Nokia Lumia 920 - Putting Photography in WP8

Nokia Lumia 920 - Putting Photography in WP8

The Nokia Lumia 920 comes nearly a year after its predecessor Lumia 800 marked the start of the Finnish company and tech giant, Microsoft's renewed smartphone vows. Now coupled with the brand-new Windows Phone 8 OS and its PureView technology (and some unfortunate marketing hiccups), the flagship device sets out to be the definitive WP8 smartphone to have this Christmas. Not only that, the Lumia 920 comes with a top-notch Pure Motion HD+ IPS display and integrated wireless charging. All in all, the 920 will pose quite the challenge to the other Windows Phone 8 devices, including HTC's flagship Windows Phone 8X by HTC and Samsung's Ativ S.



Hardware aside, Nokia did the job pretty well with the 920's exterior, with many online clamoring to get their hands on the rather sleek polycarbonate-clad unibody smartphone. Can Nokia's latest and brightest star be a game changer while maintaining prime position in the sphere of WP8 devices? Will its shiny innards and exterior pry those away from the Android and iOS camp? First, let's take a quick look at how it compares across the upcoming WP8 artillery.

Design & Handling

If the Lumia 920 looks downright familiar, well, it sure is. You have seen the iconic unibody design on Nokia's first and only MeeGo device, the N9, and then later on the Lumia 800. However, that does not in any way play down the beauty of the Lumia 920 - it is unique and classy-looking enough to hold its own fort in a sea of cut-and-dried devices. There are some changes to its design of course due to the its bigger 4.5-inch screen but otherwise, it looks very much like a longer, wider but thinner version of its predecessors.

Given the fact that manufacturers are flocking to lighter and thinner smartphones, the girth and heft of the Lumia 920 is an oddity. With its rather angular build and 185g, it certainly towers over the rest of the Android and iOS devices in the market right now. As a point of reference, smartphones these days come with an average of 130 to 140g. Is it a Windows Phone 8 specific trait then? Nah, given that the other WP8 devices listed above still remain within the 130g range. We partially attribute the extra weight to the integrated wireless "Qi" charging component - these things take up space but in all things considered, is a small price to pay for extra innovation.



On the flip side, the device is extremely sturdy and well-constructed, giving us the impression that it will be more impervious to knocks and hits. Man-handling the phone lends a positive experience despite its girth, due in part to a tapered and slightly curved back that allows the device to sit cozily in our hands. One-handed operation is most certainly possible, if you come equipped with regular-sized or larger hands.

The Lumia 920 comes in a variety of colors beyond the usual monochrome shades, including a rather dashing shade of canary yellow, red and grey. What we had on hand is the white variant that comes with a glossy finish, which is unfortunately a major fingerprint magnet. The other shades will equally be as smudged as the former without a cover and if that's a big issue for you, our advice would be to go for the one with a black matte finish.

Small design touches extend to the buttons on the device as well, with silver-accented touch buttons framing the front when unlit. The black hardware buttons are all aligned on the right, which includes the volume rocker, power on and camera functions, which makes for simpler operation. These ceramic (hint: better-protected) buttons are not small by industry standard and present extremely good tactile feedback.

Features

If you haven't already realized, the Nokia Lumia 920 ships with the latest Windows Phone 8 operating system. First unveiled at the Windows Phone Summit in June, we got a taste of what to expect from the new OS, including the introduction of multi-core support, NFC technology, microSD card support and new screen resolutions. However, aside from the newly-introduced Smart Screen and inclusion of the new IE10, the new software was virtually a mystery to tech pundits and publications alike. 

With the year closing to a close and Windows 8 unveiled for all of the world to see, the Windows Phone 8 finally made its first official appearance late last month. We will leave the final details of the OS to our article here, where we highlighted what we felt was the top eight new features on WP8. Instead, we will focus on what Nokia has to offer through its software additions like Nokia City Lens, Nokia Maps and App Highlights. Do note that some of these apps were previously available on the Lumia 800 and 900.

Nokia has a pretty extensive range of apps that are already downloaded on the Nokia 920. If you are looking for more, you can head Nokia's own Apps Highlights app for a couple of choice recommendation. 

If you are looking specifically for something to do around your location, the Nokia City Lens app is probably your best bet. The app utilizes Augmented Reality to display nearby businesses and landmarks in real-time, allowing for a quick glance of possible places to drop by. It's pretty accurate in our opinion, and will prove useful in unveiling hard-to-find attractions you would have probably missed out otherwise.

