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Well, there we have it: after vaguely pointing to a November launch window for its first batch of Windows Phone 8 handsets, AT&T has finally decided to get a bit more specific.

Nokia’s long-awaited Lumia 820 and 920 will both launch on November 9 (that’s this Friday, in case you were curious), with pre-orders for the handsets beginning tomorrow.

Despite previous reports to the contrary, the flagship Lumia 920 will set buyers back $99 with a two-year contract — if that sounds familiar, it’s because the AT&T-bound Lumia 900 made its debut at the same price point, though that plan wasn’t without its early hiccups.

To top it all off, AT&T will throw in a free wireless charging plate (for a little while, anyway), a move that highlights just how strongly Nokia wants you to buy their stuff. Meanwhile, the mid-range Lumia 820 will sell for $49 on contract, and I really have to wonder what kind of traction the thing will get when the price differential between this and Nokia’s top-tier Windows Phone is a relatively small one.

Of course, Nokia’s Windows Phones aren’t the only ones being groomed for a November launch — HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is slated for a release “before Thanksgiving,” but exactly when we can expect to see it on store shelves is still anyone’s guess. The standard 16GB model is priced at $199 with a two-year contract (which seems shockingly high for a Windows Phone, despite being a standard price tag for other devices), but the more wallet-conscious can opt for an exclusive 8GB model that will retail for $99.

Seems like just a few days ago that Best Buy inadvertently outed its pricing of the Lumia 920. While the company eventually pulled its listing, its pricing for the upcoming Windows Phone is looking more solid than ever. You see, a shopper in Naples, Fla., was recently able to snag a photo of an in-store display that once again pegs the Lumia 920 at $150 with a two-year contract or $600 outright. Keep in mind that Best Buy’s pricing may not be the same as AT&T’s own offering, but it’s worth putting this on your radar in the buildup to its debut — especially if the Smurf shirt crew manages to come in cheaper.

Update: Following AT&T’s official announcement this morning, Best Buy is following suit by pricing the Lumia 920 at $99. Company representatives tell us the smartphone will be available for pre-order at all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations beginning tomorrow, and the Lumia 920 will be available for purchase this Friday.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia, AT&T

Best Buy pricing once again pegs Nokia Lumia 920 at $150 on-contract (update: now $99) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Nokia Lumia 920 has been marketed as a beast in the smartphone camera universe, and today we’re having a peek at how it stands up against the iPhone 5. Nokia has marketed the Lumia 920, their top-class hero for Windows Phone 8, as having PureView imaging technology and a lovely Carl Zeiss lens to make it all click at 8 megapixels. Apple’s iPhone 5 also has 8 megapixels under the hood and calls its amalgamation of technology “iSight” – with a reminder that the iPhone lineup has had the most popular camera in the world for several years running, even IF there are better cameras out there.

We’ve done a battle similar to this one with the Nokia Lumia 920 vs the Samsung Galaxy S III just this past week – read the comments to see the real winner. As it stands, judgement is having to be based on one element or the other – no one camera has stood out as the most fantastic in all areas of quality. Now we’ll have a peek at the iPhone 5′s shooter prowess to see if it’s able to take the 920 out of the game in one swoop.

Pay close attention to the low-light capabilities of the 920 and the sharpness of both units. The Nokia Lumia 920 is “only going to get better” as our friendly Nokia representative lets us know: the software on the device we’re using here is not in its absolute final stage. It’s been suggested by many friendly commenters that the upgrade before the final launch of this AT&T version of the 920 may well improve the quality of the photos it takes significantly – we’ll just have to wait and see!

For now you’re getting exactly what’s available: with the Verizon iPhone 5 taking on the AT&T Nokia Lumia 920. Of course it doesn’t matter which carrier we’re working with here, as they’ve all got the same optics and innards in the end. Also be sure to see our full Nokia Lumia 920 review and our full iPhone 5 review to get the full picture on both as well!

Dog Movement

Nokia Lumia 920

iPhone 5

Bricks

Nokia Lumia 920

iPhone 5

Buildings

Nokia Lumia 920

iPhone 5

Basement Dark A

Nokia Lumia 920

iPhone 5

Basement Dark B

Nokia Lumia 920

iPhone 5

Product Shot: USB

Nokia Lumia 920

iPhone 5

NOTE: You can click any photo to see the original at full uncompressed quality. Stick around and let us know what you think of the results! Also be sure to request any other tests you’d like us to conduct with these units as well – we want you to be in the know!

Nokia Lumia 920 PureView camera hands-on vs iPhone 5 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Windows Phone 8 will “really ramp quickly” now that Nokia, HTC, Samsung and others are onboard, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has insisted, though he conceded that the platform is “still relatively small.” Speaking in Israel this week, Reuters reports, Ballmer cited the market demand for a “third participant” in smartphone platforms, something to compete against iOS and Android.

“With the work we have done with Nokia, HTC, Samsung and others” Ballmer said, “there is now an opportunity to create really a strong third participant in the smartphone market.”

That third player is something many analysts and manufacturers insist carriers – and consumers – are calling out for. Apple’s growing position as the “default” choice, and Android’s complexity, they say, means there’s a class of entry-level smartphone buyer that is under-served, and would appreciate an OS that was readily approached and convenient.

Microsoft will play on Windows Phone’s interaction with Windows 8 – and Xbox – in its commercial campaigns for the new software, emphasizing the ease of which data can be shared between PC, tablet, phone, and console. According to Ballmer, Microsoft plans more marketing and advertising around the platforms than at any point in its history.

You can find our Windows Phone 8 review here, and our Windows 8 review here.

Windows Phone 8 will “really ramp quickly” insists Ballmer is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.