Nokia Lumia 920

Today Rogers announced that they'll be the exclusive carrier for the Nokia Lumia 920, the HTC 8X, and the Samsung ATIV S. Apparently the 920 and the 8 GB 8X will be exclusives. Rogers will also be offrering the Samsung ATIV Windows tablet as well. 

Of course, there's no information on specific prices or dates just yet, but we'll keep our eyes peeled. Rogers president Rob Bruce says that the devices will be priced "competitively". We at least know that the 920 will be landing sometime in November, and we've had an inkling that the ATIV S would be launching in the same time frame. The 8X was also announced not too long ago, so not a ton of surprises here, but Rogers and Microsoft are definitely cementing their partnership today. Bruce said that there's going to be a big focus on Microsoft products from here on in, though they're still about offering as much choice as possible. We're at Rogers HQ right now, so with any luck we'll get some hands-on time later today (though I'm not holding my breath). 

Source: CNW

We reported the other day on the appearance of the Lumia 920T that looks bound to China Mobile’s network. Looks like there is more evidence of the device as this photo is sporting the operator logo also.

AT&T is gearing up to launch the Nokia Lumia 920 very soon—in fact we expect an announcement on pricing and availability sometime on Sunday.

Word is that AT&T reps are also in the midst of training with the device, becoming familiar with its main features and selling points. Part of that training is being done with these videos that demonstrate the highlights of the Lumia 920.

The Lumia 920 has gradually become available for pre-order through retailers and the like, but we've not yet been able to confirm globally what carriers will be stocking Windows Phones, except for those who have made the information publicly available. As for the number of pre-orders that have taken place, well ... that's another piece of information that we don't possess. 

Fortunately, NokiaPowerUser has noticed some positive signs on both the French Phone House and Italian NStore websites. According to Phone House's top 50 mobile phones chart the Lumia 920 is the champion, and at NStore the Windows Phone is no longer available (sold out).

We told you that you have to get used to seeing these side-by-side videos of the Nokia Lumia 920’s video camera in action. That’s because optical image stabilization in a smartphone is kind of a big deal for camera technology—it’s really a big step forward and one of the first real innovations since BSI hit the scene.

The video above, hailing from Russia we presume, shows the Lumia 920 mounted to the inside windshield of a car as it drives over train tracks and some bumpy terrain. It’s compared to…well, we’re not sure, as our Cyrillic translator is a bit off today. But the point should be clear that when OIS is used for video, it actually makes a huge difference in terms of quality. Needless to say, we can’t wait to try it.

Source: YouTube; via Reddit

The Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 Windows Phones that are heading to AT&T have been given the green light over at FCC and are well on their way to Microsoft's launch party. It's always a quiet buzz when our dear handsets pass through the agency, which provides us with a slight reminder on where Windows Phones are heading and more.

German retailer Media Markt has listed both the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 on its website with release dates of November 1st. Both Windows Phones are expected to be made available on that day, should the reported date hold true, and will be priced at €449 (approx. £360) and €649 (approx. £520) respectively.

Update: It seems Media Markt has bumped the date from November 1st to November 15th. This change has occured the same day a German Vodafone store stated on its Facebook page that they will be stocking the Lumia Windows Phone 8 handsets at the start of November. We'll have to see if the date sticks. Thanks, Schneppe, for spotting the alteration!

Some leaked photos have appeared showing what looks to be the Lumia 920T destined for China Mobile. A Chinese version of the Lumia 920 will be a leap for Nokia in the large Asian market, where the manufacturer retains strong brand recognition with previous reports suggesting Nokia Windows Phones overtaking Apple's iPhone.

The device, which has the familiar prototype branding printed on the phone, is said to include essential compatibility with China Mobile's TD-SCDMA standards.

A Vodafone store located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany has confirmed on its Facebook page that both the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 will be available from November 1st. Being only 17 days away, there's still Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 event on October 29th to get through first, but it's good to know there's not much longer to wait out.

Nokia's Apollo hardware will not only be available from Vodafone in Germany on the first day of next month, but also Media Markt. The latter has already revealed November 1st as the release date, which we covered yesterday. It's good to see more than one source to look at when checking pricing to make the best investment.

If you head over to Nokia’s site on the Lumia 920, you may notice that the international version is reported as supporting Pentaband 3G/HSPA with T-Mobile’s 1700 AWS frequency. That contradicts when the phone was announced back in September with only four bands being supported. So, what’s the deal? Have Nokia added support?

Unfortunately, no.