Nokia officially announces its first two Windows Phone 7.5 devices.
I. Lumia 810 will tackle the high-end
When it comes to doing battle with the latest high-end smartphones running Android and iOS, Nokia is offering up its new Lumia 800. The hardware specs won't impress anyone from the Android camp, as the Lumia 800 features a 3.7" AMOLED ClearBlack curved display (800x480), a single-core, 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor, and just 16GB of internal memory (there's no microSD slot for expansion, although Nokia does provide 25GB of free SkyDrive access).
The Lumia 800 may not feature a dual-core processor, but Microsoft says that such firepower isn't needed for the Windows Phone 7.x platform… for now. "They're all single core, but I suspect that they will be faster in usage than any dual-core phone that you put against it, and that’s the point," said Windows Phone chief Andy Lees in an interview with AllThingsD earlier this month.
Nokia smartphones have been known in the past for their excellent cameras, and the Lumia 800 is no exception. The smartphone offers up an 8MP rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture and Carl Zeiss optics.
And for those of you familiar with Nokia's N9, the sleek shape of the Lumia 800 should be instantly recognizable. The Lumia 800 is constructed of a single piece of polycarbonate plastic and features a curved Gorilla glass display. It is, however, a bit on the chunky side at 12.1mm thick and weighs 5 ounces.
Nokia says that the Lumia 800 is good for 9.5 hours of 3G talk time, 55 hours of music playback, and 7 hours of video playback.
The Lumia 800 (available in Cyan, Black, and Magenta) will have a retail price of around $535 USD and will be released in Europe in November, and in Asia by the end of the year. There is no word on U.S. availability, but recent reports suggest that U.S. customers won't have access to the phone until next year.
II. Those on a budget can look at Nokia's Lumia 710
If the Lumia 800's $535 price tag is a tough pill to swallow, Nokia also announced the Lumia 710. The Lumia 710 features the same 1.4GHz processor as its more sophisticated brother, but includes a 5MP camera and lacks the AMOLED display. The smartphone also only comes with 8GB of internal storage, but it unlike the Lumia 800, it includes a microSD slot for expansion. It will be available in black and white, but more colorful backplates will be available for purchase.
When it comes to battery life, the Lumia 710 is rated at 7.6 hours of 3G talk time, 38 hours of music playback, and 6 hours of video playback.
III. It's all in the software
Of course, both the Lumia 800 and 710 are running Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango". Nokia abandoned its own smartphones efforts with MeeGo and Symbian to embrace Microsoft's sleek mobile operating system. To help differentiate its products from other Windows Phone devices on the market, the Lumia 800 and 710 will feature Nokia Drive turn-by-turn navigation, Nokia Music, and the ESPN Sports Hub as integral portions of the UI.
"Eight months ago, we shared our new strategy and today we are demonstrating clear progress of this strategy in action. We're driving innovation throughout our entire portfolio, from new smartphone experiences to ever smarter mobile phones," said Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO. "From the Nokia Lumia 800 to the Nokia Asha 201, we are bringing compelling new products to the market faster than ever before. I'm incredibly proud of these new devices - and the people of Nokia who have made this happen."
