Nokia Lumia Icon unveiled, and it’s the most powerful Windows Phone ever

By Andy Boxall Published February 13, 2014

Check out our review of the Nokia Lumia Icon smartphone.

Verizon has officially announced the Nokia Lumia Icon, its latest Windows Phone-powered smartphone to exclusively find a home on the network. It’s also one of the most interesting Lumia phones we’ve seen, combining a sensibly-sized, high-resolution display, a high-end camera, and a fast processor.

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The Lumia Icon has Windows Phone 8 installed, complete with Nokia’s own Lumia software. It also has the GDR3 update, which adds 1080p and quad-core processor support to Microsoft’s OS.

However, the Lumia Icon shuns the massive 6-inch display on the Lumia 1520 for a more sensible 5-inch OLED panel. It still has a 1080p resolution though, plus Nokia’s ClearBlack technology, resulting in an inevitably gorgeous image with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. The processor inside the Icon is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800, running at 2.2GHz, and supported by 2GB of RAM.

When Nokia teased the Icon’s release, we got the impression it would have another great camera onboard. Sure enough, a 20-megapixel PureView cam, complete with an f/2.4, wide-angle Zeiss lens and dual-LED flash, will take care of the imaging duties. Nokia has fitted four high performance microphones to the Lumia Icon, ensuring the 1080p video recordings sound as good as they look.

The feature list continues with 4G LTE connectivity, a 2420mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, wireless charging, and 32GB of internal storage space. Nokia has also added in a few of its own apps, such as Nokia Camera incorporating Best Shot, Motion Focus and Action Shot, plus Nokia Storyteller, and MixRadio.

The Icon will launch on February 20 for $200 with a two-year contract, but pre-orders start now. It is a Verizon exclusive, but Microsoft has a good deal on the Icon if you’re considering picking one up. You’ll get a free Nokia Wireless Charging Plate if you order through Microsoft’s online store, while its retail outlets may give you a Wireless Charging Stand instead. The offer is valid between now and March 16, so you’ve got a couple of weeks to make up your mind.

Former Senior Mobile Writer

Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.

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