For $100 or Less, Nokia's Lumia 900 is Hard to Beat April 8, 2012

Reviewer:  Paul  (Denver) -

Let me preface this by saying that I received my Lumia 900 from AT&T two days ago, and what a phone it is! First off, I received the phone for free with an AT&T service plan. That is hard to beat. But even for the price of the new iPhone, which I understand is a couple of hundred dollars, I think this phone is worth it.

Software:
The connectivity and ease of use are so apparent that within five minutes of turning on the phone, I was on Facebook, chatting with friends, had downloaded all my contacts online, setup my email, and was calling my best friend to test the call quality. I didn't pull anything over from my previous phone, just let Windows Mobile do its thing. It's difficult for me to imagine that other operating systems can compete with the ease and breadth of use this system offers. Every single piece of software seems integrated. One can easily jump from Facebook, to Twitter, to email, to a phone call, etc. In fact, the phone notified me when people so much as "liked" a comment of mine on Facebook, and mind you I wasn't in Facebook when this was happening. That brings me to my second point, the phone is fast. I downloaded ten or so free applications in less than ten minutes. Even via WiFi, I was impressed with the phone's response time, as I was able to download maps for the entire United States on Nokia Drive (~2 GB) in ~15 minutes. Third, with all the complaints I've read about applications, I feel that it's important to touch on this aspect of the experience. Like I was hinting at before, the phone comes loaded with a bunch of applications so that right off the bat, you are texting, calling, pulling up Facebook, etc. On top of that, there are a ton of free applications for many of the sites I use most: Yelp, IMDB, Ebay, Amazon, YouTube, Evernote the list goes on... With Nokia, you also get a ton of free applications including ESPN (which is really awesome if you like sports), USA Today, Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps, Nokia Radio, etc. In fact, I would argue that most of the important apps are there. That said, there are some applications that you won't find including Pandora. Finally, one thing that I always hated about my iPhone was it seemed like I had to sign in for every darn little thing. With this phone, I downloaded everything, including paid applications, without signing in. That's right, I signed into my hotmail account when I first turned on the phone, and after that...nada.

Hardware:
Simply put, the hardware is stunning! The phone has quickly become one of the proudest items I own, as the cyan blue catches my attention every time I look at it. It really is something that you have to see to appreciate. Additionally, the single cut, polycarbonate body feels amazing in the hand. Be forewarned that the polycarbonate isn't metal and will scratch if it contacts a rough surface, but the body does achieve a sturdiness that is welcome in a device susceptible to dropping. Moreover, the display while fingerprint prone is stunning. Even with what I understand to be lower graphics than the new iPhone, the brightness, size, and definition are quite impressive. Turning to the camera, while I didn't compare the quality to other phones myself, I have seen some comparisons online that show mixed reviews depending on lighting, focus, etc. This probably isn't the phone to buy if the camera is the most important feature for you, but for the average user it will be more than enough. Separately, the storage space cannot be upgraded, so bear that in mind if you intend on downloading a lot of content. Turning to battery life, I used the phone pretty much non-stop for the first couple of days and it lasted about 7-8 hours - decent given that I was streaming videos as well as surfing the web. I recently spoke with a representative who indicated that an update is imminent and will likely contain power saving features. Given that I've heard some good things about the Lumia 800's update as it relates to extending battery life, I'm hoping the same applies here. Lastly, the phone has excellent call quality. I've long wondered how other phones with poor call quality receive so much praise. Isn't a phone (even a "smart" one) centered around the ability to make calls? Well, for me, call quality is clutch. And Nokia delivers in 1990's fashion, which is to say the call quality lives up to Nokia's past reputation. I found that the sound was crisp, the volume range was impressive, and the signal didn't fade a bit.

In short, Nokia and Microsoft have teamed up to create a user experience that really blows me away. At $100 or less with a service plan, it would be hard to compete with the Lumia 900. Good work Nokia & Microsoft and looking forward to future devices!

From iPhone 4S to Lumia...IMPRESSED April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  M "M"  (M) -

Been a loyal iPhone user since the original. While I love and think the iPhone is an amazing phone, the Lumia has been the only phone in years I've been able to use for over a week now without wanting or wishing I still I had my iPhone. The new Windows 7 OS is smooth and clean. I thought I might miss some apps, but honestly the 40or so main apps I use are all available on Windows Marketplace and actually somewhat nicer on a few of them. There are things that need polishing or finishing just like iOS or Android but overall I'm very impressed and plan to keep the phone for my everyday use! Really love the call quality, battery life, size, and screen! Those are all favs. Love the device!

