Just beautiful May 1, 2012

Reviewer:  Zack88 

When you first see this phone in person you'll be stunned by it's beauty! Not only is the phone beautiful but so is the OS.

LUMInAry! April 21, 2012

Reviewer:  Andrew D. Lossing "Go real."  (Coquille (nowhere-ville), OR, USA) -

For starters, I've been with Windows Phone since shortly after its release; it was a natural progression from the oft-mocked but secretly delightful Zune platform (RIP). It has been a journey not without its bumps. Windows Phone has had to claw its way into the smartphone market, and its continued existence is due purely to Microsoft's doggedness. It's not as if WP has nothing new to offer. It's a simple market fact that people tend to be happy with only two to three options in any category, especially in the technology marketplace. Witness the longtime twosome of Windows vs. Mac operating systems, with Linux running a distant third. There are plenty of other examples.

Windows Phone has finally wrestled its way into the scuffle, though, and it's a very good thing. It offers an extremely stable operating environment, surprisingly good performance even on mid-grade hardware which would choke an Android phone, integration into the fuller Microsoft user experience, such as Xbox Live, Office, and Zune Pass ($10 a month for unlimited streaming and downloading music, cheap enough to never feel the urge to pirate), and a user interface that is just fun and beautiful, and oh-so refreshing when compared to Apple and Android UIs.

And now, This great phone OS (operating system) finally (it cannot be stressed enough, FINALLY!) has a great piece of hardware to run on, something which expresses the same aesthetic and value system that the OS does. The phone is, first off, a terrific piece of engineering, a beautiful, industrial block with rounded sides which make it a joy to hold and use, with a stunning OLED screen which is easy to see even in bright daylight. Every aspect of the hardware is as good as you'd expect classic Nokia to put out. The phone's slimness and light weight, combined with the grippy matte finish, makes it as effortless in the physical space as the WP platform makes controlling and navigating the phone.

I mentioned the bumpy road to WP excellence; primarily it has been the lack of very good hardware. Previously I've been using an LG Quantum, a well-made phone but one which understood nothing, so to speak, of the Windows Phone way. None of the 1st-generation phones on offer for WP met its needs for a champion, and so far I believe Nokia is the only one to understand the OS, which is fine considering Nokia has pledged its whole cause to Microsoft. Together, they're performing an almost phoenix-like rise from the ashes, though it remains to be seen how far upwards they will be able to go. At this point in time, however, they have the perfect phone and OS for me.

There are some rocks remaining in the road: apps still haven't met the availability of Android and iPhone. This is mostly the fault of app developers, but it is actually a complex issue. Accelerating the development of WP apps takes Microsoft's evangelizing, user adoption, market acceptance, and plain old time. That is why people looking for Draw Something won't be able to find it (yet) on WP, and if your life revolves around installing cutting-edge, popular apps as soon as they've entered the public consciousness, you might be disappointed, for awhile. But WP doesn't get enough credit for what it does have, the aforementioned Microsoft product integration, which will only improve with the release of Windows 8, which takes numerous design principles straight from Windows Phone, and wants to augment the phone experience in some interesting ways.

In summation, I'd consider this to be the emergence of the first Windows Phone champion, the "iPhone" of Windows Phones. In fact, Nokia may well become the only WP manufacturer that really takes the limelight, and that's perfectly okay with me, while other companies will still offer another take on the WP for those who don't find Nokia's offerings to suit their needs. Essentially, we might see WP embrace the best of both iPhone and Android, with the seamless user experience of the former combined with the choice of the latter. Such can only be a good thing, and positions them to be a worthy "third" in a battle that has, until now, been a two-player game.

Can't get this phone out of my hand April 20, 2012

Reviewer:  Jason 

I was intrigued by the Lumia 900, but was planning on holding off to see the next model later in the year. But after seeing the price (especially after the $100 credit), I just couldn't pass it up.

