An iPhone 4S User’s Weekend with the Nokia Lumia 900 ( Lumia Review )

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by terraphantm

To be fair you said

"I disagree. Not that I think it actually warrants a complaint (was being sarcastic), but that body looks VERY similar to the iPod nano body..."

in the post I quoted. Doesn't sound too sarcastic. That's the only reason I said anything

Look at my examples... thanks.
It looks more like a nano than a galaxy tab looks like an iPad IMO. Hence my statement. I also pointed out that I was being sarcastic... and you quoted those very words twice.

[terraphantm]

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Look at my examples... thanks.
It looks more like a nano than a galaxy tab looks like an iPad IMO. Hence my statement. I also pointed out that I was being sarcastic...

Haha, I disagree with you there too. The iPad and Galaxy Tab look much more alike than the nano and Lumia to me... the former comparison is of two tablets with similar interfaces and similar appearances. The nano vs Lumia... they're completely different dimensions (proportionally and absolute), the nano has an elliptical cross-section while the Lumia has more of a rectangular cross-section, the nano has a fairly small screen with a click wheel, the Lumia is almost entirely screen, and probably more details that I'm missing. The only similarities I see are that they're both generally rectangles and available in somewhat vibrant colors. And I guess you can argue that the camera surrounds look similar.

Neither are similar enough to warrant a lawsuit, but the iPad and galaxy tab are closer IMO.

[DanteMann]

Originally Posted by ipodlover77

Must ask. Was that a shameless plug so we'll know what car you drive?

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Ah nvm them. I actually sold every single s2 I had cause I could never get used to the screen. Browsing on anything but mobile site made me cringe.

Even happens with thE galaxy nexus I had. Maybe it's the pentile or just rendering issues.

You sold every single S2 you had? Such an odd statement. Why would you have more than one S2? If you hated it so much the first time, why would you continue to buy another and another...
Oh and the pentile screen is only on the GN and not the S2. Just in case you didn't know. That being said, the pentile argument is such stupid one. Nobody looks at their phone with a microscope. Most people hold their phone about a 8-12inches away from their face. And the HD display on the GN is beyond stunning. Again, there is no replacement for screen size.

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Originally Posted by terraphantm

I know what you mean - websites just didn't look right. I don't know if it's the display or if it was Android. By the time Apple implements OLED, I'm sure they'll make sure that it looks as good or better than the current IPS display in every aspect.

Oh yes, the good ol' "Apple has now adopted it, and now it's right" argument. You sheep are hilarious. Let's get one thing straight. Apple doesn't develop display tech. They know nothing of the sort. Apple just makes a request, and all the hard work is done by the industry leader in semiconductors and display technology, Samsung.

[ixodes]

I bought one on the way to the office this morning. It was a light day, so I had lots of time to try it out. I must say it's far better than I anticipated. Being quite different from my iPhone 4S, SGS II & Galaxy Note, it's very nice for a first gen model.

I had a line eligible for an upgrade, therefore I'm keeping it to use concurrently with my others. I never review or judge a phone until I've used it at least a few weeks. Snap judgments are unfair, one first has to learn all about it and the nuances in setup & apps than can make quite a difference.

[William.Mantle]

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

I disagree. Not that I think it actually warrants a complaint (was being sarcastic), but that body looks VERY similar to the iPod nano body...

Image


Image

Accept one has a huge control wheel in the middle?!

[ap3604]

I trust Anandtech the most when it comes to reviews & he gives the Lumia 900 two thumbs up : http://www.anandtech.com/show/5724/n...zed-with-lte/8

For the first time in a while, I'm genuinely excited by a new Windows Phone. With the Lumia 900, it seems as though some of Nokia's rhetoric about being the first OEM to put its best hardware and design forward with the platform is starting to ring true. Similar to our take on the first members of the Lumia family, the 900 is easily the best Windows Phone on the market today.

