Nokia has come out swinging this year, with a number of Windows Phone 7 devices set to be released. And the Lumia 900 is first on the line.
Just weeks after the Lumia 800 hit the streets, Nokia is out with a follow-up. But is the manufacturer up to the task – and is it even a significant improvement over the previous model?
The phone is powered by a 1.4 Ghz Qualcomm processor, contains 16GB of internal flash memory and comes with the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango software.
It also features multi-touch technology, a proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, three-axis accelerometer and a digital compass, along with a 4.3 inch AMOLED display.
There are two cameras, including a front-facing one megapixel camera, and an eight megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash.
Dimension-wise, the phone measures 128mm x 69mm x 12mm, and above all, has 4G LTE capability.
In terms of software, Windows Phones is really making leaps and bounds, and reviewers are noticing. Over at T3, the publication noted the Mango update works quite well on the gadget and that software operates at a quick pace.
“The native Windows Phone operating system really shines on Nokia’s devices. We enjoyed the limited time we were given browsing through the interface,” it said, although it wasn’t able to browse through a number of different apps.
Pocket-Lint made a similar judgement, noting the software “zips along nicely”.
The biggest difference over the Lumia 800 is the larger screen, and Pocket-Lint notices a huge difference – in fact, one that makes the device really stand out among the competition.
“Because of the AMOLED technology, the screen is stunning. Nokia did a really good job with the screen on the Lumia 800, and the Lumia 900 is no different. While the resolution is still only 800 x 480 (Microsoft is to blame for that) the graphics of Windows Phone 7 are crisp, colourful and bright.”
T3 had similar things to say, noticing the tile interface really shone through on a large screen.
“The colourful Windows Phone OS Live Tiles interface… practically beams from the device. The capacitive touchscreen was a pleasure to use, like the Lumia 800, and we had no problem typing using the Gorilla Glass display.”
Feature-wise, TechRadar praised the addition of a front-facing camera, despite the lower quality compared to the rear camera, and also complimented the use of wide-angle lenses.
Pocket-Lint also noted the use of a micro-USB socket, although noted this makes the design a little less flush.
The Windows Phone smartphones are definitely coming into their own. There are a variety of models on the market now, but clearly the Lumia 900 beats out the rest of them in terms of sheer power and usability.
The only problem is that it’s not yet available in Australia. But if you’re interested in an alternative to both Android and iOS, then this is definitely the gadget to look at – if it eventually launches locally or you’re heading overseas.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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