This phone is stunning. It looks great, with a sleek design and the colors really pop. The clearblack screen actually does what it promises, as the colors look just as great in direct sunlight.

But more importantly is how great this phone feels. I feel like when I got my first cell phone so many years ago, I just can't put the phone down. I was worried the 4.3 inch screen would be bulky, but after about 5 minutes, it felt like this is the size cell phones should've always been.

Everything about this phone is top notch - great call quality, extremely fast and responsive OS, great battery life, and the beautiful build of the phone itself. Really impressed with the Nokia apps (particularly Nokia Drive, Creative Suite, Nokia Transit) in the marketplace as well.

Love it.

What a great device!!! April 16, 2012

Reviewer:  AsH "AsH"  (Miami, FL) -

First of all buyers should be aware of the data bug issue.. Nokia fixed this on April 16th so if your device came with an older version, you have to use Zune to update the firmware.. This process will take 20 minutes and you have just to click next and wait.

I do not want to mention the great things this device offer, everyone know that the built quality, call quality, design , ...etc is A++++, so I just want to mention the things that i did not like:

+ I wish there is an LED indicator that will tell you if you have a notification like a text message, email ...etc while the screen is off.

+ The Micro USB Charger is on the top!!! really!! this mean if you have micro USB charger cradle you have to flip the phone upside down :)

Overall I think this phone is a great great device and I think WP7 is the most usable and informative OS you can use.. Android is buggy and memory/power monster and iOS is pretty much useless in the home screen.

And for the Apps I know that WP7 has only 70K now but for an adult it already has my main apps from Banking, credit cards, news, social networking ..etc so i do not care if they do not have angry birds space..

And for all WP7 haters,,I had HTC Evo since launch and I bought my ipad over a year now, so i used both OS before trying WP7.

Amazing Phone and worth my wait April 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Alchemic  (Northern Arizona) -

Okay so I had a Samsung focus that I cracked the screen on over 5 months ago and had the chance to upgrade during christmas to the focus S. I saw the lumia 800 and fell in love. I figured I would wait to see if the 800 was to come to the USA. Once the 900 was announced, nothing was going to make me change my mind otherwisw, I was going to wait.

Well I'm glad I did cause this phone is so dang nice and beyond a head turner. The screen is so large and much more vibrant the the focus I had. The speed is fast and does not lag out at all. Why get a quad core when you don't need it in my opinion, it's not a pc. The camera has some great features and is premium in the field of point and shoot for everyday use. I know the Titan 2 has 16mp but if I need to go that high then I might as well get a professional camera.

In the way of apps I know the selection is lower then apple and android but the os has only been out a year and a half. Everything takes time and all the apps I need are there. I mean, I have 50+ apps on my ipod and only use maybe 15 consistantly. All of which I have on my phone.

The only real complaint I had was that my data was not working out of the box. It is a software issue that att and nokia are aware of and is being fixed with an update on Monday (16th). Furthermore, nokia is giving everyone who got the phone before the 22nd a $100 credit to their bill for the issue. So the phone is free!!! So yeah, well worth it.

Awesome Phone :) April 10, 2012

Reviewer:  Paul Katz  (District of Columbia, United States) -

Picked mine up yesterday for $100. Went to a Microsoft Store as I wanted to keep my current data plan. That said, Amazon has some sweet deals for those signing up for new plans.

The screen is gorgeous, and the speed is a huge bump-up over generation-one Windows Phones. I live in Washington DC, where AT&T's LTE network is respectable, and I've never gotten faster mobile internet.