The $99 launch price is absolutely crazy and very welcome for a flagship phone, particularly one with such high build quality and camera standards. Not only does this obviate other Windows Phones, but it increases competitive pressure on Apple as well as Android smartphone providers. I don't know that there's still a lot of iPhone/Windows Phone cross shopping, but a trend towards even cheaper on-contract prices for high-end smartphones is absolutely welcome.

[roanmartigan]

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Look at my examples... thanks.
It looks more like a nano than a galaxy tab looks like an iPad IMO. Hence my statement. I also pointed out that I was being sarcastic... and you quoted those very words twice.

This can only be trolling. I got news for you. They DON'T LOOK ALIKE. And unlike other occasions, IT IS NOT A MATTER OF PERSONAL OPINION. They simply do not look alike ! Regardless of how hard you hit yourself on the forehead when you had this idea.

[ipodlover77]

Originally Posted by DanteMann

You sold every single S2 you had? Such an odd statement. Why would you have more than one S2? If you hated it so much the first time, why would you continue to buy another and another...
Oh and the pentile screen is only on the GN and not the S2. Just in case you didn't know. That being said, the pentile argument is such stupid one. Nobody looks at their phone with a microscope. Most people hold their phone about a 8-12inches away from their face. And the HD display on the GN is beyond stunning. Again, there is no replacement for screen size.[COLOR="#808080"]
.

DanteMann. Im sorry if my comments offended you but I was just telling you my experience. The reason why I had multiple S2's were because I was bored of my iPhone. I kept buying it over and over again cause I told myself that I would be able to accept the things I found as a flaw (screen and size). Unfortunately after 2 days or so I would come back to my original conclusion, I can't use the phone as my primary phone. It took me 5 s2's to realize that but none the less i did end up realizing it.

also, I'm aware that the S2 is not pentile. As you can see, my statement was attached to the galaxy nexus portion of my post. Why did i post the pentile argument then? Because many people claimed that the galaxy nexus has such a beautiful screen and that pixels were indistinguishable which my experiences were the opposite. On sites with heavy texts, I found the screen to be a bit meh, with quite a bit of jaggies. Again it may be because its pentile or just cause the browser has issues with rendering.

I wasn't bashing either device so please don't get offended by what i post.

[Stealthipad]

Windows phone have improved greatly with Mango. Mango should have been where MS started at as the first version was horrible.

What WILL threaten iOS is the new Nokia Apollo phones with Win 8. This is be a huge leap for Windows phones and will, without a doubt, pull more than a few Apple customers to this new OS.

[watchthisspace]

Originally Posted by daneoni

Its the best WP7 device out there but as an iPhone 4S user switching to it is a downgrade IMHO...in more ways than one.

The iPhone has a better CPU, GPU, Screen Resolution, Camera, and overall Ecosystem. Despite being 6 months older.

Why does the CPU and GPU matter though?? Do you own a iPhone, any Android or Windows Phone device just to sit there benchmarking and feeling good about yourself because you get 10 points more in a certain benchmark??

The Windows Phone operating system just simply doesn't need for dual core CPU's, quad core GPU's or 2ghz beasts. It runs so fluid on mid spec hardware because it's coded to efficiently do. A user doesn't need a high end spec smart phone because the operating system on it has no lag, no slow downs and runs the same as it would on a high spec phone.

Nokia obviously realized this and chose to use a more mild spec hardware because they simply didn't need to be bleeding edge and Microsoft haven't supported high end hardware. At the end of the day, if the Lumia 900 had a faster CPU and GPU, it would cost a boat load more for no real subjective gains other than higher benchmark scores.

I do agree a higher resolution display would be better, I love Apple's retina display because I do notice the pixel pitch differences. But ATM Microsoft don't support higher resolutions than 480x800

The camera, yeah Nokia really shot themselves in the foot. It's the same as the Lumia 800 and should be snapping shots to the iPhone 4s level.

Apple's App Store wins over Google Play and the Windows Market in terms of how many apps there are. But as time goes on, the Windows Market will have the big player Apps too and you'll have you 1000000 flash light apps.