HTC Android User, Now Nokia Lumia User April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  Steve  (Orange County, CA) -

I am a developer, programmer and designer. I chose Android because I enjoy hacking and all the developer tools associated with it. I recently upgraded from my HTC Incredible to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I could not stand the under developed interface. Everything seemed incomplete and a mess. I can't even count the amount of times I have had force closes. For me, Android felt like Windows 98 and XP. It works, but many things can break it.

Getting the Lumia 900 was a breath of fresh air. I am amazed on how everything is integrated so well. I'm not even sure I need to use a separate app now :)

I know the developer community is small, but all my Apps I use on Android were available from the Windows Marketplace. I would have to say they are far less developed as it is for other OS's, but in time they will be in sync. The hacking community is small too, but things will open up in the future. I do want my free tethering and wifi hotspot :)

I received the Lumia on 4/6. I was surprised on the clarity and sharpness of the screen. When they say ClearBlack, they mean clear black.
The build quality is excellent. Solid, no creaking or loose buttons. I would like to see how it might fair in a drop test though.
The battery is far better than I had expected. Nokia says 7 hours and reviews have said it is OK or not up to par with other phones. Well, The Samsung Galaxy, in normal use, it drained fairly quick and would not last an entire day. So far, my Lumia has lasted the entire day, with extensive usage (it is a new phone, I have to play with it).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoy the phone. It works. It's nice. It is high quality. And most of all it is different.

Most premium phone I've ever owned April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  Penitent Tangent 

You cannot find a better deal than the Nokia Lumia 900. I've never owned a Nokia before but after getting my Lumia 900 I might be a customer for life. This phone is made of a material I have never seen or felt before. It feels very solid, smooth and high quality. The cyan color is absolutely beautiful and is definitely the color to get as it really stands out as a special phone. Everything else just looks plain and boring next to this phone.

The ClearBlack AMOLED display is absolutely gorgeous and blows away any washed out LCD like the iPhone's. Colors are much more vibrant and images appear to float on the top of the screen like an actual photograph. Blacks are so dark and inky that you can't even tell where the screen meets the bezel. There are videos online comparing the iPhone vs. Lumia 900 and there is no contest; Lumia's display is much better looking and much bigger.

The signal strength is amazing and calls sound much better than any phone I've had. Visual voicemail is included with this phone for free and it works extremely well. 4G LTE speeds are blazing fast in NYC. You can get downloads in the range of 20Mbps on this phone. That is faster than most people's home broadband connection. Internet connection sharing with up to 5 other devices is available on some data plans as well. The external speaker on the phone has great volume and since it is on the bottom instead of the back it doesn't get muffled when you put the phone down on a surface or hold it in your hand. Outstanding design Nokia!

The camera is very good and can be brought up even when the phone is locked just by holding down the dedicated camera button. You can snap photos in widescreen or fullscreen mode and upload directly to Facebook Twitter or Skydrive without having to open another app. Worth mentioning you also get 25GB of free cloud storage with SkyDrive. Very nice!

So far battery life has been incredible by smartphone standards. After using my phone all day yesterday to look at apps, browse the web, take photos, listen to music, etc. I had almost 50% battery left by the end of the day. This phone can last you a day and a half easily on a single charge.

AT&T includes some nice apps like U-verse video streaming and MyWireless to check your data usage change your plan or pay your bills. You also get a ton of exclusive apps like Nokia's turn by turn navigation and public transit apps. Nokia owns Navteq the mapping company which provides map data for tons of companies like Garmin so this is a major addition to the value of the phone. There are also exclusive CNN, ESPN, Univision, and college sports applications on Nokia's Lumia phones. These apps are excellent and all have 4 or 5 star ratings from users. There are also a few dozen exclusive apps coming from Electronic Arts for the Lumia phones. I love earning Xbox Live achievements on the go. You can even see your friends avatars and edit your Xbox Live avatar on this phone!

There are a ton of great apps on Windows Phone so I'll just highlight a few of my favorites: YouTube Pro lets you download and upload videos to Youtube right from a tile on your start screen. It can play videos in HD as well and you can pin any Youtube channel you subscribe to on the start screen. The pinned live tile will update with the image of any new video that is uploaded to that Youtube channel. Radio Controlled is a Pandora music app that plays all of your Pandora playlists. Gmaps Pro gives you Google Maps on your phone including Google Latitude to track your friends and family. "Hey DJ" lets you use your voice to load songs, artists and playlists. Windows Phone also comes with great apps like voice search and voice to launch any app just by holding down the Windows button and saying "Start Netflix" or "Open Netflix." Fastest way to launch apps in my opinion. You can also search for weather by saying "weather" or find movie show times nearby just by saying "movies." This is Siri without the fluff and back-talk, it just works and it works fast.

