover and enjoy new music, Nokia Music provides free streaming of ad-free tracks without registration or subscription and the ability to download playlists for listening offline.
With NFC support, the Nokia Lumia 620 can easily pair with NFC-enabled accessories like the JBL PlayUp Portable Speaker for Nokia. Open and secure NFC-connectivity makes it possible to share and receive content by tapping with compatible devices, or make secure payments using the Wallet application in Windows Phone 8.
Powered by Windows Phone 8, the Nokia Lumia 620 delivers a more personal smartphone experience. Adjustable Live Tiles update direct to the Start Screen. People Hub pulls together contact information from multiple address books and social networks into a single location, making it easy to stay in touch with friends and set up contact Groups and private Rooms for sharing. From the Me Tile people can check in to their location, post an update, set chat status, see what’s new and monitor notifications across Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Windows Phone 8 also includes Xbox Live, Microsoft Office, 7GB of online SkyDrive storage and faster, safer surfing with Internet Explorer 10.
These features and capabilities are enabled by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon(TM) S4 Plus processors.
“People can do more of the things they love when they choose a mobile device that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president of Qualcomm Europe. “The Snapdragon S4 Plus processor is the heart of the Nokia Lumia 620, making it possible to multi-task, stream in HD and share content at super-fast speeds.”
The Nokia Lumia 620 will be available in a range of colors* including, lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black. Estimated at USD 249, excluding taxes and subsidies, the Nokia Lumia 620 will begin selling in January 2013 in Asia, followed closely by Europe and the Middle East before expanding further.
* Availability of colored shells may vary by country.
There is no doubt that Windows Phone 8 is beautiful, fast and, most importantly, a huge upgrade over its predecessor.
But one thing that Microsoft didn’t change, to the chagrin of almost every WP7 user, was the way the OS deals with notifications. When WP7 debuted in late 2010, neither iOS nor Android had what could be called great notification systems. Yes, Android has, from the beginning, had its drop-down shade, but one couldn’t dismiss individual notifications until Android 4.0. iOS, until its fifth iteration, had arguably the worst and most disruptive way of dealing with notifications in the industry.
Windows Phone, on the other hand, used toast notifications that were immediately intriguing. Combined with live tiles, they provided a simple way to view what was happening — emails, tweets, messages — without disrupting the overall user experience. Very soon, however, it became obvious that without a live tile consolidating these notices, it was possible to miss a notification and have no idea where it came from. Users were understandable frustrated by this, and expected something a little more robust in Windows Phone 8.
Alas, when WP8 was revealed in its entirety, not a mention was made to the notification system. Microsoft, however, is sensitive to the matter, and commented on it during BUILD. Microsoft’s Michael Fennel told an audience during a session on notifications, “We ran out of time. It’s very, very important to m. We get tons of feedback from developers that they want something like that as well. I promise we’re thinking very, very hard on that one.” While the statement is nothing more than a, “we’ll see,” and may not be implemented until WP8.5 or its equivalent, it’s good news to hear that Microsoft is giving it some serious thought.
Nokia has launched a new Xpress browser of or the Lumia line that is identical to the browser found n the new Asha phones.
Announced today via the company’s Beta Labs site, Nokia Xpress leverages the cloud to compress internet data up to 85 percent, help users keep tabs on their consumption habits and even reformats favorited sites into a magazine-like layout.
The app also allows for simple searches for items across Bing and YouTube from within the browser.
Its not available in the marketplace as of now but can be downloaded from the source below.
Long gone are the times when this legend ruled the streets, Nokia had the major chunk of the market share for 14 years in a row. With over 27% of the total market size cap, Nokia dictated terms of the trade and decided future technology along the lines of mobile telephony.
More than seven years before Apple rolled out the iPhone, the Nokia design team showed to the top executives a phone with a color touch screen set above a single button. The device was shown locating a restaurant, playing a racing game and ordering lipstick. In the late 1990s, Nokia secretly developed another alluring product: a tablet computer with a wireless connection and touch screen—all features today of the hot-selling Apple iPad. According to Frank Nuovo, the former Chief Designer at Nokia Corp.
The consumers never saw those devices simply because of the internal company politics, that made getting approvals practically impossible.
