lumia

HTC has just released all the juicy details about their upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices but the story certainly isn’t over yet.

It’s clear HTC is keen to get back into the game with Windows Phone 8 and prove they are more than a match for Nokia. Design and colour look to be the key differentiators for Windows Phones from now on, HTC, like Nokia are launching their devices in a spectrum of colour.  A strong focus on stand out design could be what propels Windows Phone 8 in the eyes of consumers.

New information has come forth confirming October 21^st for the Lumia 920 launch

The technology site BGR recently cited Sunday, October 21^st as the launch date for the Nokia Lumia 920. At the time, we gave a low rating to the rumor due to two reasons: BGR’s rumor track record (52% on Tracour) and the fact that the date conflicts with other word-of-mouth bits of information.

However, Windows Phone Central has now come across new documentation circulating within AT&T that does indeed confirm the date of October 21^st as an important day for the upcoming Nokia flagship phone. This is not the same info that presumably BGR saw (or was told) due to its recency. 

Shake your booty with Zane Lowe and Nokia

Zane Lowe has announced an array of dates for his UK university tour, which kicks off in Lincoln tomorrow. The established DJ, who also currently hosts the BBC Radio 1 Evening Show, has partnered with Nokia to "connect" the tour. This is an opportunity for Nokia to work on promotion while we wait until recently announced hardware is available to consumers. 

The manufacturer has made it a strategic focus to tackle the issue with younger consumers turning away from Nokia. To aid this effort, the company has released (and continues to do so) Windows Phones with multiple themes available for more choice.

As an IT consultant, my approach to technology is one best described as practical. I examine the circumstances and then try to decide which solution will best fit the needs of my clients.  So when we here at Windows Phone Central were asked to write a piece about what our next Windows Phone device would be, I took that same practical approach on deciding how I would replace my current phone, the HTC Arrive.

I use my Arrive in every facet of my life: personal/work, information/entertainment. It’s because of this that I am looking for a phone that is practical, versatile and does a lot of things well; a Swiss army phone, if you will. For this reason, I am choosing the Nokia Lumia 820. Let me explain.

Design and innovation is hard. And a lot of times, those in the industry tend to arrive at the same conclusion, even if designers took different paths and they weren’t watching the competition. Such is the case when two things look 'inspired' by each other. But all too often accusations of "copying" abound when in fact, it was more a meeting of general design trends.

The Zeitgeist of Style, if you will.

In other words, we’re not accusing Apple of anything here except maybe of not being too different than current fashions. (It's cool, Apple. You don't always need to lead.) What we are saying is that these two “technology things" look very familiar. Kind of.

The Lumia 610 to get a successor?

According to The Verge, Nokia plans to release two more Windows Phone 8 devices, code names "Zeal" and "Flame" in early 2013. The "Zeal" is rumored to be a mid-range offering and will sport a unibody design and will be "Zune-like" in its appearance. We're not exactly sure what that means, but it consider our interest officially piqued. The Zeal will have a 4.3-inch display and will feature a 1.0GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a microSD slot.

Nokia is working on a separate version of its City Lens app with plans to release it for new Windows Phone 8 devices – the Lumia 820 and 920. We previously touched on Nokia’s augmented reality (AR) app earlier this month when the company took it out of beta for current Lumia generation Windows Phones.

In an official blog post, we’re told Nokia is working hard at adding ‘more features in the Windows Phone 8 version.’ With the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile OS coupled with advances in Nokia’s in-house technologies, the company is able to continue to make the augmented reality experience on Lumia smartphones more realistic.

Nokia announced the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 Windows Phones on Wednesday at its joint conference with Microsoft. Unveiling new features and functionality, including wireless charging, PureView camera technology, and PureMotion HD+ display, Nokia certainly delivered. We've now added new forums to cover these new Windows Phones.

The shiny new Lumia 820, announced yesterday by Nokia

The Lumia 820, Nokia's mid-range Windows Phone 8 smartphone, was announced yesterday at the company's press conference in New York. We're still awaiting confirmation on which Windows Phone(s) carriers will be getting, but some light might have been shown on Verizon's plans for Microsoft's mobile platform.

A photo was sent into Engadget of a terminal showing the Verizon Device Management System. According to this listing, Verizon will be sporting a "Lumia 822" - possibly a carrier branded version of the announced handset (much like the HTC Arrive with Sprint). While it's not the Lumia 920 that many were hoping for, the Lumia 820 does pack a number of intuitive features and improvements over the previous generation of hardware.