Most of the popular apps are available as well from Kindle/Audible to USA Today/Fox News to Skype/Tango to Kik/WhatsApp to iHeartRadio/TuneIn to Netflix/Vevo to ESPN/MLB at Bat to GasBuddy/Yelp to eBay/Amazon to Twitter/Facebook to Shazam/SoundHound to WeatherChannel/Accuweather to Spotify/Rdio to Slacker/Last.FM to Flixster/Fandango to Bible/Dictionary to Glympse/IMDB you get the idea. This phone has apps, don't believe anyone who says otherwise. By the end of May the Windows Phone platform will have over 100,000 apps in total.

My complaints about the phone are minor, but I wish that they had spaced out the hardware buttons more on the side. The volume rocker should have been higher and the camera button a little bit lower. Sometimes it is a bit hard to find the power button in the middle; a little raised bump like those on your keyboard would have helped. I also would have liked an SD card slot to expand memory. Apps are usually less than 1MB, but if you have a lot of videos or a ton of songs you are going to need to compress them to fit on the 16GB of storage. Fortunately Zune PC software does an excellent job of handling this behind the scenes, you can even tell the software the exact bitrate you want it to make all of your songs and it will only compress them on the device, not your PC. Finally not all games have been updated yet to support fast app switching (hold down the back arrow to bring up the task switcher), this is changing over time though as each developer updates their games. All new games seem to support the fast app switching as well.

Given the insanely low price of this phone, the rare exceptional quality of the hardware, the blazing LTE speeds, and the high quality of the Windows Phone platform you would be crazy to pass up this phone. Nokia has truly made something special here in the Lumia 900.

From iPhone to Lumia and loving it. April 11, 2012

Reviewer:  Joshua C. Geurian 

I switched from an iPhone to the Lumia and I could not be more pleased. Facebook integration, Xbox apps, Windows Live, Skydrive, and a slew of other great apps just make this phone great. I have a headless WMC HTPC and a slew of 360s as extenders around the house and I can now use my phone to control them, which everyone in the house is super jealous of now. The build quality is staggering and just draw dropping. I had some reservations on WP7 at first but coming from iOS WP7 is just so much easier and more user friendly. Some of the really cool things is the integrated things MS did instead of relying on 3rd party or additional apps. Coming from iOS I was able to drop 5 apps I use everyday because it is already in WP7. Couldn't be more happy as a customer of WP7 and Nokia. And now the fact that I get a $100 rebate means I paid $18 for this amazing phone whereas I paid $200+ for an iPhone. And to boot I was so pleased I went on Amazon to write a review, something I never do, but felt that I must.

Great Phone April 8, 2012

Reviewer:  atledwards 

First of all, I love the color and feel of the phone in my hand. The large tile interface is easy to see and navigate through. I have spent the last two days searching through the available apps in the windows store and have found some good ones. I am not sure, but I believe all of the apps allow you to try them out for a few days before you buy them. Camera works well with many extra functions. You can upload pictures to Facebook and Twitter in seconds after taking them. I am a NPR listener, so the FM tuner is a great feature for me - not included on iPhone. All podcast show up directly to the phone with PC transfer - if this is on other phones, I have used them enough to about this. Skydrive files are all listed through the MS app. There are many "hubs" setup in the OS to link all your photos from everywhere- Facebook, Skydrive, Twitter, and any you have taken on the phone. The music is done the same way - FM radio, downloads, Zune ... all in one place.

I heard about MS re-branding the windows phone software, but had not paid it much attention. As everyone knows, Android and Apple run the smart phone market. I didn't feel like I was Android, but did identify with the iPhone a little.I was set to buy an iPhone 4S until I saw this phone come at CES in January. I am a PC user who likes to keep things uniform. You can get an iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but this package is over what I want to pay. You can also go with the Android phone and tablet, but there is no option for computer interface - Chrome Book may come close. However, I can have the Lumia, my laptop and Windows a tablet later this year all with uniform OS, Apps, and things like SkyDrive and Office all connected without any third party interface.

