WP8-powered Nokia Lumia 920 goes official

[rkt.india]

http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_unveils_wp8_lumia_920_pureview-news-4760.php http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_world-review-808.php http://www.gsmarena.com/nokiamicrosoft_windows_phone_8_announcement_as_it_unfolds-news-4759.php

It's official. Nokia's just taken the wraps off its worst-kept Windows Phone 8 secret: the Lumia 920. The device, announced at the manufacturer's event in New York City today, is a spiritual successor to the 900 that first broke onto American shores and can largely be seen as a response to critics of that former device. With a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU (the same one that drives the the current US supremos, the HTC One X and Galaxy S III), a "better than HD" 1280 x 768 LCD display, PureView imaging (albeit with only 8-megapixels), NFC capabilities, 2,000mAh battery with wireless charging, and a next-gen Redmond-baked OS, this handset's a big break proposition for the flailing Finnish company; an attempt to up the ante and compete on even ground. From the outside, it may appear as though not much has changed in this generational hardware leap, but rest assured that what Espoo's packed inside should take the mobile outfit to the next level. So, follow on after the break as we dive into our first impressions of this curiously-hued smartphone splash. If you've fondled a Lumia 900 before, you'll know what to expect here. The 920 retains much the same form factor as its predecessor, with an all polycarbonate chassis (in this case, a sunny, near neon yellow) replete with rounded side edges and a familiar button placement. The finish of the body has changed slightly, with the 4.5-inch screen now blending gently into its polycarbonate border -- a nod to the "sinuous tapering" of the original, awesomely-built Lumia 800. But, on the downside, what once was matte and grippy is now a polished, glossy affair. It's a design decision that we wish Nokia hadn't made, since it lends a cheapness to the handset that belies its hearty internals. Obviously, that last bit is a matter of personal taste and it's entirely possible the company went with this less premium exterior to keep costs down, but we miss that matte refinement. In the cramped constraints we operate under during these official launch events, it's not always possible to test out a phone's imaging capabilities. We weren't able to put the dumbed-down 8-megapixel PureView module to the test. What should be apparent from that spec alone, and the device's smooth back, is that this Lumia won't deliver the same awe-inspiring optic performance of the 808. Perhaps Nokia's saving that ace for another smartphone reveal, but in the meantime, users will have to suffice with the 920's other types of optical wizardry. Nokia said during the announcement that its sensor can capture "between five and ten times the light" of any other smartphone, which relates to the Zeiss lens's f/2.0 maximum aperture -- and yet the One X also has an f/2.0 lens. Then there's also "floating lens" image stabilization, which Nokia insists can beat the optical stabilization even of DSLRs. Even at our most open-minded, we can't absorb marketing claims like that until we have a chance to test photo-taking performance for ourselves -- which hopefully won't be far off. So, you know how it looks, how it feels and even what's inside, but let's not forget the most important piece of this smartphone pie: how it works. By now, you should be well aware that this is a Windows Phone 8 device. It's infused with the mobile OS Microsoft crafted from the bottom up and one that shares a kernel with its desktop sibling. Fans of WP will feel right at home when they power on the handset, as that start screen -- now expanded to fill up the entire 4.5-inch real estate --pops with an array of live tiles and a balanced vibrancy of color, even without the contrasty AMOLED technology of the Lumia 800. WP8 is a beast unto itself, so stay tuned as we update this post with further software impressions. There's definitely a floating effect at play here, as the tiles seem to hover up right to the screen's surface. As for the display itself, it's subject to a bit of glare, but take heed we were also under the bright lights of this event space. Viewing angles held up remarkably and the glass itself felt soft to the touch, allowing our finger to glide over the many live tiles unperturbed. Despite the availability of apps crowding the homescreen, Nokia's decided to keep a tight lock over the actual software performance of Windows Phone 8. Because of the decision, our interactions with the OS and even app list were extremely limited. From what we did experience, we can tell you that the dual-core S4 powering the 920 makes for smooth scrolling and navigation. There are, however, minute delays when switching between screens and even launching apps. Chalk that up to Windows Phone's signature animations, obviously included to add that element of fluidity, but we would've preferred to see a bit brisker performance. If all the above has you hankering for the Lumia 920's release, we'd advise you to take a few deep breaths and dial back your expectations. As Stephen Elop repeatedly stressed at the end of today's event, the company's not ready to share pricing or release details. You'll have to sit tight for Q4 to hear more on that. Still, this is an excellent first taste of Nokia's US sophomore effort. Fingers crossed these cheery-colored handsets actual deliver beyond that superficial sheen.