Personally, I'd rather a Lumia 800 over the 900. I find the 800 looks nicer and the 900 is quite large. I own an iPhone 4 and waiting until the iPhone 5 or next gneration to come out as I'll stay in the Apple ecosystem until the Windows Phone OS is more mature or release a phone that ticks all my boxes.

[aneftp]

I ended up ordering the Nokia Lumia 900 last night from amazon.com.

Great deal. Had secondary line upgrade and got it for $19.99. Amazon is so funky with their pricing. It changes based on supply and demand. One day it's $139.99 for secondary line upgrade and $49.99 for primary line upgrade. One day it's free with new accounts and than the next it's $49.99.


But for $19.99 it's a no brainer. I figure if I don't like it after 6 months, I could always resell it for at least $200 on craigslist.

I played with the Nokia over the weekend at the store and liked the feel of it. It's very solid device. The screen is very nice like I previously posted. Like the S2 screen. Not super sharp like retina display but the 3.5 inch screen is starting to get too small for me. The Windows Phone OS is very quick. No lag at all. People get hung up on specs but at the end of the day, it's how the phone functions in day to day activities.

That's why I find it funny Apple products have always been "under spec" but Apple fans always point out to the fact that their devices/computers always work great.

So to hear Apple fans (I am a gadget guy/apple guy also) say it's not duo core etc....it's kinda of ironic.

I have LTE in Orlando so that definately helps with the decision. I believe Nokia finally got the LTE battery life solved. All the Android LTE phones released have very poor battery life unless you baby your phone all day.

I have all the cell toys. Use both ATT and Verizon.

I have used Android and iPhone OS from day one and was a long time blackberry user so ready for a different OS. I have the iphone 4s. Just sold my Verizon Galaxy Nexus 2 weeks ago. The Galaxy Nexus drove me crazy. Samsung can't make a good CDMA antenna.

[ipodlover77]

Originally Posted by aneftp

But for $19.99 it's a no brainer. I figure if I don't like it after 6 months, I could always resell it for at least $200 on craigslist...

That's why I find it funny Apple products have always been "under spec" but Apple fans always point out to the fact that their devices/computers always work great..

I agree. My issue is, if they advertise it as a flagship than it should have somewhat comparable stats to a flagship phone. I know that WP runs smoothly with a single core but to advertise a flagship with such outdated specs is kind of disappointing. But to be fair to nokia, its microsofts fault for keeping such low requirements. Its hard to believe that the best WP (till Q3) will still be a single core while tegra is pumping out quad cores.

It seems that many people are giving it a thumbs up based on the price point. At 19.99 or even at 99.99, this phone is a buy. but it makes me wonder what happens if ATT changes this "limited time" offer to the flagship price point of 200.

[samven582]

Originally Posted by aneftp

So tempted to upgrade my spare line for $19.99 to Nokia lumia 900 and at least try it out.

$19.99 plus $36 activation upgrade so about $55. This $19.99 is for amazon wireless per existing line upgrade and not for add a line.

Maybe keep line for min 181 days and than cancel line.

Total cost would be $56 plus $260 etf. So about $320 for phone. My spare line had 3 months remaining anyways. So would have to pay $10/month anyways.

Not a bad deal to try out phone. I can easily resell it for $200-250 in a few months anyways.

you forgot about ATT etf

[daneoni]

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

CPU and GPU matter not when the OS runs well on them. Ecosystem is arguable. Frankly I think iOS is pretty limited. So is WP7. If you want a completely open ecosystem, go Android.

Originally Posted by watchthisspace

Why does the CPU and GPU matter though?? Do you own a iPhone, any Android or Windows Phone device just to sit there benchmarking and feeling good about yourself because you get 10 points more in a certain benchmark??

The Windows Phone operating system just simply doesn't need for dual core CPU's, quad core GPU's or 2ghz beasts. It runs so fluid on mid spec hardware because it's coded to efficiently do. A user doesn't need a high end spec smart phone because the operating system on it has no lag, no slow downs and runs the same as it would on a high spec phone.