I have read many reviews online refering to the launch of the phone. The Lumia has 8jtuh x 9jfjif, the iPhone 4S has 10lgfnjg x 8feehf, and the Samsung Skyrocket has 5hfdoi x 8ehofgoe. The screen looks great. Button placement is another mark against the Lumia. The power/sleep button is on the right side and not the top like most other phones. I always though it was a pain in the butt to have the power button on top of the phone. I find it convenient on the right side. Others say they accidentally press the power button when they are intending to take a picture. If this is your phone, I am sure after a few days you will know where the buttons are located - right. Specs do not tell the whole story. My wife has an iPhone and she can't put my down.

Nokia's Legendary Hardware Quality meets Microsoft's Innovative OS April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Lord Molotov "Sith Lord"  (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) -

The Nokia Lumia 900 is one of the most amazing pieces of hardware I've ever had the pleasure of using. The build quality on this has to be felt to be appreciated. It feels solid and smooth in your hand and you can really appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the design. The buttons are well placed, the screen, although a little raised from the actual body, is positioned perfectly for maximum view ability.

I haven't been this excited about the industrial design of a cellphone since the original iPhone.

The screen is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are rich and vibrant and the Clear Black Display is fantastic, even in bright sunlight. The fact that the glass itself is made of Corning's Gorilla Glass means you can save some cash and skip on getting a screen protector for it.

If you've never used the new Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS, now is the perfect time to take the leap. Having come from years of using iOS and dabbling a little bit in Android, I have to say that Microsoft has done a fantastic job when it comes to the User Experience.

WP7.5 is exquisitely simple, yet has deep, robust features for those who need them. The Metro UI is a blast to use with the pivot features, the Hubs and Live Tiles really providing that "glance and go" sensibility that Microsoft has been targeting.

The call quality is supberb, and even though we don't have LTE in my community, I do get very fast data speeds with HSPA+.

Cons: (every phone has 'em)

- Apps: A lot of people are going to complain that WP7.5 doesn't have as many apps as iOS or Android, but the ones that I personally use are there and easy to access. (Facebook and Twitter are INTEGRATED into the OS experience in a superb way which makes sharing photos, videos and status updates FASTER than any other platform.) And XBOX Live integration means that I can rack up gamerscores and play some popular titles right on the handset.

- Camera: This to me was the biggest dissapointment and the reason I didn't give the phone 5 stars. Nokia's had a legendary reputation when it comes to their optics, and even though the 8MP camera takes REALLY good pictures, they don't quite compare to iPhone 4S or even Samsung's Galaxy SII. I haven't played with the HTC Titan II to be able to make a comparison, but you can Google some pics to see the difference. Also, video recording is limited to 720p only, but that is a software limitation and from what I understand, Microsoft is working to implement 1080p recording for Windows Phone 8 Apollo. After seeing what Nokia can do with the PureView 808's 41MP camera, I was kinda hoping this phone would have something closer to that. On a PRO side, the front-facing camera is a full 1.3MP so when using Tango to video chat, you'll be transmitting a clearer picture. PRO TIP: Uninstall the native Tango app that the phone comes with and get the proper one from the Marketplace; you'll be able to make video calls over 4G this way!)

- Battery life: Now this is a big MAYBE for me, because I do have a lot of apps that have background features activated, so I'm not sure if they're causing excess drain on the phone. You'll find some reviewers that say that battery life is average for a typical smartphone, but I haven't had such luck with it and I also haven't done some controlled experiments with it either. Your mileage may vary.

CONCLUSION: The answer to the reason why you're reading this review: "Should I buy this phone?"

YES!!!!!! For $99 at an AT&T store, and whatever crazy price Amazon may be offering PLUS the $100 bill credit you get from Nokia if you buy it before April 21st, it is a FANTASTIC piece of hardware!

The key thing is to go to your local AT&T store and ask one of the reps to show you HIS/HER phone so you can feel it in your hand and get an appreciation at how awesome the colors look on the screen.

PRO TIP: Make sure you download Nokia Drive and Nokia Maps from the Nokia Collection on the Marketplace app because they are awesome! Nokia Drive gives you offline, turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions and works almost everywhere in the world! (You have to download the maps initially, but you can do that over Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE)

A few app recommendations for those new to WP7.5:
-- Mehdoh: my favorite dedicated Twitter App
-- KIK: For cross-platform messaging (save $$$ on the text message bundle!)
-- Baconit: The BEST Reddit browser on ANY smartphone.
-- Insider: New ringtones and Wallpapers straight from Microsoft! Plus handy tips!
-- Nextgen Reader: Great Google Reader app!
-- Pinspiration: for those Pinterest users out there!
-- SkyMap Free: Check out if that star is really a planet!
-- Weather: Live tile updates for your local weather!

