Almost three months after they were unveiled by Nokia and Microsoft CEOs in New York, Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphones will debut in Singapore.
The Lumia 920 (S$899) and Lumia 820 (S$699) hits Singapore shelves next Saturday on 8 December 2012.
Nokia Lumia 920 (S$899) and Lumia 820 (S$699) arrives in Singapore next Saturday, 8 December 2012.
The two new handsets will be available at Nokia retail stores, while mobile operators in Singapore are slated to announce their respective data plans for the two models.
Accessories
Accessories for the two smartphones include the Nokia Lumia Purity Pro headset, JBL PlayUp Portable Wireless Speaker and JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speakers, as well as the Nokia Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy, Nokia Wireless Charging Stand and Nokia Wireless Charging Plate.
Nokia Singapore launched the two smartphones at Harry’s Bar at Millenia Walk and handed out the devices for guests to try out the new features, as they made their way around the city on an open-top bus.
The Lumia 920 boasts Pureview imaging technology that produces sharp pictures even in low light. The optical image stabiliser (OIS) further reduced the blur.
I was rather impressed with the Lumia 920’s imaging performance. Photos were indeed bright and sharp, while videos of moving/vibrating objects appeared less jerky when compared to videos taken on the Lumia 820 and other smartphones.
JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speakers
The Lumia 820 is the more affordable sibling of the two, with a smaller and lower-resolution screen, smaller battery, and the run-of-the-mill camera.
It is however, more compact and lighter than its bigger brother. (Check the quick comparison here).
You can also change the back cover of the Lumia 820 to vary the colour of the phone.
Both smartphones come with the same imaging apps that were quite interesting.
Nokia Smart Shoot is for group photos – shooting multiple exposures with a single click to choose the best from each exposure.
Nokia Wireless Charging Stand
Cinemagraph takes short videos where certain parts are frozen as a still shot while portions defined by you moves like regular video.
Panorama helps you do a sweep panorama shot of the landscape.
City Lens adds an augmented reality overlay over the screen when the camera is pointed at buildings and places of interest.
The idea is novel but not new, and in the short span of time that I tried it out, I found the augmented info sketchy at times while the resolution was not good enough to “lead” you to a particular place. At best, it tells you a place of interest is in a particular direction.
For really pragmatic and effective turn-by-turn navigation and search for places of interest, head back to the Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive apps, both of which have been updated with features such as indoor maps.