The amazing science behind the Nokia Lumia 920 camera – the second phase of PureView

The Nokia Lumia 920 comes with an immense amount of camera innovation. It’s the first time we see a cameraphone with real optical image stabilization system in place and surprise, surprise… it doesn’t come with a huge hump on its back. While only having 8MP of maximum image resolution, the Nokia Lumia 920 also wows with the high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, a last-gen backlit image sensor, multi-aspect shooting, the extra wide viewing angle (up to 26mm in 16:9 mode), a new type of high power/short pulse LED flash and finally, the extra bright F2.0 aperture. As you see, with the Nokia Lumia 920, PureView development has zoomed on low light performance rather than class leading sharpness and dynamic range. But the results we get should be as impressive as ever. It’s just that this time Nokia’s R&D team is focusing in another direction. PureView becomes a marketing buzzword But before I get to the nitty-gritty details, I’d like to get something out of the way. I find the reuse of the PureView moniker for pure marketing’s sake a letdown. What was once the name for a pioneering image technology using a high-megapixel sensor with pixel oversampling to produce sharp images with wide dynamic rage is now turned into a dumbed down name of a series of camera-centric smartphones by Nokia. I get it, it’s their trademark name, they are free to use it however they like. But it still feels like cheating, sorry. Capturing light The backside illuminated image (BSI) sensor or the “backlit sensor”, as it’s commonly called, usually delivers superior pixel performance in low light situations. The advantage you would expect from this type of sensor is getting lower noise levels at a given ISO sensitivity compared to a similar frontside illuminated sensor (FSI). Nokia’s Damian Dinning claims they’ve utilized the absolutely latest generation BSI sensor, which reportedly, has gotten rid of most inherent disadvantages of the technology. Much like in the Nokia 808, the sensor is oversized (it’s actually 8.7MP rather than 8MP) to allow for higher resolution 16:9 aspect shooting mode. In 4:3 shooting mode the Lumia 920 captures 8MP stills, and in 16:9 aspect mode, the stills turn out 7.1MP, which is a lot more than what competing cameraphones without this multi-aspect oversized sensor would turn in. When you are aiming in letting as much light as possible to the image sensor, you can hardly go wrong with a wider aperture. The wider the aperture, the wider the “hole” through which light gets to the camera’s sensor. Nokia has gone for a F2.0, which is really wide. And good-quality wide aperture optics are pretty hard to make and most importantly, usually, they are bulkier. Keeping it steady Much like zooming, optical image stabilization (OIS) has long been among the mainstays of digicams, something that’s been out of reach for cameraphones up until now. Creating their OIS system, Nokia has gone for a complex design that is more advanced than the one used in your regular-sized digital camera. The diminutive optical system on the Nokia Lumia 920 allowed the engineers to create something they call “floating optics”. Rather than shifting a single lens element inside the module to compensate for camera shake, Nokia’s OIS system moves the entire optical assembly to counter the camera shake. “The benefit of this approach is that the amount and form of camera movement that can be compensated for is much greater.” And as Damian Dinning himself puts it, this has been their “most challenging opto-mechanical design to date.” Reportedly, the new system is performing even better than the OIS on some dedicated digicams catering for about 50% more movements per second than conventional OIS systems. It’s also capable of responding to new movements surprisingly quickly without much lag, as Nokia engineers have implemented a system that constantly monitors the position of the lens assembly, allowing continuous updates to the movement pattern regardless of how random it is. Internal tests have revealed that the OIS on the Lumia 920 is able to compensate for shutter speeds, which are up to three stops lower than what can be normally handheld. So instead of a minimum handheld speed of say, 1/30 of a second, the Lumia 920 can have its shutter shooting wide open for 1/4th of a second – an 8x longer shutter speed – and that’s again, handheld. The following figure shows the exact benefit of having the OIS on board as the shutter speed goes down. There’s already a big difference at 1/30 and the gap only widens as shutter speed lowers. n video recording, the OIS system is tuned slightly differently. It makes sense of the movements you are making with the camera and will only compensate for the unintended ones, so panning for example is uninterrupted. This is not evident on the video below, but it still the conveys what an amazing feature OIS is in video recording. Lighting it up Unlike the Nokia 808, the Lumia 920 lacks a xenon flash. Instead, it makes use of Nokia’s latest generation LED. It’s reportedly, over 2x more powerful than their previous best LED flashes and Damian Dinning would like to have us believe the new short pulse mode would help “freeze” subject movement in much the same fashion as a xenon flash would. Now, good flash pictures depend on the force of the flash burst rather than its duration, so I am not quite sure about the advantages of this new short pulse mode. The technical details are scarce at this point so I’ll just give it the benefit of a doubt. Of course, nothing can beat a xenon flash with a big enough capacitor for freezing the moment in low light photography but that’s one of the compromises they had to make. Also, the LED can also be used as a video light and as a flashlight, too. Making it smarter Using the Windows Phone 8 new imaging framework has allowed Nokia engineers to integrate into the Lumia 920 a wide range of their proprietary image processing algorithms concerning the autofocus, the exposure metering and the white balance among others. Damian Dinning shares that one of the most important new algorithms is Nokia’s new denoise algorithm for reducing visual noise while keeping the image’s natural look. Another area of advancement is the new lens add-ons that you can install under the Windows Phone 8 camera app. Nokia’s Damian Dinning eagerly promised that the Lumia 920 will come pre-installed with a nice set of lens apps, which are “to be followed in the future by yet more magic.” Wrapping it up Unfortunately, we failed to get the awesome big megasensor from the Nokia 808 in a Windows Phone. Instead, Nokia’s R&D decided to spend their efforts on optimizing low light performance. The integration of a real OIS system inside a phone is an exciting engineering feat and I’d really like to see some more from where that innovation came from. The Lumia 920 seems like a well rounded cameraphone and its market release cannot come soon enough. Then the real hands-on testing will continue in our over-eager hands. Update: This is not an advertorial as some of your suggested in the comments. I’m genuinely fascinated by any behind-the-curtain look concerning modern technology in general and especially, camera systems. This article was my attempt to explain how the camera in the Lumia 920 came to be and what makes it tick, rather than promoting this Nokia product.