High Quality Easy to Use Phone April 11, 2012

Reviewer:  Don 

I've had my Cyan Lumia 900 for two days now and all I can say is WOW!
Pros:
Quality Build: The Polycarbonate body is study, feels great when holding and where there is no metal in the body, my signal reception everywhere has been awesome. The Cyan just looks awesome to boot.
Screen: 4.3" size is perfect and the clear black display is awesome. I can see it fine outside when it is bright and sunny. Blacks are deep and colors are vibrant!

Smooth: The OS runs incredibly smooth. Opening apps is speedy and moving around the phone is a breeze.

Apps: Some people complain about less apps than IOS or Android, but I've found everything I need. Stuff like Sound Hound, QR code scanners and restaurant searches are already built into the OS. For Pandora I downloaded Radio Controlled (which I like better than official pandora app because you can see a songs recently played and songs COMING UP NEXT FREAKIN SWEET)
Skype Beta works great as well (download in this article: [...]
Office integration is awesome (outlook and one note work nicely)
Nokia drive (like Garmin) is awesome, dl maps ahead of time so you don't use any data while using the GPS
For a neat SIRI like app, download something called ASK ZIGGY. Neat!
In a nutshell I haven't had any issues with apps.

Games: Plenty of xbox live titles and 3rd party games. You'll find the usual stuff plus some cool ones like radiant and chromatic.

Setup: Super easy. I linked my outlook, hotmail and facebook, synced contacts and was online probably in 20 minutes. Ridiculous!

OS: Windows phone 7 OS is really cool. I went with this because I didn't want another OS that had icons on a desktop. Same old same old. Windows phone is completely different with deep social network integration and live tiles.
I don't have to open an app to see what the temp is or the latest facebook post, the live tiles dynamically update to show all that stuff.
Plus I made seperate groups for my family and work. If I open the family group, I can see facebook updates JUST FROM THEM. Same for work. It is AWESOME.
Plus you can go in and open a contact and see your history with them like past texts, emails and when you called.
Zune integration is awesome as well! With a zune pass you can listen to unlimited music for $10 a month. I personally don't as I store my entire MP3 collection on the phone. :)

Camera: Camera is awesome, Carl Zeiss optics take great pix, especially outside!

Multitasking: hold the back button and it shows you the last 6 or 7 apps you had open so you can go back.

Cons:
Screen attracts smudges.
No forward navigation button... not a big deal though.

Overall a awesome phone and a steal at 99$ or less!

Integrated, sophisticated and and user-friendly April 10, 2012

Reviewer:  David G. "David G."  (Seattle, WA) -

Coming from an HTC Trophy, I knew what to expect from the Windows Phone OS -- a solid, capable operating system that filled my needs and seldom ever slowed me down (which was a significant improvement coming from Android!).

What I wasn't expecting is how much better Windows Phone 7.5 looks and feels on top-of-the line hardware. The Lumia's screen is super crisp and bright, bringing new life to Windows' tiles. The deep blacks meet your main screen tiles feel like they're almost floating in ear, and provided a more dramatic feel to the OS.

The body of the device is something special too. I opted for the Cyan version because I'm bored with the cookie-cutter black or white options of most phones. The cyan has a futuristic feel about it, allowing the Lumia 900 to stand out as something different.

Highly recommend for both look and feel.

Just Picked Mine up form the ATT store. Couldn't wait 2 day for Amazon :) April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  David Aguila "daguila"  (Los Angeles) -

Great phone... the quality is Amazing. its super sturdy and super responsive.

the Nokia ESPN app ROCKS!!! I have the NBA hub pinned :)

The camera is not as good as the one I had on my Titan but its good.

Reception is far greater than with the Original Titan...

It's LTE :)

To be Honest... I couldn't make up my mind weather to get the Lumia (Cyan) or the TITAN II... I wish we could transplant the TITAN's Camera into the Lumia. but i'm happy with my purchase :)

Kudos Nokia! April 16, 2012

Reviewer:  coolnesh 

What a great product!

