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Nokia’s video showcasing the Lumia 920’s Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) might’ve given the impression it was filmed with the new PureView-toting device, but a reflection of a film crew spotted by PocketNow in the trailer (27 seconds deep) hinted that wasn’t the case. The folks in Espoo have confirmed that the footage was indeed captured using a different camera. “Of course, hindsight is 20 / 20, but we should have posted a disclaimer stating this was a representation of OIS only,” the company’s Heidi Lemmetyinen penned on the Nokia Conversations blog. “This was not shot with a Lumia 920. At least, not yet. We apologize for the confusion we created.” You can catch the offending video and a shorter, but accurate clip comparing a prototype of the PureView handset with a competing device after the break.

Continue reading Lumia 920 PureView trailer was filmed with a different camera, Nokia apologizes for the confusion

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Lumia 920 PureView trailer was filmed with a different camera, Nokia apologizes for the confusion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like WP8 is going to get a lot more love from Verizon Wireless than WP7 ever did. Big Red’s Chief Marketing Officer Tami Erwin informed CNET that several Windows Phone 8 devices will make their way to the network before the end of Q4 2012. That means that the HTC Trophy will no longer be the sole Microsoft-powered mobile, and according to VZW COO Marni Walden, there might even be a Nokia handset or two on Verizon’s network in the future — no word whether the either of the new Lumias will make the cut. As for the hardware slated to show up in the next few months, Verizon’s neither telling who’s making them just yet nor when they will officially debut. But, it’s good to know that folks will have the option of using Microsoft’s new super-speedy OS on Verizon’s lightning quick LTE network this year.

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Verizon: we will have multiple Windows Phone 8 handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Both arriving in a fanfare of primary colors and big screens, we’ve already taken a look at the spec sheet breakdown, but how does the Lumia 920 compare to its predecessor in the looks department? In a battle of polycarbonate matte and gloss, we put them both into an Engadget editor’s outstretched hands and let the photography do the talking.

Ben Gilbert contributed to this report.

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Nokia Lumia 920 vs. Lumia 900… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s Lumia 820 is here, after countless leaks, and the budget-friendly handset is exactly what we expected. We’ll admit we’re sad to see the rather singular design of its spiritual forebear, the Lumia 800, fall by the wayside, but we can’t complain about the build quality here. The usual attention to detail and materials we’ve come to appreciate from the Finnish phone maker is on full display. The flat glass panel on the front may lack the mystique of the curved display on the 920 and 800, but it’s hardly something that should factor into your decision to buy this handset or another. The ceramic volume rocker and lock button on the right side have a pleasant and satisfying click, though we’re sad to report that the camera button still leaves us wanting. Sure, any dedicated camera key is better than none, but its squishy response to our press was hardly encouraging. At least Nokia had the good grace to upgrade to a dual-stage solution. We were also a bit put off by the shine of the body. The Lumia series stole our hearts with its matte finish when it first debuted; now the glossy exterior is more likely to throw some glare and attract fingerprints. The new plastic also feels quite a bit lighter in the hand, which makes the 820 feel more like the midrange device it is and less like the premium handset it’s succeeding.

What’s under the hood certainly makes up for some of those shortcomings. The 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM simply chewed through the lightweight Windows Phone 8, leaving us to wonder if Apple and Google can truly keep up. All of the UI animations were smooth and fluid, and apps launched with nary a hiccup. And, can we just say that Windows Phone 8 is an absolute pleasure to use. At the risk of angering quite a few people — there’s simply no mid-range Android phone or iOS device that’s as quick and satisfying to use as the Lumia 820, and much of that is thanks to the highly optimized Microsoft OS. It’s a pleasure to see that new features like the customizable home screen and background multitasking haven’t weighed down Redmond’s phone platform. And things will likely only get better as the final wrinkles are ironed out and bugs are squashed. But, as we all know, speed and smooth animations alone don’t make a device — Microsoft will have to convince developers to support its still fledgling platform.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 820 hands-on (update: now with video)

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Nokia Lumia 820 hands-on (update: now with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No matter your budget, Nokia’s got a Windows Phone 8 handset for you. While the Lumia 920 dominated today’s press conference, the company’s more modest Lumia 820 is planning to sneak in and capture the mid-range. The handset is packing the same 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S4 internals you’ll find in the 920, along with 1GB RAM and a 4.3-inch display.

While the handset isn’t unattractive, the design language of the 800 (and N9) that captured our hearts has been dumped in favor of something more symmetrical. The glass of its 800 x 480 ClearBlack OLED screen is flat rather than convex (poached by the 920) and the body’s finish is a little more shinier than the previous generation of Nokia’s polycarbonate.

Photography fans looking to get their hands on that PureView goodness will be disappointed to see that it’s also been reserved for the flagship (in some form). Instead, this unit comes with the more familiar 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss optics we’ve seen before, but at least there’s a front-facing VGA lens for video conferencing.

While the unit only has 8GB of on-board storage, it’s packing microSD support (up to 32GB, as per usual) and you’ll also get an additional 7GB of storage on Microsoft’s cloud service, Skydrive. The company’s including a series of protective cases in a variety of colors, including a set that add bundle QI-compatible wireless charging to the handset — at the cost of adding an extra 1mm to the handset’s overall thickness.

It’ll arrive in Red, Yellow, Grey, Cyan, Purple, White and Black, with separate LTE and HSPA+ variants shipping “later in the year,” but Elop and co declined to give a specific announcement on availability or price today.

Continue reading Nokia announces Lumia 820, a 4.3-inch, LTE-running, budget-friendly Windows Phone 8 handset

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Nokia announces Lumia 820, a 4.3-inch, LTE-running, budget-friendly Windows Phone 8 handset originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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