The smartphone wars have never been fierce. Not only the smartphone manufacturers have upped the ante to enhance the software, the hardware has beefed up dramatically in recent years that would even put our first desktop computer to shame. And Nokia’s weapon to counter the Android, iOS and the BlackBerry? Their Lumia range powered by the latest Windows Phone 8 OS and the top of their food chain is the Lumia 920, which we are taking an in-depth look today.
Design and Build Quality
This high-end device weighs 185g and is a lot heavier as compared to the other counterparts. Although it feels like a solid slab in the hands, the build quality is fantastic and premium. The retail box of the phone comes bundled with the handset, charger, micro-USB cable and earphone. The 4.5-inch screen occupies the front with the unibody build that comes in variety of colours. The battery is non-removable, the SIM has to be inserted in the SIM tray located at the top.
Display
The 4.5-inch PureMotionHD+ IPS display is great and the good thing about this display is that you can use the capacitive screen with your gloves on. Ideal for people living in cold regions as they can operate the phone without removing their warm gloves in winter. The colours displayed on the screen are good and the text is crisp, thanks to the WXGA (1280×768) resolution.
Hardware and OS
Unlike Android devices, Windows Phone do not need to be measured on processing cores. The OS and hardware are very well integrated and provide you good performance even on modest hardware configuration. While the Windows 8 phone OS is good and refreshing, the phone features from good range of apps from Nokia like the Nokia Music, Mix, Maps, Drive, City Lens and various other downloadable lenses. Nokia Music gives users the ability to download DRM-free music for a year whereas Mix allows users to stream unlimited music.
Maps and Drive have been clubbed under the HERE brand and offers free voice-guided navigation.
City Lens is an augmented reality app that displays all the nearby attractions, eateries in an eye pleasing and an intuitive way.
The phone is powered by 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Krait CPU with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The connectivity options are 3G, Wi-Fi (can be used as hotspot), Stereo Bluetooth 3.1 as well as NFC.
The Windows Store also features some good range of applications, including its apps as Nokia collection. There are some pre-installed apps like Angry Birds Roost, Nokia City lens, Nokia music, Wallet and more.
With a Windows phone, you are sure of Office documents support out-of-the-box. With a large 4.5-inch screen editing and creating office documents also becomes easier.
Camera
Nokia has many firsts in the Lumia 920, for instance the 8-megapixel Carl-Zeiss lens features the optical image stabilization (OIS) that lets you click good pictures even with shaky hands. There is also a dual LED flash. Long pressing the dedicated camera button activates the camera or you can do it the conventional way by tapping on the screen. Like its younger sibling – Lumia 820, the 920 also features SmartShoot and Cinemagraph. You can download additional lenses from the Windows marketplace to enhance the camera’s capabilities. Smart Shoot captures few burst images and allow users to choose the best face from the photos or remove an unwanted object. Creating moving pictures is a piece of cake with Cinemagraph. Users can create small moving pictures (gifs) that can be tweaked according to the preference.
The Lumia 920 camera can shoot videos at 1080p, however, the default is set at 720p. The OIS is also used for video shooting. We liked the photos and videos quality shot by Lumia 920.
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| Nokia Lumia 920 Sample Shots |
Battery Life
Lumia 920 comes with a 2000mAh non-removable battery and with our moderate calling, using data on 3G and Wi-Fi gave us a days play.
Conclusion
With many firsts like the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and wireless charging (accessory sold separately). As a high-end Windows phone, it has everything that one can ask for but when you compare it with its immediate competitors like the iPhone 5 or the Galaxy S III, Nokia has a bit of catch up to do. However, if Windows Phone OS is your preferred choice, look no further than the Lumia 920 as it will fulfill your camera and multimedia needs with good battery life.
Rating: 
Pros: Build quality, OIS, Lifetime maps
Cons: Lack of expandable memory
Price: Rs. 35,999
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