Nokia obviously realized this and chose to use a more mild spec hardware because they simply didn't need to be bleeding edge and Microsoft haven't supported high end hardware. At the end of the day, if the Lumia 900 had a faster CPU and GPU, it would cost a boat load more for no real subjective gains other than higher benchmark scores.

Oh please, its not about benchmarks. iOS doesn't need dual core chips to run well either but we still have dual core hardware anyway. Because such hardware further improves user experience, is future proof, and it gives devs more flexibility. It also allows you to better compete with other platforms.

MS will soon release Apollo in the summer which is meant to bring support for 1080p, dual core chips and high res screens...meaning the Lumia 900 was arguably already obsolete even before it shipped. Will the Lumia 900 be able to support Apollo (or its successor) fully or will sacrifices be made because the hardware is from last year? no one knows.

I personally think Nokia should have stuck with the Lumia 800 until summer then released a beefed up, truly flagship Lumia 900 to usher in Apollo. As it stands the Lumia 900 won't really convert high end users on other platforms and the Lumia 800/710 was more than enough to cater to the remaining demographic.

But hey, thats just my opinion anyway.

[kevinof]

Well using your argument re stats and flagship devices then the Iphone wouldn't qualify to be a flagship handset due to its very small screen!

I think Nokia/MS are keeping the price low to remove any barriers in peoples heads. Moving from the ios/android family to something like windows mobile is a big step for people so pitching it at $99 takes away all that pain.

It will be interesting to see how they do. I doubt its going to be $99 or anything close outside of the U.S. Seems like Nokia really want to get a piece of the U.S. market and this is one way of doing it.

Originally Posted by ipodlover77

I agree. My issue is, if they advertise it as a flagship than it should have somewhat comparable stats to a flagship phone. I know that WP runs smoothly with a single core but to advertise a flagship with such outdated specs is kind of disappointing. But to be fair to nokia, its microsofts fault for keeping such low requirements. Its hard to believe that the best WP (till Q3) will still be a single core while tegra is pumping out quad cores.

It seems that many people are giving it a thumbs up based on the price point. At 19.99 or even at 99.99, this phone is a buy. but it makes me wonder what happens if ATT changes this "limited time" offer to the flagship price point of 200.

[aneftp]

Originally Posted by samven582

you forgot about ATT etf

I didn't forget the ATT ETF. I had about 3 more months to go on my upgraded line anyways. That's why I brought and re-upgraded the line at $19.99.

I'll keep this line for the mandatory 6 months plus 1 day (181 days).

$325- $60 plus dollar equals about $260 dollars in ETF.

$260 dollars ETF Plus $19.99 =$280. Even if they don't waive my ETF, the most I pay out of pocket is $315-320 for the device.

Sure beats $450 plus taxes.

Again it's my "ghost line" that I don't even use and just pay $10 a month to keep it open. Actually I pay like $7.60 a month with my 24% discount.

[Zendokan]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...1&postcount=37

The resemblence between an iPod Nano 6th and the Lumia 900 was already mentioned in another thread, with pictures.

[Ke1ington]

I did the same thing over this past weekend. Phone was delivered on the 6th and I returned it to AT&T yesterday.

I love the OS. WP7 has definitely come a long way and some of the small things really grabbed me and made me wish they were in iOS (tapping a word and getting correction options, for example). My issue was the hardware.

I read review after review and watched video after video while waiting for my Lumia to be delivered and they all had me convinced that Nokia had built a winner. Initial impressions after opening that box were the same but as I used it over the weekend little things started to bother me. The weight of the device didn't seem right. For it's size it felt a little light. The hardware buttons were loose and felt cheap. Shake the phone and you can hear them. The SIM tray was a little off from flush.

This all may seem a little nit-picky but after using iPhones since 2007 I've come to expect a certain quality and Nokia's polycarbonate body just couldn't compare to the solid feel of glass and steel.

[blairh]

I honestly can't believe that any iPhone 4/4S user would willingly and happily jump ship to the Lumia 900. The screen is a serious step down from the retina display with respect to reading text in the browser, etc. I also could not get the 900 to match my iPhone's brightness and this fact is supported in Anandtech's review.