Tough to argue with getting Nokia Drive, a free voice-enabled GPS :)

Awesome Phone April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  bGrader 

Big and bright screen even in direct sunlight. Windows Phone OS is refreshing and smooth. Live tile notification is very accurate and time saver. IE browser is very fast on 4G LTE and the renders the webpages very nicely. I have a SharePoint site and work and I have smooth integration with the SharePoint site and I can now update my documents (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote) from my phone and publish it back to the SharePoint with a click. SkyDrive automatically backs up all my documents and photos onto the cloud so I don't have to worry about my photos and personal stuff if I lose my phone. I just found out that you can go to the windows phone site ([...]) and login to find, ring, lock or erase your personal data on the phone. That's so cool! Xbox integration with Xbox companion app is icing on the cake.
Lumia 900 camera pictures are great especially outside and lowlight pictures. Even though the screen is huge it feels nice and comfortable holding it on in the pocket. Nokia has done an excellent job with the overall phone look and feel.

The Phone to get. April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  Manzoor Elahi "meelahi"  (New York, NY) -

I am loving this phone way too much to give a completely objective review. But I can tell you something.

The black of the screen is so dark that you almost cannot distinguish it from the bezel! Its awesome! On a more technical term, the black part of the screen literally does not consume any power, and as windows phone has more black than any other color in its UI, the battery life gets a significant boost from it.
LTE is awesome. My LTE speed is almost as much as I get in my home by WiFi! YouTube in HQ!
The front-facing camera is amazing. If video chat has any preference at all, this is the phone to get. I am comparing to HTC Titan.
The build quality! If anyone is not familiar with Nokia's build quality, they can buy this phone eyes closed. Easily the best built phone in market. It lives up to Nokia's standard easily.
The phone feels really superior to hold. The side of the phone is rounded, not boxy or edgy, so its really easy to hold. And the texture of the poly-carbonate body makes thing even sweeter.
Fantastic call quality. Nokia held up to their reputation in call quality. The positioning of the external speaker allows you to listen to music or talk on speakerphone regardless of which side of the phone is facing up.

If you are buying this under contract, I challenge anyone to find a better deal than this phone at under $100/$50. This is not a flawless phone, but if you look at the price, it blows all other phones out of the water.

BUY THIS PHONE.

Gorgeous Device April 10, 2012

Reviewer:  SM "SM"  (Brooklyn, NY) -

The Lumia 900 is really a great device. The design is simply the best you can find in a smart phone at the moment and while the display doesn't meet those of higher end droids and iPhones the Clear Black Display is stunning. The Live Tiles float on the surface and the colors pop making the experience a pleasure to look at.

The Windows Phone OS has some shortcomings yet remains ahead of its peers in terms of smoothness, integration with social networking services, microsoft ecosytem (skydrive, office, zune, messenger, etc) and its futuristic typograhic metro user interface. The lack of many major apps may be a draw back for some but it is not a deal breaker for me and I suspect countless others as the windows phone marketplace has over 80, 000 apps.

The camera is where the Lumia 900 falls short for me. I am not terribly impressed with the photos. Either they're too dark, noisy or grainy, You may have to fiddle with the settings to get some acceptable shots.

Overall the Lumia is without a doubt the best Windows Phone in the market today. Sound quality is excellent, the device feels solid and exudes quality. My overall score is 8/10 But I am increasing it to 8.5 on pricing. You just can't beat and LTE smartphone of this caliber for $0 - $100.

PS. I crossed posted this short review on the verge as well.

Best phone I've ever used April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  Russell Kuhl  (Wakefield, MA United States) -

I was an iPhone and Android user prior to the Windows Phone launch late in 2010. I bought a Windows Phone (it was the Samsung Focus on AT&T) when it launched and was very happy. I put my iPhone in a drawer and haven't taken it out since. Now I've moved on to the Lumia 900 and am even happier. The phone's hardware is solid and very well thought out - - though I do wish they'd put the power/lock button on top instead of on the side...

The phone is very responsive and the screen is very good. Despite the size of the screen, I don't think the phone feels especially large or bulky. In fact, it's very thin and pretty light, too. (I find the iPhone 4s to be heavy and blocky.)