Nokia’s long battle of being the leader in the mobile phone segment was ended when rival Samsung took the lead and never looked back. In 2007, the year the iPhone was announced, Nokia had its highest market share of 40%. Nokia had always claimed that the iPhone would not do well, as it did not have 3G networks, was not drop tested and didn’t have basic things like bluetooth file transfer and message forwarding. But the consumers loved the iPhone, the phone that ushered in the era of the smartphone, leading to the development of what is now called Android OS and Windows Phone, and the inevitable downfall of all those who were left behind (Read RIM and Nokia)
[pullquote_left]Cash reserves are at an all time low US $5.1 billion[/pullquote_left]Nokia is still fighting hard, even though cash reserves are at an all time low US $5.1 billion in vs the $6.3 billion in Q12012. Nokia’s strategies and internal company politics have often been blamed for such a major downfall. To battle the current mobile giants, Nokia had developed many products Meego was one of them. Nokia spent over US$ 40 billion in research over the past 10 years, on projects including Meego OS.
The company thought they had it right going the Apple way, the Hardware was propriety and so was this super smooth OS. But there was always rivalry within the company as the Symbian and the Meego teams competed with each other for support and the attention of the top executives as each group was accountable for delivering the most competitive phone.
Nokia design meetings are not anything like you would imagine. In a normal world a few design heads and key executives would sit in a conference hall and discuss design strategies for the company. But with Nokia it was a different ball game together, hundreds of engineers and designers were called in from all over the world to meet in one large auditorium where everyone was shouting to be heard. Your involvement ensured your position at the company, therefore the end resultant was anything short of a legislative assembly on the decision of a Legal Bill in the Delhi Parliament house.
In 2010 Stephen Elop joined Nokia as CEO and brought about a massive shift in strategy. The company was at the time spending €5 billion a year on R&D—30% of the mobile phone industry’s total. Elop came in and completely eradicated the future of both Symbian and Meego paving the way for a Windows Phone alliance which would see the light of the Lumia Devices.
[pullquote_right]Lumia phones were a generation behind[/pullquote_right]Nokia managed to screw that up, because, the first series of Lumia phones were a generation behind. While companies like HTC and Samsung pushed out their second generation Windows Phone devices, equipped with Mango and ready to handle tasks like VOIP, video conferencing and tethering, Nokia Lumia phones focused on build quality and apps (Nokia’s view since the starting era). Nokia left out key elements that makes the consumer of today lean in to buy smartphones.
Every announcement made by Microsoft for the Windows Phone OS update has left Nokia in the dust of the past. Windows Phone 8 will now not work on any Lumia phone already available , and those yet to be announced in India (Lumia 900). While Elop and Nokia are trying to escape the matter by assuring that the Hardware requirements for Windows Phone 8 cannot be met in existing devices, the consumers who did give Nokia another fighting chance may never look at the brand again.
Symbian based Nokia Asha series and PureView phones belong to totally different sectors. The Asha Series being targeted at the budget line while the PureView at a high end niche market. While these devices show promise for the company, their sales cannot be accounted for positive sustainability of the once leader of mobile telephony.
Only if Nokia would drop all side businesses and truly focus on system which was perfect to the core would they be able to capture the market again. Nokia might actually rise again, but this time not thanks to Symbian or any other OS but Windows Phone. If they design hardware keeping in mind the consumer and use the software that is at their disposal, then the company may once again win the heart of the consumer. Until that happens, for the future of this Mobile SmartPhone manufacturer, your guess is as good as mine.
Sources : WSJ, Economic Times, Nokia Archives and EU Commission
Developers with access to Nokia’s Remote Device Access (RDA) tool have “discovered” a bunch of new Lumia and Belle phones. Interestingly, four of these handsets seem to be Windows Phone devices while the Belle 805 should be running on Symbian Belle.
According to Nokia Power User, the Lumia 920, 950, 1001 and Nokia 510 could be authentic or just misinformation planted by rumormongers. However, the blog believes that the Nokia 510 and Belle 805 are likely “authentic” and that the Nokia 510 could be the “cheapest Windows Phone 7.5 device” aimed at competing against Android.
We think the blog could be right because it doesn’t make any sense for Nokia to release any new high-end Windows Phone 7.5 handsets at the moment with Windows Phone 8 (WP8) expected to launch soon. However, a budget device like the Nokia 510 running the Tango update could be just the thing to maintain Nokia’s presence in the smartphone market before the WP8 mobiles arrive.