Where Apple has failed, Nokia has succeeded with its own Maps and Drive+ (Beta) apps. Nokia Maps works almost like Google Maps, allowing users to seek out popular places as well as get directions to a proposed destination. Unlike Apple's Maps application, Nokia Maps provide accurate transit and landmark information. There's the option to view in satellite version as well, if you don't find it too distracting.

If you'd rather enjoy your music through streaming services, the Mix Radio feature within Nokia Music gives you a wide genre of songs (mainstream or otherwise). And if a particular mix catches your fancy, you can make it available offline through the Nokia Music Store - the feature is a great way to expand your collection without having to fork out a single cent. Otherwise, you can purchase specific tracks via the Nokia Music app as well.

With embedded wireless charging, Nokia has taken innovation up a notch by creating a space for a suite of useful accessories. Now, we know that the technology is not necessarily new but Nokia is definitely a pioneer in terms of marketing it as a viable feature. The accessories that make use of the device's integrated Qi wireless charging capability include a wireless charging plate, Fatboy charging pillow, JBL PlayUp/PowerUp speakers, Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset with wireless charging and more (prices for the mentioned products are not out yet). We managed to get our hands on the funky JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker which not only allows you to pair your device via NFC or Bluetooth to share music but also charge your Lumia 920 or 820. Check it in action in the video below:

Play

We shall expect the choices to grow in numbers once the phone has gotten enough traction, but these products will definitely be a plus point for people who are looking to detract from the usual Android and iOS devices. To add on, we applaud Nokia's efforts in adding more value to the phone with its variety of functional apps, in which the WP8 platform sorely needs to chase up with its iOS and Android counterparts. Aside that, the Windows Phone 8 is an acquired taste - while everything feels smooth and buttery, it takes time getting used to a rather radically different UI. If you find yourself frustrated with the Windows Phone 7/7.5 platform and its somewhat confusing interface, you are likely to feel the same way on the Windows Phone 8. While there's certainly order within the operating system, it's not quite the same as what you're traditionally used to - hence the confusion. Just like Windows 8, the Windows Phone operating system is hoping to intrigue and entice users open to change and differentiate itself from the competition.

Performance

With its dual-core Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz processor and 1GB RAM, the Lumia 920 lived to expectations, proving that quad-core processors aren't all that necessary. Weaving through the interface, we were pleased to report that everything run smoothly and seamlessly, be it navigating around in the device, pinning live tiles to the home screen or even switching from task to task. Yes, screen transitions were very fluid with no visible lags. The same is observed for the scrolling, with the interface reacting responsively to our touch as we scanned through a list of apps within the menu. 1GB of RAM is good enough for multi-tasking, and as we mentioned earlier, task switching proved to be snappy and we saw no lags in performance even when we activated several applications (including more intensive game apps) in the background. 



Thanks to the new IE10 in place, web browsing is extremely speedy. To give you an indication of how blazingly speedy it is, the Nokia Lumia 920 scored a 909.2 on the SunSpider Javascript benchmark test. As a point of reference, the test measures JavaScript performance on tasks relevant to the use of JavaScript such as encryption and text manipulation; a lower score is a better score. In comparison, the Galaxy S III LTE scored a higher 1216.4 while the iPhone 5 fared better at 917.3. Traditionally, the iOS devices have usually come up tops on the test on Safari but not this time.



With support for both 1800MHz and 2600MHz LTE bands, Lumia 920 users are ensured with better LTE connectivity. We faced no problems with LTE connectivity on the phone, and had blazing fast speeds for most part of our usage.

Multimedia & Imaging

The Nokia 808 PureView was no doubt a sharpshooter due to its astounding 41-megapixel camera with a backside illuminated sensor and definitely one of the best on the market. However, several things bogged down its usability, including a Symbian Belle OS that paled in comparison to more full-fledged platforms like Android and iOS. Now is the chance for Nokia to right the wrong with the Nokia 920 - while it does not boast of a 41-megapixel sensor like its cousin, it does come with what Nokia terms as "PureView camera technology with Optical Image Stablization and Carl Zeiss optics". So how did the 8.7-megapixel shooter fare? Let's find out.

