Nokia last week unveiled its first smartphones running Windows Phone 8 (WP8) – the Lumia 920 and 820.
Here, principal analysts Tony Cripps of Ovum and David McQueen from Informa Telecoms & Media explain the significance of the new devices, beyond the introduction of wireless charging to the mainstream.
Tony Cripps
“The company’s focus on improving the imaging capabilities of its smartphones is a reasonable strategy in an age when meaningful differentiation between different makes of smartphone can be hard to identify. This also applies to the design language of the new Lumia 920, which while it follows closely that of its predecessor, remains distinctive and not overly familiar as yet.
“There could be a real opportunity here for Nokia and Microsoft to exploit any shortage of Samsung’s Android-powered smartphones in the market, following the US court ruling against the Korean giant in its patent dispute with Apple.”
David McQueen
“Although Nokia’s thunder was stolen somewhat by Samsung’s announcement of the world’s first WP8 smartphone at IFA, Berlin, the Finnish handset manufacturer has trumped its South Korean rival by announcing not one but two devices on the new platform.
“The new flagship Lumia 920 looks similar to its predecessor but takes the 9-series up a notch with a larger 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display, and features a top-of-the-range Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5-GHz dual-core processor that the WP8 platform can now accommodate. It will also come in pentaband LTE and HSPA+ variants.
“The Lumia 920 will also support wireless charging using inductive technology built into the handset. While this is not a new phenomenon in the mobile space, it is here that the company will seek to grow the peripherals market, announcing a deal with bean-bag company Fatboy, among others, for stylish wireless chargers.