The built-in apps are very good, especially the email interface. It's much better than the email apps on iPhone or Android. When compared to an iPhone, there's a ton more screen real-estate that's available for actually reading your emails since iOS takes up a lot of screen room with navigation buttons. Deleting, filing, etc. are also a lot easier to do.

Speaking of Apps, there are a few big ones out there (like Pandora) that don't exist for Windows Phone (yet) but almost all the ones I want are there. There are now 80,000 apps in the Windows Marketplace and (according to Forbes) it grew at an average of 340 apps per day in March. So, personally, I don't see this as an issue. All the apps I want, I've got (no, I personally don't use Pandora!),

The 4G performance is great and it has tethering (optional with AT&T), too.

All in all, it's a winner. I haven't found anything to complain about with the phone. (I pre-ordered mine and got in 4/6 so I've had a few days to use it.)

Great phone April 9, 2012

Reviewer:  Book worm 

I have gotten my Lumia 900(blue/Cyan) this morning and I totally love it.
It is a great phone and I initially that I had data issues like a few users mentioned but mine was a case of AT&T forgetting to transfer data plan from my previous phone.

THE BEST PHONE!!!!! May 31, 2012

Reviewer:  Aregito 

I've been loyal Nokia customer all my life. And I just wanna tell you guys this is an amazing phone from Nokia. Moreover, some Nokia users will say that the were tired of the Symbian OS, and now as this is Windows phone, I must tell works better than any Symbian. U just can't beat NOKIA. It was the first company that started to produce cellphone and since then it was the best, is the best and will be the best :D Just don't think more, this is defiantly what you want to buy!!!!!

Happy convert from Android May 22, 2012

Reviewer:  roastbeefalo "roastbeefalo"  (Cleveland, OH) -

I previously used a Sony Experia and a Motorola Bravo, both running Android. I can say that I am very pleased with having switched to this phone. I would have seriously considered waiting for the HTC One X, but the price on this phone could not be beat for comparable phones. I also regularly use my wife's iPhone. I think Windows Phone compares very favorably with iPhone as well. Among other features, the live tiles are very nice and the contacts/facebook integration is fantastic. Overall, I am very pleased with the switch. As to apps, the only app I had to have was Good for my work email. Once that came to Windows Phone, I made the switch. Most other apps I use are available.

Awesome OS, Awesome Phone May 22, 2012

Reviewer:  Karate Dad 

I have owned a lot of smart phones over the past couple years, including an iPhone, and a couple Android phones. I recently bought the Nokia Lumia 900, and I really love it. First off, it is a beautiful device, feels great in the hand, yet is very durable. Second, it is just so quick and easy to use. Compared to Android, it is night and day easier and quicker. I was always so frustrated with my phone before, and now I love it. I find myself using it more and more all the time.

I was recently in New Jersey, and got to try the LTE, and to say I was impressed is an understatement. The LTE service was so fast, I couldn't believe it. I was seeing 18Mbps download speeds!

Excellent Design, Build Quality, and Operating System (Windows Phone) May 18, 2012

Reviewer:  L.R.C. 

So far, this is the most beautiful phone I have ever owned! So much more beautiful that the latest iPhone or Android device. The build quality of the Lumia 900 is excellent! It has a premium feel, and it feels good in the hand. Most importantly, it runs on what I feel is the most well-thought and well-designed phone operating system: Windows Phone 7.5. It's so fast and fluid, my friends and co-workers were so impressed that many have already switched to Windows Phone. And of all the Windows Phones out in the market, the Lumia 900 is easily the best. If you decide on buying one, you won't be disappointed! :)

AMAZING May 5, 2012

Reviewer:  Richard K. Summers "Kevin"  (Austin, TX) -

I've had an iphone, an android phone and now a windows phone and I wouldn't trade this one in for anything else right now. The OS is so fluid. No hiccups, no crashes, no nothing. Battery life is great even with everything turned on. Keyboard is great, apps are great, screen is amazing. Can't say I've found a single flaw yet. Give it a try and you'll be blown away how well this phone works. I was a total skeptic about buying anything Windows related but it looks like they finally got something right.

