Nokia Announces Its First Windows 8 Phones: the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 Discussion

[Michael Wall]

Nokia has just taken the wraps off its new line of Windows 8 phones with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. In addition to the upcoming version of Microsoft's mobile operating system, the Lumia 910 will have a very advanced camera.

Read the full content of this Article: Nokia Announces Its First Windows 8 Phones: the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820

[Mitlov]

The "Pureview" camera is a huge letdown, as it doesn't include the defining feature of the 808 Pureview: a high-megapixel camera using oversampling to end up with incredibly-awesome 8-megapixel images. We'll have to wait and see from reviewers how good it is in the wild. Skepticism is particularly warranted given a debate raging amongst WP fans over whether the debut video of the optical image stabilization feature was faked: Lumia 920 demo reel is faked? - Windows Phone Forums at wpcentral.com . Also, I'm skeptical of the "five times more light" claim, given that the aperture is the same as the HTC One X. The only way to let in five times more light would be to hold it open for five times as long, which would result in motion blur if the subject is moving.

Nokia's made some questionable claims about the camera. It'd better perform well when third-party reviewers got it (unlike the Lumia 900's, which despite the Carl Zeiss name, took really underwhelming pictures).

The lack of a cyan Lumia 920 is beyond puzzling. Cyan has recently been Nokia's signature color.

I wanted to be wowed, but I'm more than a bit underwhelmed. Unless HTC knocks one out of the park, I guess I'm going Ativ S.

[Varjak]

The Samsung BH recently featured still seems nicer, though the Nokias have their plusses. The Times hyped the ability to stitch photos together to make panoramas; but that's not that revolutionary I thought?

[Mitlov]

Yeah, stitching images is nothing new.

The main pitch for the 808 Pureview was oversampling, and the main two pitches for the Lumia 920 Pureview is Optical Image Stabilization and low-light performance. However, after the internet furor over the OIS video (which I linked to above), Nokia has now admitted that the OIS demo video was not actually filmed with the Lumia 920. http://​conversations.nokia.com/​201...​-level/
That's a really, really big embarrassment to the company in my opinion, because the OIS demo video was clearly designed to make you think it was filmed with the Lumia 920:

https://www.youtube.com/​watch?featu...&v=cimDfEIEiu0

Maybe OIS really does work well, and maybe the low-light performance really is excellent, but Nokia has lost a credibility in my eyes over the OIS video. I'm skeptical of the Lumia 920's camera until it gets into third-party hands; I won't believe any other "evidence" put on by Nokia at this stage in the game.

[LandSurveyor]

As much as I admire the camera technology of the 808 Pureview, I would have to give the nod to the Galaxy Phone at the moment. But I'm camera-centric and have another device for voice.

I suspect that the average phone buyer can't tell whether this or that phone has the better camera. I see too many people cleave to one camera brand and trash another not because they really know the difference but because they had a bad experience with one brand probably because of their own photographic mistakes.

If NokiaSoft can't get their products off the ground now, with the Apple/Samsung stink still in the air, they might as well give up. If there is a weak spot in this W8 full court press, it will be the phones. Sadly, it's not about the hardware but the marketing.

[Drillbit]

I would have to say the most awesome camera software right now belongs to the HTC One X and its close siblings (One S, EVO 4G LTE). This is especially if your mode of photography involves a lot of action.

[Varjak]

Actually, the Evo might have a few tricks I'm not sure that the One X has (not sure): burst mode, it can take photos at the same time your taking video (that's could be a biggie I think for parents at sporting events, plays, etc.), and it has some kind of panorama mode also (I think I read that in one review). Plus, its camera is very fast.

[Mitlov]

Early third-party reviews (from Brighthand and others) suggest that the OIS technology in the Lumia 920 really does make the Nokia's camera class-leading. Great great photos in a variety of environments.

Shame Nokia's misleading ad tarnished the reputation of the phone, because it's looking like it's the real deal.

[Drillbit]

Actually, the Evo might have a few tricks I'm not sure that the One X has (not sure): burst mode, it can take photos at the same time your taking video (that's could be a biggie I think for parents at sporting events, plays, etc.), and it has some kind of panorama mode also (I think I read that in one review). Plus, its camera is very fast.

I think the One X has that too. In fact, AT&T and HTC did pull out a TV ad where they showed the One X capturing photos from a video stream. That is the ad with the mountain goat.

[Varjak]

Mitlov, it turns out that Nokia misrepresented that OIS in their demo video. The Times covered it today. Apparently, the 'effect' was created with a totally different camera.

Apparently people are not happy, as Nokia stock is down 20 percent.