On entering the camera app, one might be fazed by how sparse and simple the interface looks in comparison to other devices as well as the Nokia 808 Pureview. As phone reviewers, we are pretty much used to the complexity and layers of customization (scene modes, basic photo filters/effects)  we can do, even with the default camera app. The more technical aspects like white balance modes, aspect ratio and ISO values are tucked under Photo Settings.

Thankfully, the solution lies in Microsoft's Lens option. Think of Lenses as a selection of photo apps that adds extra functionality to your photo-taking process on the WP8 device. You can add more apps via the Windows Phone marketplace, including Nokia's own Cinemagraph (creates GIF files), Panorama and Smart Shot apps. While the selection appears to be pretty limited at the moment, we are certain that more camera-friendly apps will be on its way.

The Lumia 920 might not be the fastest shooter in town but it does perform remarkably under low light conditions. To get as accurate focusing and metering as possible, the camera comes with a function called Focus Assist Light (this is switched on by default) which turns on the flash, meters, turns off the flash before taking the picture. It is a small price to pay for accuracy and in a situation where you don't find it particular necessary, at least there's the option to turn it off. To snap a photo, you either lightly tap on the touch screen on the area you want focused or press and release the shutter button located on the phone's right profile.

Based on photos taken of our indoor set-up, the Lumia 920 sets out to impress. While colors appear to be slightly muted, details are crisp with noise levels kept to a minimum. We spot slight smudging at this level due to perhaps more aggressive noise reduction on the 920 but otherwise, the phone performed superbly in all consideration.

Of course, we're sure you would be interested to know how it fared against other high-end smartphones in the market today. Here, we take a close look at the Lumia 920's performance alongside four other phones, Nokia 808 PureView, Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC One X and iPhone 5:

Nokia Lumia 920 8.7-megapixel camera
Nokia 808 PureView 41-megapixel camera
Samsung Galaxy S III 8-megapixel camera
HTC One X 8-megapixel camera
iPhone 5 8-megapixel camera

The Nokia 808 PureView once again is the clear winner here, with the Lumia 920 and iPhone 5 head-to-head for the second position. There are slightly more details caught by the 920's lens with higher level of clarity but the effects of aggressive noise reduction seems to be more prominent here. On the other hand, the iPhone 5 gets a thumbs up for  better color representation; colors on the Lumia 920 comes across as slightly whitewashed and muted. It might be unfair to use the iPhone 5 as a benchmark of sorts for mobile photography, but the iOS devices have traditionally come up tops in that particular area so these observations bode very well for the Lumia 920. While it might not be as impressive as its 41-megapixel cousin, its performance still lands it in one of the prime spots in comparison to the rest of the existing devices. 



As a point of reference, these phones are all sufficiently well-equipped for day-to-day photography needs, such as posting on social media and so forth. To prove that point, we've a gallery of photos taken with the Lumia 920.

Play

Of course, the other point of interest in the Lumia 920 is in its swanky PureMotion HD+ IPS display, which comes with a higher 332 PPI than Apple's Retina Display on the iPhone 5 and promises fast refresh rates. The namesake spells it out just right but in layman terms, Nokia has managed to increase the display's refresh rate to match the rate that Windows Phone 8 is designed to generate. In a nutshell, this ensures no lags in updated screen content and reduces motion blur. We can't say the same for the other screens, but with the PureMotion HD+ display does provide fast transitions and rendering at 60fps without losing quality, especially important with Live Tiles constantly refreshing and changing. The screen is also designed to provide above average and intuitive daylight viewing capabilities via an ambient light sensor that automatically adapts depending on different lighting conditions. Under direct sunlight, the phone is still perfectly legible as observed so we have no complaints here.

The Lumia 920 also comes with Synaptics' ClearPad Series 3 sensor which allows the capacitive screen to recognize inputs even through gloves, or those with longer-than-average fingernails. While this isn't that applicable in the hot ASEAN climate, most would be happy to know that this feature is functional lest they require it. With gloves on, swiping, tapping (even on an intensive tapping game) and scrolling responded just as well on the screen without gloves but tapping on the touch buttons required a tad more effort on our part.



All in all, the device's 4.5-inch IPS 1280 x 768 pixels display performed remarkably, showcasing crisp and sharp text and images, with the latter exhibiting optimal levels of color reproduction and very deep blacks (thanks to Nokia’s ClearBlack technology).



