A lot of news rolling in about Nokia theses days, one of biggest is Microsoft becoming the big brother to shoulder the shaky Nokia. With the launch of the recent Nokia Lumia 800, which was one of the most refreshing handsets we’ve seen in a while. Next up is the Nokia Lumia 900.
Nokia Lumia 900: Build
A big screen. The 3.7-inch screen is superseded by a 4.3-inch AMOLED display. The iPod nano-inspired industrial design is still present, with an attractive non-painted polycarbonate unibody integrating well with the Gorilla Glass display.
The Nokia Lumia 900 also arrives matte black and the gorgeous cyan blue casings, with the prospect of more colours arriving once the device is launched.
Overall, this is one of the finer examples of smartphone design in recent years and has a really youthful look and feel – especially the blue model. Nokia has always made solid, reliable hardware but has lacked engaging software in recent years. Enter Windows Phone.
Nokia Lumia 900: Features
The Lumia 900 brings Windows Mobile 7.5, or Mango as its known in the common tongue. The upgrade in mid-2011 was a massive boon to the fledgling Windows Phone platform offering indications that reaching its obvious potential was in sight. The Mango update brought 250 new features including IE9, threaded messages, improved Xbox LIVE integration, multi-tasking and improved live tiles allowing more information to be displayed on the homescreen, as found on the HTC Titan.
The native Windows Phone operating system really shines on Nokia’s devices. We enjoyed the limited time we were given browsing through the interface. Nokia reps were pretty adamant that we weren’t able to browse through apps as the final software build wasn’t complete.
In terms of other features on the device, Nokia continues its long tradition of offering massively well-specced cameras on its smartphones. The rear facing camera boasts Carl Zeiss Tessar optics (as expected). As we mentioned above, the Lumia 900 boasts a wide-angle lens, enabling you to capture more within the frame. The front-facing camera is also a new edition. HD video is present at 720p 30fps resolution.
Other than the size increase, 4G LTE internet is the main upgrade on show, although on the show floor at CES we were unable to test for increased speeds. In terms of other connectivity there’s Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS.
Nokia Lumia 900: Screen
The 4.3-inch AMOLED screen is an absolute joy to behold. It boasts an 800×480 resolution and the same ClearBlack technology we saw on the Lumia 800. The colourful Windows Phone OS Live Tiles interface really shines through and practically beams from the device.
Nokia Lumia 900: Verdict
A truly Windows Phone with 4G-enabled Nokia Lumia 900 is another step in the right direction for both companies. Both Nokia and Windows Phone are totally viable alternatives to the dominance of Android and iOS offering great hardware design and a well-on-the-way-to-being-great operating system.
It’s a shame that UK smartphone users are unlikely to see this device in the immediate future as it would offer stiff competition to the larger Android handsets boasting 4-inch plus screens. It would certainly give HTC’s Android range something to think about.