The fit and finish is pure design excellence combined with a smooth operating system and functionality. I am loving every moment of it. With its release on easter... i think the 'hidden' message is about folks that need to find the "eggs".
Many will understand what that means ;) but for the others... hidden features in the phone/OS when discovered are also known as "eggs" even in the tech world, so great launch during Easter time! Pun intended.

Reading most of the reviews, I believe everything is already covered in regard to the phone and its functionality ... I will only be repeating what is already said.

However, I will add the following viewpoints:

The phone is surely 'beautifully different', it really does take you away from the norm. While removing the phone from my pocket at a restaurant or work, always gets a 2nd glance from passerby's probably cause of the cyan color, which just adds to the intriguing factor of this cool device. Couple of folks at work, wanted me to sit down with them and explain its features, ins and outs of the phone - and its been only 4 days I have had it (2 of those days were Sat/Sun). Folks genuinely seem interested, converted a colleague, he is getting the white one, but will be purchasing the black one to get the $100 credit prior to 4/21 and is willing to pay the re-stocking fee when the white one comes out. Garnering this level of interest seems to only have been topped by the iphone, though this interest is only with the people in the "know", many folks don't know about the device or anything about its OS and given human nature - folks are highly resistance to change. The sooner they embrace it the sooner they will realize what they were missing or rather what they would have missed out on.

The growing marketplace for apps is only a matter of time that certain 'wanted' apps makes its way on to the device/OS, until a particular app is available on this OS, however the ones already available do the job just fine - all the popular sites and apps are pretty much covered. There is a comparable app for one that exists on iOS or Android, if the manufacturer of that app has not yet released one for this OS.

With every new device there is a learning curve involved, but this phone support the intuitive capability of the OS very well, a whole lot better than some of the feature (non-smartphones) phones out there. As an early adopter, there may be some bugs, which is fine given that the turnaround time to fix those bugs is pretty quick. The reward however is to have something that not many folks out there do, and be part of the change or revolution that maybe sweeping the mobile space once again.

I have always believed that Nokia makes great products, and they just proved my point. The Nokia lumia 900 replaced my Nokia N95 8gb... held on to it for 4+ years, well simply because it worked and did most of my tasks. In the 4+ year period I did also get the BB 9810 Torch which I am also using currently (mainly for work). Now the Lumia 900 just adds to the great experience.
Hence, I end by saying Kudos Nokia... replacing one great device (N95) with another great device (Lumia 900), thanks Espoo!

disclaimer - To some of the haters out there, NO - I don't work for Amazon, Nokia or Microsoft - I would be glad to though :)

Best Looking phone to date April 10, 2012

Reviewer:  dub 

Everyone here has given a more detailed review of the phone. What I want is to highlight the aspects that has been uncommonly mentioned.
1. Nokia Drive - an outstanding standalone GPS app for the Lumia 900. No data connection needed.
2. Feels expensive; solid, wanting to be touched. Excellent build quality from Nokia.
3. Looks - This is a fresh new phone, away from those usual black Androids. I am a gadget freak, own an Iphone and several others as well. This Lumia is on top of my list. I can't stop staring at it; never done this since the Iphone 4. Taste really matters in design, and Nokia has nailed it.
4. Capacitive buttons have just enough vibration for feedback.
5. Screen - auto brightness works like a charm. Compared to my old Samsung & HTC, Lumia does a better job of adapting to the ambient light. Colors are vivid and blacks are deep. Overall gorgeous screen.
6. Battery life is about at least half a day better than my Iphone, Samsung & HTC on regular use.

Just can't stop staring and playing with this phone right now. I am extremely enjoying it.

The Best Phone for Me. April 11, 2012

Reviewer:  Cayano 

I got this phone two days ago and i can't keep my hands off from it. I had my doubts on getting this phone; especially, because i had to pay the full price. I had the Iphone 4S, but I got bored of IOS, screen size and data speed, 5 years now from first iphone and IOS is the same. I had the Unlocked Samsung Galaxy SII, excellent phone , but after a while I got bored as well. I got the ATT Galaxy Note, its size was uncomfortable. each time when i pulled it from my pockets, i had to be very careful of not dropping it. OS and stylus are not the best. I got the unlocked the galaxy nexus and i was really happy with this phone. but when i heard that Nokia was planning to release this phone in USA. I wanted to try it out. To be honest, I did not put the flag too high for this phone, and since I tend to switch phone often, I thought I would be returning this phone the next day. But now, I really like this phone.I think that Nokia and Microsoft are on the right direction. It is the perfect combination. it has, of course, its down side like any other phone or is the iphone a perfect phone? No at all! I really recommend this phone. it feels right on your hands, screen is beautiful, LTE speed is fast, no lagging. and App store is decent, and growing. I do not miss any app from iphone or android.