 

Battery Mileage

We put the Lumia 920 against the high-end devices from the other camps, iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III LTE, while using Nokia's first Windows Phone device, Nokia Lumia 800, as a benchmark. Using the same 480 x 800 pixels resolution video that we use across all our mobile device battery tests, we set the same test parameters which includes having the video looped under the following conditions:

• Brightness and volume at 100%
  
   
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
  
   
• Constant data streaming through email and Twitter
  
   

Windows Phone devices, both old and new, haven't managed to impress us with its battery mileage, and we are hoping it would be different in this case. Unfortunately, the Lumia 920 didn't do too well in this aspect. Like its Lumia 800 sibling, it falters between the range of 200 to 300 minutes, lasting only about 4 and a half hours for our battery test and placing third after the Apple iPhone 5. While both devices come with IPS LCD screens (which are traditionally not as energy saving as their AMOLED counterpart), it is important to note that the Lumia 920 comes with a bigger 4.5-inch screen and runs on an entirely different operating system (Live Tiles = battery sapping) despite featuring a larger 2000mAh battery. It is no wonder that the device rounds off with a very high 1.64W power consumption.



The results are likewise replicated in the portability index (battery to volume ratio). Given that the Lumia 920's dimensions towers over the rest of the competition, it is unsurprising that it came in last.

Other than the above formal video-based battery test, we observed that the phone could last through a working day, with emails and Twitter feeds pushed constantly to it when using the phone in a casual manner for day-to-day needs. Other activities included occasional web surfing and phone calls.

It is highly advisable to charge the device twice, once before leaving the office and another when you are back at home. To conserve battery, do keep the brightness to a minimal level and switch off LTE when you find it unnecessary. We find that that does help prolong the battery life by a substantial amount. Of course, if you are planning on taking the Lumia 920 for a spin (aka photo-taking, heavy GPS usage), be prepared to bring a portable charger along. Take for instance, we shot on the Nokia Lumia 920 for slightly over an hour (about 150 shots), with data pulling in for Twitter, email and Facebook and it dropped from 100% to 65%.

Conclusion

What do we have to say about the Nokia Lumia 920? It is a great phone that can most definitely hold its fort in an industry hard-pressed to chase the latest in hardware specifications. For instance, its excellent PureMotion HD+ with its splendid 332PPI screen gives Apple's Retina Display on the iPhone 5 a run for their money; likewise, the 8.7-inch camera imbued with PureView magic might not match the Lumia 808 PureView in terms of performance but it does come very close to doing so. And that's not even factoring in its wireless charging capabilities, Nokia's tie-in with third-party brands for wireless charging products and its pool of functional Nokia-flavored apps like Drive+, Maps, Music, City Lens, Smart Shoot and Cinemagraph. Clearly, Nokia's massive efforts in making Nokia (and the Windows Phone 8 OS) relevant are admirable, but are they enough to warrant a jump from Android and iOS?

The answer is both yes and no. The Windows ecosystem is certainly growing even though it has a couple more steps to go before it can catch up with its competitors. For one, a quick glance at the WP8 Store is telling - the presence of popular apps like Instagram or Flipboard is sorely missing (but there's hope, Angry Bird Star Wars has been made available on the platform almost as quickly as it was on iOS and Android). That said, its lack of market share and developer support will make it extremely difficult for iPhone and Android users to make that crucial jump. On the other hand, if you had previously found the WP7/7.5 experience unappetizing and confusing, it will be hard for you to be persuaded by the WP8 operating system because it, in essence, will offer the same experience, with a couple of tweaks here and there. Nonetheless, we are glad for the nifty additions that addressed shortcomings in the WP7 OS, making it all the more enticing for a new smartphone user to buy into the WP8 ecosystem.



However, if you are willing to put your money on the WP8 platform and have a little more patience, the well-designed Nokia Lumia 920 is without a doubt a very good phone to start with. As mentioned in the review, it is speedy, intuitive and beastly in its performance. Its bulk and heft (it's even heavier than the massive 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II!) might dissuade those looking for a portable phone but you certainly cannot ignore its well-constructed and classy exterior. Its below-average battery life might be of an issue for some but in light of what it has to offer with its full set of features, we could say it's a small price to pay.

For those looking specifically for a WP8 device, it's a close call between the Lumia 920 and its smaller but capable rival, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC. There's no local pricing at the moment but with a retail date fixed for early December, we expect it to be released soon. As for the rest of us looking for iOS or Android devices, these will be your best bet.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.