It’s been confirmed and the phone is real, so check out our review of the Nokia Lumia 920 Windows 8 phone.
Reportedly named the Lumia 820 and the Lumia 920 with PureView, photos of the latest Nokia phones have appeared on a random Twitter account called evleaks. Possibly a stunt by Nokia’s own PR team or the work of a rather sneaky individual, the photos showcase a pair of gorgeous new smartphones. Based on the leaked images, the Finnish company certainly hasn’t lost its extraordinary design prowess.
Too bad the leaks spoil the actual launch event set for September 5th, the original date of the unveiling. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time that details of an upcoming smartphone were revealed way ahead of schedule. Not to mention names, iPhone 5.
The two Lumia devices seem to follow the boldly colored, polycarbonate design of Nokia’s original Windows Phone 7.5 offerings, with the 820 (pictured right) transitioning to rounded corners and the 920 (pictured left) keeping them sharp. You won’t hear us complaining either, the look is still fresh, attractive, and stands out well from the current market.
Probably the lower-end device of the two, the 820 is rocking a 4.3-inch screen and as of right now, that’s all we know about it. No word on availability or pricing, which isn’t surprising. The leaked pics do show it comes with Carl Zeiss optical lenses, however, much like the original Lumia line. WMPoweruser.com just posted some real-life photos of the 820, supposedly a prototype of the device (below). Based on those pictures, the 820 seems like a very handsome phone with a unique look setting it apart from the 920. AT&T apparently has an exclusive on the 820 though, so tough luck if you’re tied down to another carrier.
The 920, on the other hand, seems destined to become the Lumia flagship device with its sharper design and 4.5-inch screen. If that’s the case, you can be sure Nokia will toss in a whole bunch of Nokia-branded extras. Admittedly, the company does have some helpful bundled apps and a larger screen is awesome, but the real star here is the inclusion of its PureView camera technology. As a refresher, PureView was developed by Nokia to allow for digital zoom and super high quality pictures on a smartphone. That’s simplifying the technology quite a bit, but we’ve broken it all down more thoroughly in the past. The 920 is supposed to be available on AT&T and T-Mobile, while a similar phone is expected to appear on Verizon a short time after.
We’re really hoping these leaks turn out to be the real thing (though the 820 already appears legitimate). An LTE-equipped smartphone sporting PureView technology is exactly what Windows Phone needs right now, a device to compete with other flagships. Add Nokia’s brand recognition, useful applications, and sharp design and Windows Phone 8 may just be able to take its place beside iOS and Android. What do you think of the new Lumias? Hoping to drop some dollars when they go up for sale?