Source: http://blog.gsmarena.com/the-amazing-science-behind-the-nokia-lumia-920-camera-the-second-phase-of-pureview/ http://www.viddler.com/v/6cd69522?secret=92419232 http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/05/nokia-lumia-920-hands-on/ [ame=

Lumia 920 - first hands-on video - YouTube[/ame] PureView Technology [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cimDfEIEiu0&feature=player_embedded]PureView The next innovation - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HSbhyaH0vw]OIS on Nokia Lumia 920 - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN-NaHcOeII&feature=player_embedded]A film about the best display: Nokia PureMotion - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_Z7_kJ3_g&feature=player_embedded]Introducing the Nokia Lumia 920 - YouTube[/ame] Unbeatable low-light performance: Source: http://www.nokia.com/global/products/pureview/ PS: that leading competitors mobile is Samsung Galaxy S3 as told by Engadget. :giggle: Nokia Lumia low light test. Sample images vs the competition http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/7/3300067/nokia-lumia-920-low-light-sample-images-vs-the-competition#3748548

[rkt.india]

Nokia Lumia 820 hands-on

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/05/nokia-lumia-820-hands-on/ Nokia's Lumia 820 is here, after countless leaks, and the budget-friendly handset is exactly what we expected. We'll admit to see the rather singular design of its spiritual forebearer, 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 fron 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 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. 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 coats of paint are a little more likely to throw some glare and attract fingerprints. What's under the hood certainly makes up for some of those short comings. The 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM simply chewed through the light-weight Windows Phone 8, leaving us to wonder if Apple and Google can truly keep up. All of the UIs animations were smooth, fluid and apps launched with nary a hiccup. And, can we just say, that Windows Phone 8 is a an absolute pleasure to use. At the risk of angering quite a few people -- there is simply no mid-range Android phone or iOS device that is 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 highly-customizable home screen and background multitasking haven't weighed down Redmond's phone platform. Our one major gripe about the 820 is its screen. Sure, it's not the worst panel on the planet, but we've come to expect better from Nokia. The WVGA resolution puts it a full generation behind its competitors and there's no fancy tech at work here, Like Super AMOLED or IPS to help smooth its rough edges. Sure, the straight lights and flat colors of Windows Phone make it easier to hide the displays shortcomings. But, when placed next to its big brother, the Lumia 920 they become immediately apparent. Then again, maybe you'll be able to pick up this little bugger for free on contract, and that would make it the best deal on the market.

[rkt.india]

Top Stories Nokia Lumia 820 vs. Lumia 800: what's changed? Nokia Lumia 820 hands-on Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on: the dual-core, HD Windows Phone 8 fl

Any of you who bothered to read Engadget this past Labor Day Monday must've noticed all those Nokia leaks making the rounds. Chief among them was a wireless charging pad, featured in a legit-looking press shot. Well, Nokia's big day of announcements has arrived and indeed, the company just formally unveiled the charging accessory -- a soap-dish-shaped device based on the popular Qi wireless standard. (Of course, the Lumia 920's built-in Qi tech means that you can use all manner of third-party charging pads; they don't have to be made by Nokia.) Additionally, the company briefly teased a Fatboy-branded pillow (pictured), also designed for recharging. Other than that, the company didn't share too many specifics, though it did reveal that Virgin Atlantic and Coffee Bean will both be offering wireless charging -- Virgin in its Heathrow Airport lounge, and Coffee Bean on its countertops.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/05/nokia-lumia-fatboy-recharing-pillow-wireless-charging-pads/

