What’s My Next? Nokia Lumia 920 For The Win!

This article has been simmering for the better part of a week. I’ve known since halfway through Nokia’s September event that the Lumia 920 would be my next device. Sure, I cringed when they announced that the bold and beautiful red rendition was officially termed “Lipstick Red”. Since I’m secure in my manhood and absolutely love the color of red as a statement of boldness I’m going to rock it anyway. Currently I’m using a HTC Titan as my daily driver. I’ve had no complaints aside from the brief bout I had with the phone randomly restarting which turned out to be due to a few HTC apps that didn’t want to play nice with the OS. The thing I’ve come to enjoy most about the Titan is the durability and the screen size. I’ve dropped my Titan at least 50 times and it is still operating like its in its infancy. The 4.7” screen is magnificent for viewing videos and pictures on. So why do I have a love jones with the Lumia 920? Simple, it’s the best representation of what a hardware company can do when its serious about its product.

The phone prior to my Titan was the HTC Surround and before that the HTC Touch Pro 2 (see the pattern?). Both smaller screens but devices that I actually enjoyed quite a lot. Nokia’s decision to go with the 4.5” means that its going to be relatively easier to maneuver and reach elements on the screen. Funny thing is that I am not a huge guy and my hands certainly wouldn’t be categorized as oven mitts and yet today I found myself mocking Apple’s “Thumb” commercial and realized I can reach every corner of my 4.7” screen without much of a strain. The fact that the 4.5” PureMotion HD+ screen is incorporating touch sensitive tech that surpasses anything else on the market is just gravy.

The Fit and Finish

Nokia marked their entrance to Windows Phone with the beautiful Lumia 800. Sure it was introduced with mid-range specs at the time and promoted like a flagship before the Lumia 900 graced us with their presence. Nokia seems to have taken the lessons learned from these two beautiful phones and put the knowledge to good use in creating the Lumia 920. In short, everything that Nokia has done in Windows Phone has led to this point in time. As far back as when the Lumia 900 was announced Nokia execs were talking about how Mango was already done by the time they came on board and that they were excited to have more input for Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 920 represents all that Nokia believes Windows Phone has the potential to be.

Nokia Gets User Experience

On that note I trust Nokia’s ability to craft a satisfying, premium user experience more than any other smartphone company, Apple included. When they gaffe they don’t bury their heads in the sand, they respond quickly and publicly and do their best to make things right. As former Microsoft employee Charlie Kindel likes to say Experience = Stuff / Time. Nokia has released Nokia Music, Maps, Transport, City Lens, Drive and Counter for their Lumia Windows Phone series. Each application has added significant value to their users and continue to be updated regularly with features that fill in gaps the Windows Phone platform has had since Windows Phone 7. Is there really any company that you trust more to support and add value to their devices over the period of their shelf life than Nokia? For me it’s a clear no. Take the exclusive apps that Nokia has been responsible for bringing to the Windows Phone platform. Apps come first for the Lumia 920 because Nokia is aggressively and relentlessly making sure they deliver on their goal of having a first class user experience.

Future Proof

I don’t think humongous, phablet sized phones are the future. The more my work makes me mobile the more the value of having multiple devices to deal with certain tasks is reinforced. I don’t need my phone to be a tablet, that’s what my impending purchase of the Microsoft Surface is for. I need my phone to be at the top of it’s smartphone game. The 4.5” screen is a sweet spot for me, the screen and camera technology is proving to be a substantial feather in Nokia’s cap and inclusion of NFC and Wireless Charging tells me that if I choose to wait two years before purchasing another phone I’ll still won’t be missing out on anything whenever that time comes. Compare that with the iPhone 5 buyers who will be left out in the cold if NFC takes out.

Conclusion

No the Lumia 920 is not for everyone. It’ll be too heavy, too big and in some cases too bold for some. That’s okay because for the first time since Microsoft rebooted its mobile platform people from both Apple and Android camps are hesitating on their next selection to see if the OS will match the hardware. There isn’t a single thing I wanted that Nokia didn’t deliver with the Lumia 920. 32 GB is more than enough for me as I’m currently juggling 16GB on my Titan. The rest will be stored in my SkyDrive and easily accessible especially with the fast LTE speeds that I’ll be enjoying. Its comforting knowing that Nokia will continue to add value and polish the user experience over the course of the Lumia 920’s life. Most of all I’ll enjoy, the first in Windows Phone history, people with the latest iPhone being envious of my device. Not because of specs but because Nokia and the Lumia 920 will deliver a premium user experience. The Lumia 920 is bold and beautiful and its my next!