I am however excited to test out the HTC One X once AT&T gets it. All reviews say it matches if not exceeds the retina display.

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by roanmartigan

This can only be trolling. I got news for you. They DON'T LOOK ALIKE. And unlike other occasions, IT IS NOT A MATTER OF PERSONAL OPINION. They simply do not look alike ! Regardless of how hard you hit yourself on the forehead when you had this idea.

Yeah... I am the one trolling. K... You, too, missed my point. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by terraphantm

Haha, I disagree with you there too.

Disagreeing is fine. Belittling my character and then saying I am trolling (you didn't do this), not so much. I shared an opinion. There are civil ways to disagree, and then there are childish ways meant to get a rise out of someone. Most responding to my posts seem to take the low road. :P It's cool.

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Originally Posted by Zendokan

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...1&postcount=37

The resemblence between an iPod Nano 6th and the Lumia 900 was already mentioned in another thread, with pictures.

Interesting. Thanks for the link. This focuses on a different model altogether. I can see some similarities there too. The rubttle will be that they don;t look anything alike because they have a completely different form factor, I am sure.

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Originally Posted by daneoni

Oh please, its not about benchmarks. iOS doesn't need dual core chips to run well either but we still have dual core hardware anyway. Because such hardware further improves user experience, is future proof, and it gives devs more flexibility. It also allows you to better compete with other platforms.

Respectfully, I never implied the iPhone NEEDED a dual core processor. I would be willing to bet that the average iPhone user doesn't even know what a core is, let alone how many they have under the hood. Most people know next year's model is just better than the last. Anyone thinking that most iPhone users are informed enough to lay down the specs of their device is likely misinformed. The same likely goes for the average Android, WP7, or any other smartphone user. The deciding factor is whether apps work or not, and how smoothly the OS runs. Specs are nothing to most people.

[joshwithachance]

Originally Posted by daneoni

Its the best WP7 device out there but as an iPhone 4S user switching to it is a downgrade IMHO...in more ways than one.

The iPhone has a better CPU, GPU, Screen Resolution, Camera, and overall Ecosystem. Despite being 6 months older.

As much as I want a Lumia 900 in cyan based on how gorgeous it is, I agree with everything you said. And these are the reasons I ultimately cannot make the switch from the 4S.

[daneoni]

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Respectfully, I never implied the iPhone NEEDED a dual core processor. I would be willing to bet that the average iPhone user doesn't even know what a core is, let alone how many they have under the hood. Most people know next year's model is just better than the last. Anyone thinking that most iPhone users are informed enough to lay down the specs of their device is likely misinformed. The same likely goes for the average Android, WP7, or any other smartphone user. The deciding factor is whether apps work or not, and how smoothly the OS runs. Specs are nothing to most people.

I'm not saying you did. I'm saying just because an OS runs very well on a single core doesn't mean it won't benefit from 2 or more cores either.

The average user may not know what a core is, but they'll eventually recognise that their phone isn't powerful/current enough when they're told they can't update the software on their phone or download a particular app because the hardware is outdated.

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by daneoni

The average user may not know what a core is, but they'll eventually recognise that their phone isn't powerful/current enough when they're told they can't update the software on their phone or download a particular app because the hardware is outdated.

That's true. Thus far this hasn't yet happened with a phone even as old as the 3GS. Much of this is due to the software, IMO. In this way WP7 is very similar to iOS. There is much more hardware to software synergy in these two OS's than when compared to, say, Android.

[mbell1975]

Interesting review but I avoid anything made by Microsoft like the plague. The rare exception being the Xbox 360 but that's not running a Windows OS.

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by mbell1975

Interesting review but I avoid anything made by Microsoft like the plague. The rare exception being the Xbox 360 but that's not running a Windows OS.

Aside from the name, Windows Phone 7 really isn't a windows OS in that it was built from the ground up. If they called the OS on the 360 (I am not sure it even has a name currently? ) something like Windows 360, would that automatically have you cast it aside as an (I assume you imply bad) Windows OS?