[IKnowU]

:yay: Cant wait to get one, loving the yellow one of the 920.

[Crookbond]

Microsoft doing what they are known for :D Nokia's new PureView ad is amazing, too bad it's faked http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/5/3294545/nokias-pureview-ads-are-fraudulent Nokia apologized for it http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/09/06/an-apology-is-due/

[Crookbond]

Anyone around here old enough to remember what happened with the N97?

[DomainK]

One thing Nokia never fell behind in was hardware quality and call quality. Still the best in the business as far as hardware is concerned. If only Windows can do what Symbian could not, Nokia will be back in business big time.

[Crookbond]

One thing Nokia never fell behind in was hardware quality and call quality. Still the best in the business as far as hardware is concerned. If only Windows can do what Symbian could not' date=' Nokia will be back in business big time.[/quote'] Stephen Elop in a letter to Nokia employees in February 2011.

[IKnowU]

jFhhBJ1URCg :giggle: Iphone pwned, cant see Iphone 5 doing any better. jkUeIRflyzI Galaxy getting worked out already

[Crookbond]

Nokia faked the still photos too

It’s impossible for a camera with a fixed aperture of f/2 to generate so many spikes from a light source. These kind of diffractions are typical of a DLSR camera with a smaller aperture like f/22. So, it makes perfect sense that if Nokia were to fake the video, they would also fake the stills; which they almost certainly have.

http://sefsar.com/nokia-faked-the-still-photos-too :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

[IKnowU]

Nokia faked the still photos too http://sefsar.com/nokia-faked-the-still-photos-too :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

:hysterical::hysterical: They released the original video and photo demo in my previous post as a response the allegations. Still beats almost every phone out there. :dontknow: Real world demos show the OIS works just fine. This one ad being “fake” doesn’t prove OIS = fraud

[Crookbond]

:hysterical::hysterical: They released the original video and photo demo in my previous post as a response the allegations. Still beats almost every phone out there. :dontknow: Real world demos show the OIS works just fine. This one ad being ÅÇake doesnÃÕ prove OIS = fraud

Look mate, I have not commented on the "goodness" of the Nokia camera. However, it raises questions about Nokia (and obviously Microsoft's) ethics. First, they post a fake advertisement for the video. So, they apologize after most media outlets start reporting it - which is a bit flaky because you never know they would've tendered an apology earlier. Now, if they were serious about their apology they would have mentioned about the photographs as well but they did not. You now have someone who has bought it out in the open. Clearly, shows what Nokia (and MS) are upto the goodness of the camera not withstanding. PS - There is also a way to find which camera and lens those still photos where shot with. :wink2:

[rkt.india]

Nokia faked the still photos too http://sefsar.com/nokia-faked-the-still-photos-too :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

That video is to show how OIS works. Where have they written or said it is taken by 920? Lets see what Apples comes up with on September 12th in their Iphone 5. I doubt it will even match SGS3.