Best premium smartphone ever April 10, 2012

Reviewer:  Flamorishi 

Nokia Lumia 900 is the best premium smartphone.

1.State of the art design.Premium look and feel.Love Cyan color.Screen is brilliant and awesome.800x480resolution is good.May sound bad compared to Galaxy nexus or iphone.But clear black display (CBD) pops up color really nice on screen.Because of Clear black display even in direct sunlight there is no problem in seeing the screen and it works great.No smartphone in market can match with this feature of screen.Exclusive to Lumia 900.
2.Slickest OS(Windows 7.5). Live tiles.Intuitive.Snappy.
3.Battery life.1 day 2 hrs with moderate use with LTE.
4.Social networks (Facebook,Twitter) deep integration into OS.
5.Application integration into OS.Applications are designed to look same as OS.Means there is uniform OS user experience even in applications also.Multitasking.
6.Local scout works great.You can find the places to eat,see things around ,shopping locations.Finding all at one place (Local Scout) including directions(navigation), ratings,reviews.No need of going into restaurant app or shopping app or navigation app separately.
7.Outstanding Call quality.No dropped calls.Speaker works great.
8.Video chat.Front facing camera is 1.3MP with f 2.2 (wider aperture)and wide angle.I think this the only smartphone in market now to have front facing camera with f 2.2 wide aperture.works great with Tango and Skype also.You can uninstall the WiFi Tango version (Nokia) and then install 3g/WiFi capable tango application from Market place .
9.8 MP rear camera f 2.2 28mm.Works great.Night time photos are kinda grainy.Camera software update can fix it.Nokia is good in pushing updates as they did for lumia 800.
10.All commonly used apps (whats app,flickr,ebuddy xms,Bank of america,Spotify,Picasametro,Evernote,vevo,espn,BBC,cnn,engadget,netflix,fadango,flixster,imdb,american airlines,delta,kayak,kik,photobucket,amazon,kindle,ebay,four square,gas buddy,Govoice(google voice),groupon,pinstation(Pininterest),newegg,shazam,text plus,vimeo ,you tube pro,yelp etc.,) are available in marketplace.Some top apps are missing.Definitely user base is increasing .Microsoft promised to get top 25 apps of iOS and Android soon(1 or 2 months).

11.Tellme (Voice commands) feature already built in WP 7.5 since 2010.Ask Ziggy app looks promising.Cora-Voice assistant [...] in works.
12.Nokia drive.Lifetime free turn by turn navigation Works online and offline.You have have to download the maps to use on offline mode.Whole U.S map is around 1.5GB.Instead of downloading whole U.S you have option to download one to many states based on your interest.My state download was around 50mb.It works great in offline mode.
13.Nokia transit.
14.Micorsoft office (Word,Excel,One note,Lync,Powerpoint,Sharepoint Skydrive)
15.16GB memory is little less for me.But comes with 25GB skydrive.Automatically you can enable to save photos to skydrive to save space on phone.Windows phone 8 Apollo comes with micros SD slot coming soon (September-October).

Excellent Phone, Beautiful Design, Amazing Price April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  db 

By far the best built phone I've held in my hand. This includes numerous Blackberries, WebOS devices, iPhone 3GS/4/4S, 3 Android devices & a few Windows Phones.

-Probably the best quality hardware design I've seen yet on any mobile device.
-Battery life is good. Lasts all day for all but the heaviest of users (used from 7am to Midnight on first day with juice left)
-Buttons I wasn't sure about at first, but after using for a day the placement felt right. Feel solid as well.
-Speaker & call quality are both very good.
-Camera isn't the best out there, but is good. Well above average and more than enough for most people's needs.
-HSPA+, WiFi are both excellent (no LTE yet in Seattle, so can't vouge)
-LTE radio for very fast data connection
-Front Facing Camera is very good for its use, and has clear video for calling.
-Nokia services / apps = very good. Transit & Drive are a godsend, and Creative Studio is very fun and well written.
-Screen quality is amazing. Color rendition and depth of black colors are very good. Reflects much less in the sun than other phones (good for daylight viewing).
-Microsofts surprisingly good "Windows Phone" Operating System which has won numerous awards, and the hearts of fans & tech bloggers alike.