Nokia’s Augmented Reality app from Symbian called “City Lens” has appeared on Lumia devices for trials. Almost LAYAR like interface, the app allows you to check in real time the points of interests around you, like eating joints etc.
The app is only available for Beta testers so you will need to register as one if you are itching to try it on for size.
Nokia will launch the white colored Nokia Lumia 900 in the Uk on the 27th of April 2012, with its release slated for India for June 2012. Popular UK retailer Phones 4u’s pre-booking page confirms the date and allows those anxious to buy the lumia 900 a change to book one.
Nokia India has other plans for the time being, currently their priority remains the PureView 808 and its launch next month along with Lumia 610 before any real news of the Nokia Lumia 900 can be expected. But, tentative dates from the company personnel suggest a June Launch.
Looks like information on the, due to be released today, Nokia Windows Phone Lumia 610 has been outed. The phones has a substantially lower end spec lineup but the price seems to be the attractive aspect of the device. Priced at a mere Rs. 11,000, the device is expected to change Nokia’s bad outlook in recent times and may also give a heavy boost to Windows Phone as an OS. The Lumia 610 will feature a 3.2-inch display and a 3 MP camera. It will also run Windows Phone Tango, running on just 256MB RAM.
The Phone is expected to be officially launched within the next 24 hours along with the global edition of Lumia 900 flagship smartphone from Nokia.
Nokia is ready to step up to the Windows Phone Plate and is now readying a series of devices to announce at MWC in the coming days. Nokia is expected to launch two new Lumia phones with impressive specs during the conference. The first of the lot is expected to be a global version of the Lumia 900, the other is expected to be a budget friendly Nokia 610. More details when we get them.
Oh dear, Nokia had earlier confessed that it knows of the major battery issues plaguing its new flagship Lumia phones. The latest update (1600.2483.8106.11500) was meant to “enhance standby time as well as to bring an improvement to the issue reported by some customers in December. And indeed the update did bring some relief to our devices, But know Nokia has been hearing complaints about the poor audio quality and Camera related problems being faced by Nokia Loyalists.
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NOKIA:
We’ve seen your comments on the latest update for the Lumia 800 and wanted to take the opportunity to quickly address some points.
First of all, the primary target of the latest Lumia 800 update (1600.2483.8106.11500) was to enhance standby time as well as to bring an improvement to the issue reported by some customers in December, that their phone wasn’t able to access the full battery charge capacity correctly. We can confirm that we have successfully tested that those improvements are working. Additionally, we’ve noted your concerns regarding audio and camera settings and are going to address those in a series of future updates, ie. these will not be included in this specific update. It is also important to understand that only the Nokia Update for Lumia 1600.2483.8106.11500 will introduce the mentioned improvements. If you want to see what update you have installed or what software version you currently have on your Lumia 800, please check Settings>System>About and then tap the box for “More information”. The “Firmware revision number” shows 1600.2483.8106.11500 if you have installed the latest Nokia update for Lumia successfully. To make sure that your Lumia 800 is up to date and always gets the latest features, go to Settings > Phone Update and select “Notify me when updates are found”. Then, as soon as a new update is available for your Lumia 800, your phone will automatically display a notification.
Also always use the original Nokia Fast USB Charger AC-16 or the Nokia Charging and Data Cable CA-185CD that came with your Lumia 800, as they are specifically designed to charge the Lumia 800 as efficiently as possible. Only a charger with an output of 1000mA will fully charge your Lumia 800 battery. If you have several Nokia chargers at home, just check the respective labels or plastic parts as the product name is mentioned there.
Last but not least, the Diagnostic App was designed for internal testing purposes. In general, your battery is fine as long as the full charge capacity is more than 1000mAh. For the future, if you are checking your battery life, more useful information on the Battery status can be found by focusing on Settings>System>Battery saver. It will tell you both your remaining battery life in percent as well as the estimated time remaining, plus the time since you last charged your phone (as soon as you have disconnected your phone from your charger). If you have concerns about your battery capacity, please contact Nokia Care (phone numbers and locations can be found via www.nokia.com/support).”[/box]
