Nokia launched the new Lumia 920 smartphone today. What are our first impressions of this flagship model for Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 platform? The following analysis is sourced from our Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS) service.
1. Hardware: Formfactor of the phone is evolutionary, not revolutionary. It is a 4.5-inch, WXGA, rich, glove-friendly screen with curved glass. The 920 is a premium-tier model. Wireless battery charging is included, which is not new (e.g. Palm), but it is rare, so Nokia is right to hype it up as a differentiator. It uses the Qi standard. It has a big 2000 mAh battery.
2. Software: PureView, for optimized camera images, is being promoted heavily as a differentiator for the flagship Lumia 920 model.
3. Components: A Qualcomm processor in the flagship Lumia 920. Another good win for Qualcomm.
4. Services: Maps, location, video and imaging apps feature prominently. The phone has optical image stabilization, a rare feature, which should improve image quality.
5. Operators: Distribution at more major US carriers, like Verizon Wireless, will be critical.
6. Competitors: Samsung, LG, RIM, Kyocera, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Pantech and Apple will be among the main rivals for the new Lumia 920 (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S3).
* Our First Impression: Nokia and Microsoft have taken another positive step forward. But the Lumia 920 is not an iPhone killer or a Samsung killer.
We will follow shortly this blog with a subsequent blog and report.
