The Daily Roundup for 02.07.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Comments

Nokia Lumia 620 review: precisely what an entry-level smartphone should be

Nokia Lumia 620 review precisely how an entrylevel smartphone should be

The Lumia 620 is Nokia’s most affordable Windows Phone 8 device yet. Alas, it’s a device that might never make an appearance in the US, due to its very attractive pricing of (£150, or around $236), unless American carriers are willing to give a rebate from the outset. But it’s a surprisingly attractive Lumia — in fact it’s hard to put it in the same category as Nokia’s previous cheaper Windows Phone options. Those colors hit you right between the eyes, with matte- and gloss-finish covers in cyan, lime, yellow and magenta presenting a nice alternative to the more staid black and white versions. Behind that shell, a 1GHz Snapdragon S4 Plus beats away, with a bright 3.8-inch ClearBlack display beaming out a familiar 800 x 480 resolution.

Despite the price, it’s running the latest iteration of Windows Phone 8 and Nokia’s also ensured its own camera lens apps, along with its music and mapping services, have been carried over as well. The 5-megapixel camera may be bested by the Zeiss-equipped 8-megapixel sensors on its bigger brothers, but with a staggering £300 difference between the Lumia 620 and Lumia 920, what other sacrifices have been made? Is this the best bang-for-your-buck Windows Phone we’ve ever seen? We think it might be.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Nokia Lumia 620 hands-on: $249 for Windows Phone 8 (video)

Nokia Lumia 620 handson $249 for Windows Phone 8

Surprising a few of us, Nokia yesterday revealed a brand new Windows Phone 8 device, the 3.8-inch Lumia 620, in an explosion of colors. As its naming convention goes, and at just $249 contract-free, this is the cheapest device running Microsoft’s newly christened mobile OS so far. But with a WVGA screen, and only a 5-megapixel camera, is there enough bang for your buck, however? We’d argue yes — and we’re looking forward to see how the final model fares early next year. Our first impressions, a hands-on video and a tour of all seven color options are right after the break.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 620 hands-on: $249 for Windows Phone 8 (video)

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Nokia Lumia 620 announced: 3.8-inch WVGA display, 5MP camera, $249

Nokia announces Lumia 620 Windows Phone 8 handset 38inch WVGA display, 5MP camera, $249

Nokia announced a surprise new Windows Phone 8 member at LeWeb 2012 in Paris today — the Lumia 620. The entry-level handset has a 3.8-inch TFT screen running at WVGA resolution (800 x 480), a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, half a gig of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable by microSD (up to 64GB cards supported). A 5-megapixel shooter with LED flash capable of recording 720p video occupies the back, while a VGA camera is up front for those self-portraits. Connectivity-wise, you’ll get online via WiFi or WCDMA 3G, with NFC and Bluetooth 3.0 taking care of all your sharing and pairing. “Dual-shot color” interchangeable shells mean you’ll be able to personalize your handset beyond switching up the Live Tile layout. Excluding taxes and subsidies, the new Lumia will cost $249 dollars when it begins shipping in January next year, first in Asia, then expanding to Europe, the Middle East and other territories later. If you’re looking for a Windows Phone 8 handset but don’t need the best specs out there, perhaps this is your guy — the wallet-friendly Lumia 610 generally impressed us, so we’ve got a feeling this might, too.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 620 announced: 3.8-inch WVGA display, 5MP camera, $249

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Source: Nokia