[IKnowU]

Look mate, I have not commented on the "goodness" of the Nokia camera. However, it raises questions about Nokia (and obviously Microsoft's) ethics. First, they post a fake advertisement for the video. So, they apologize after most media outlets start reporting it - which is a bit flaky because you never know they would've tendered an apology earlier. Now, if they were serious about their apology they would have mentioned about the photographs as well but they did not. You now have someone who has bought it out in the open. Clearly, shows what Nokia (and MS) are upto the goodness of the camera not withstanding. PS - There is also a way to find which camera and lens those still photos where shot with. :wink2:

Ethics? Every company pushes its products to its limits and glamorises them as much as they can. Only thing fake in this fiasco is the product being used, not whether the product advertised can deliver what it is supposed to do. Nevermind Apple telling the world they were holding the Iphone 4 wrong when the signal issues arose. At least nokia swiftly responded to the allegations and kept it moving. The issues of photographs is also covered, because it uses the same technology.

[rkt.india]

Look mate, I have not commented on the "goodness" of the Nokia camera. However, it raises questions about Nokia (and obviously Microsoft's) ethics. First, they post a fake advertisement for the video. So, they apologize after most media outlets start reporting it - which is a bit flaky because you never know they would've tendered an apology earlier. Now, if they were serious about their apology they would have mentioned about the photographs as well but they did not. You now have someone who has bought it out in the open. Clearly, shows what Nokia (and MS) are upto the goodness of the camera not withstanding. PS - There is also a way to find which camera and lens those still photos where shot with. :wink2:

But where have they the video were shot by Lumia 920. They were showing how OIS works. I saw the video and I knew it may not be shot by the phone because the purpose was to show the process.

[velu]

I am a big Nokia fan . They have better h/w and build quality but their UI sucks. Hope they improve their UI this time.

[Crookbond]

Ethics? Every company pushes its products to its limits and glamorises them as much as they can. Only thing fake in this fiasco is the product being used' date=' not whether the product advertised can deliver what it is supposed to do. Nevermind Apple telling the world they were holding the Iphone 4 wrong when the signal issues arose. At least nokia swiftly responded to the allegations and kept it moving. The issues of photographs is also covered, because it uses the same technology.[/quote'] :facepalm: I am not sure why people get so touchy with their products. :dontknow: Just accept it, Nokia effed up and they are not the only one. Apple had issues with iPhone4 signal - A fact, Nokia tried to mislead customers - Another fact. Read the apology and it only mentions the video part. If it were serious, they would have mentioned the photos too. But alas! Oh and btw. if you find the Nokia phones better go ahead buy it. This is not a competition about "Mine is bigger than yours". Use whatever rocks your boat man! :girly1: Can you explain how a photograph taken by a Canon EF 17-40 L USM on a DSLR is expected to show how OIS works? Stop arguing RKT and take it up your chin. Nokia tried to "mislead". Btw, this is not new. Do you want to me to show what happened with the N97? :--D http://www.flickr.com/photos/meonoctis/5661946485/in/set-72157628560591547 The first rule to defeat Apple is to eschew saying you want to defeat Apple. Why are you feeling insecure before iPhone5 launch? :giggle: Of course iPhone can not beat GS3, after all MS receives royalty on every Android phone out in the market.

[Jersey #10]

why can't we have nokia in the usa? ... I'd love to have a nice windows phone over the apple and androids now.

[vvvslaxman]

http://mashable.com/2012/09/06/buy-windows-phone/#86375iPhone-4s-Nokia-Lumia-920-Nokia-Lumia-820

[rkt.india]

why can't we have nokia in the usa? ... I'd love to have a nice windows phone over the apple and androids now.

It is announced in New York, so it will be there in USA.