Add this all together for a phone they are only selling for $99.99 on contract (or lower depending on where you buy/sales going on) and you have a champion phone. Do yourselves a favor and don't assume its an iPhone or settling for something else. This platform is more fluid and stable than iOS, it has a fresh new interface design that is fresh, and almost universally heralded for its new design elements and presentation of information. Its satisfaction rating among users is extremely high on carrier sites & amazon alike. This is because its good!

Best Windows Phone yet!!! April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  marito 

I pre-ordered mine off the AT&T website and received it two days before it's official launch date, and this is deffinately the best windows phone yet. The design is beautiful, though switching from a Samsung Focus S, which is thinner than the iPhone 4s, it feels a little thick, but I quickly got used to it and realize that it makes the phone feel really well built. The buttons are nice and stiff, so no accidental presses. The screen looks great. The speaker is nice and loud. Calls are clear and much louder than on most phones which is great, that way I can hear clearly even when in noisy environments. The battery lasts a lot, with plenty of calls, some web surfing, downloading apps, at least one hour of youtube videos, a video call via Skype, and plenty of texting, the phone lasted almost two days!

My only issue is the camera. The daylight pictures are okay, but low light pictures are grainy and lots of red eye. I have looked at the hardware specifications of the phone, and I think the problem may just be software. On that note, for the Lumia 800, NOKIA quickly released updates improving battery life and camera up to their renowed quality. So my guess is NOKIA will probably be quick to fix this issue.

Rock solid design - Rock solid feel - Impressive April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  OriginalBigDAWG 

I have owned multiple smartphones over time. I used an iPhone for 3 years and migrated to Windows Phone back in November of 2010. My previous phone was a Samsung Focus (Windows Phone). When I acquired my Nokia Lumia 900 (Cyan) I immediately noticed the weight. It feels solid in your hand - not too heavy and not too light. When you turn it on you'll immediately notice how snappy the software runs. Every aspect of the operating system reacts very fast. This is a combination of the Windows Phone 7.5 OS and the hardware specs of the device.

Because this is a Nokia device you also have access to Nokia specific applications. My favorite application is Nokia Drive. I have a vehicle that supports Bluetooth connectivity so my phone is paired with my Van. Nokia Drive has turn-by-turn audio navigation - but what makes it really solid is that you can download the maps to the device so you do not have to rely on connectivity. This is a fantastic feature!

The front facing camera works great with Skype but also does well if you want to take self-portraits (with you and your better half). ;-)

I would highly recommend this to anyone looking at a new smartphone!

Best phone ever! May 5, 2012

Reviewer:  dan 

I received my cyan 900 two days ago. This is amazing! At first I thought the tiles were
kind of plain but you create your own design with different color apps, pinned pictures,videos,songs, spaces,picture slide show and it become beautiful. The apps have large print and are designed with pure class and enjoyment in mind. The phone is so easy to use and has great app selection. I grew tired of Android and Apple and finally made the switch to Nokia and their Windows phone. I can"t wait for the Nokia tablet now. I'm staying with Nokia and windows. Get it now! Before they run out again or raise prices!

Responsive, Solid, Easy-to-Use, Beautiful April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  BlindWillie 

Easy to use, Quick to navigate from task to task. Responsive and stable UI. Solid feel and good looks. Great built-in capabilities for tying communication across Facebook, Twitter, email, chat, and phone. All around happy with the phone.

Simply amazing. April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  RaygunV 

Amazing phone!

I was a bit skeptical about purchasing the lumia 900 because a couple of bad reviews (after further research into the reviewers I found they are simply biased towards apple, period) but after owning it for 3 days now I can see they were clearly just looking to "create" issues or make waves. This phone is incredible. The screen is incredible, the construction and ease of use just amazes me every time I pick it up.

At 200 bucks this phone would be worth it, for 100 is it just a give away and wiht the 100 rebate nokia is kicking in for an issue that I have not even come across just says they are serious about windows phone. I think I will actually feel guilty about accepting a 100 rebate from nokia on my AT&T bill. I want them to turn a profit. There are some amazing designers and engineers at that company and our money is what allows them to keep jobs.

Anyway, I don't really know what to say for a review, I just know that the phone, the marketplace, using the zune software, the build are just all I could ever ask for. This thing loads fast, turns on fast, the internet is fast. It just works and works well.

If they make a better version of this phone in a year, it will be akin to polishing a perfect diamond.

Thank you Nokia, Microsoft and AT&T (I just came from verizon)you have done an amazing job!