Nice Phone from Nokia May 4, 2012

Reviewer:  sunder 

I upgraded from Iphone 4 to Lumia 900 and so far the phone appears to be pleasing me. Hardware wise phone is excellent. OS looks pretty fast with only exception being the unavailability of major apps.

For the first 2 days of having this phone, I thought I should return it and go back to Iphone. But as I keep using this phone my impression is changing and now I don't want to return it for sure. Was waiting on SIII launch and it came out with 4.8" screen which is way big for me to carry and use as a phone. So, no SIII.

I hope Microsoft will take up building the eco system seriously. Without that Nokia/Windows OS can't win hearts !!

Won't look back April 21, 2012

Reviewer:  Ex-iPhoner 

At first I was very cautious about going over the Windows phone environment, but not at all disappointed, even after being with practically every iPhone since 2007. This phone is definietely helping with the process, it's smooth, responsive, and even though the screen is not ultra high resolution, I can't seem to find any one place where I miss retina display. Don't get me wrong, Apple's technology is top notch, I just don't think I'll miss it from now on since the Lumia so far has done everything beautifully with a lower resolution. Besides that, many people seem to bring out the lack of more apps, but the apps I use are there and the phone handles them beautifully. I am really impressed with the phone, the color (Cyan), and the operating system.

Absolutely Stellar Phone! April 18, 2012

Reviewer:  Benjamin T  (Boston) -

All I can say is this is truly the only phone that has covered all its bases in terms of having close to no shortfalls. It's easy to fall to cliche and say that it is better than the iPhone, but it TRULY is better than the iPhone in my opinion. Despite being a locked AT&T phone, there is extreme elasticity in terms of being able to personalize the device. From endless free apps, to absolutely seamless xbox live/facebook/twitter/email integration, this phone has surpassed all expectations. To boot, the phone was $50!(And before the 21st of April there is a rebate for $50 to $100 on top of that!

The hardware is absolutely magnificent, feeling like the $500 phone that it really is(unlocked) and feeling like the supreme quality that has become associated with Nokia over the years.

Furthermore, there are things like Nokia maps, Nokia drive, and Nokia transit that will give you voice directions on how to get places by car, public transportation or just plain maps(FREE).

The voice recognition software is by far the best that I have ever used in my experiences. Not only did it understand me, but it understood my heavily-accented dad's accent! You can even send a message by only having to press one button. With it, you can also search the internet, call a contact, open an app, etc. -Far better speech recognition than Siri-
The three dedicated buttons are absolutely fantastic and crucial. One takes you back one screen, one takes you to the home screen, and one takes you straight to searching for whatever you want!

The speed of this phone is insane, particularly with the 4G LTE feature which truly is faster. Between screens, opening apps, etc.l, this phone is enormously fast.

Overall, the integration that this phone has, between apps and websites truly pushes far above any phone on the market today!

I LOVE MY PHONE!

Loving this phone! April 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Vito 

I have two Xbox consoles at home, a Zune PASS account for music, an Exchange account at work, and an Office 365 account for my personal use. I have to say, the integration that this phone provides is absolutely amazing.

I can download all of the music I want on my Xbox consoles, my Lumia 900, and my computer. I can remotely control my Xbox consoles with my Lumia 900. The calendar and task management is far superior than anything I've seen with Andriod and iPhone (and I used three iPhones over 3.5 years). I have complete access to my SharePoint accounts, both at work, and through Office 365. I can also VPN in and remote-desktop into any of the servers at work.

I have about 40-50 apps installed, and I'm not feeling like I'm missing anything major. I can even control my heating and air-conditioning, my lights, and my front door with my Lumia 900! (Grasshopper app).

I can't imagine this phone not catching fire, and am looking forward to the many updates coming to us in Windows Phone 8.

-Vito