Beautiful Phone, Great OS (But Not Perfect) November 14, 2012

Reviewer:  P. Jackson 

So you know where I'm coming from: I upgraded to the Lumia 920 from the iPhone 4 that I'd used for two years.

Build Quality:
It's simply beautiful. Beats the iPhone hands down, from my point of view. The matte cyan polycarbonate looks and feels great in-hand along with the slightly curved back. It's a solid device with some heft -- but it's far from the "brick" some reviewers are making it out to be. It weighs just enough to feel solid without being fatiguing when held for long periods.

Only negatives: if you're looking for the absolute lightest and thinnest device on the market, no, this isn't it. Also, the matte finish is a tad slippery, though I've yet to drop it.

Screen:
The screen is simply gorgeous, subjectively speaking. Beats the iPhone 4's screen hands down, and I haven't seen any screen on anyone else's device that looks as good. The 4.5" screen in 1280x768 works great for videos, games, and web-browsing. The super-sensitive touch works great: nails and gloves work no problem. I was disappointed to find that an ordinary, resistive stylus does *not* work (I hate the capacitive styluses, it's like writing with a big, awkward crayon). Clearblack and high brightness combine for very good readability outdoors sunlight.

Camera;
Not much to say that hasn't been said about the camera on every review everywhere. Low-light performance is phenomenal: no other phone camera can match this at night or indoors. Outdoors, photos are a little soft but otherwise on-par with any other flagship smartphone snapper. A firmware update is supposedly incoming to address the softness, and it can easily be correct in about 10 seconds with any basic image editing software if it's a huge deal.

Performance:
The Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 with Adreno 225 simply flies through Windows Phone 8 with no discernible lag or stuttering that I've been able to see. Apps load quickly. The Adreno 225 is more than able to handle to handle the UI and any mobile game. I live in an LTE market and web pages load quickly and apps download almost as fast as my home wired internet.

Battery life seemed sub-par for the first couple of days, but after a few charge cycles the battery seems to have calibrated and I don't have any trouble getting through a day on a single charge. Plus, being able to sit it on the wireless charging plate while I sit at my computer or watch TV works great for keeping the charge up.

Nokia apps:
Nokia Drive is currently in beta, apparently, and I've certainly noticed a quirk or two. The map for my area seems to be a little out-of-date: I live in a newer track of homes, about three years old, and it shows the area as still dirt, and there are a couple of new roads or old roads have been extended which don't show. Hopefully the maps get updated soon. All-in-all, though, it's works well and will be exceptional once all the little quirks are worked out and the map for my area is (hopefully) updated.

Nokia music is a very competent alternative to Pandora. Which is good, since Pandora isn't currently available in the Store.

Creative Studio works very well for doing some basic image adjustments/enhancements: sharpness, color/white balance, crop and rotate, and eliminating red eye.

Those are the only three I currently use.

Operating System:
Here's where things start to get a little more interesting. It would take longer than I have to do a thorough review of Windows Phone 8, so I'll just sum it up: no matter what mobile OS you use, there are trade-offs. There are things WP8 does exceptionally well that iOS simply didn't, and which Android can't either. On the other hand, there are things which are more polished on the other platforms.

Push notifications in particular could use some attention from Microsoft. The Facebook integration is great, but regular Facebook users will still need a dedicated app. Unfortunately, the dedicated Facebook app is behind the iOS one in terms of functionality. You can't do custom tones for messages, emails, or notifications currently, for some reason.

In my opinion, the WP8 does enough things well that I can overlook its flaws. Most are minor things that Microsoft will hopefully address, and none are show-stoppers that prevent me from doing anything I need to do on my phone: communicate, browse the web, watch videos, listen to music, check various things like news/weather/financials, and play the occasional game to pass the time.

There is one big flaw I must mention though: syncing is a bit of a mess. You can no longer use Zune. You have to use Windows Media Player or the new Windows Phone application. The Windows Phone application is half-arsed and no substitute for real syncing software. WMP works OK, but I'm having problems with missing album art and metadata not matching up (resulting in multiple entries for the same album and other oddities). Nothing show-stopping, but Microsoft really needs to offer a real alternative to iTunes. One positive though: the phone will show up as mass storage on your PC and you can move things to and fro via the file browser.

I recommend WP8 to anyone who isn't stuck in the iOS ecosystem (or who is but wants to get out) and doesn't find anything appealing about Android and its open but fragmented mess of an ecosystem.

I recommend this phone in particular to anyone who loves a phone with impeccable, attention-getting design and an absolutely steller screen. It's a pleasure to look at, whether you're simply admiring the phone itself or actually using it.

Excellent Phone November 13, 2012

Reviewer:  Derek Velasquez 

The Lumia 920 by Nokia is an excellent phone. I've read many bloggers complain about the 920's heft, it does weigh more than I'm used to, but that fact aside, this is an excellent phone. The weight of the phone makes it feel like a premium device. With all the extras and app exclusives that Nokia is offering, this phone is unbeatable especially at the price. The PureView camera is fantastic, especially in low light conditions and the lenses feature is fun and easy to use. The camera is one of if not the best camera I've used on a mobile device. The Windows Phone 8 OS is super speedy and runs without any hiccups or freezing and really allows for excellent customization. The unibody shell and the curved glass fit perfectly together and complement Windows Phone 8 excellently. I highly recommend this phone.

Nokia & WP8 = Win! November 14, 2012

Reviewer:  bet your damn skippy 

I recommend the Lumia 920 or at least trying it out. AT&T offers a 14 day exchange, If you don't like it exchange it. As for me once I held this phone I realised it was 100% quality, I now see why Nokia was once king. I'll list some of my favorite features but I know the list will be Long :)

Its the Most durable phone & doesn't need a case
Polycarbonate body
Gorilla glass 2 is crazy strong
Screen with higher pixel and resolution then the iPhone,
high refresh rate so no blur while scrolling,
Automatic screen brightness adjustment
Gloves can be worn to scroll the screen
A excellent 8.7mp camera
low light pictures are unbelievable
Image stabilization
NFC sharing photos, videos or files with friends,future I can see making payments at a store
Wireless charging & USB Charging
This phone has insane performance, windows phone software is very optimized and stable.
Ecosystem that includes my PC and Xbox
No more Itunes!
Nokia exclusive software.
FREE streaming music that play lists can be downloaded over wifi (not to waste plan data)
City Lens, I know every store, shop, restaurant, hotel around me anywhere in the world.
Creative Studio
Nokia Drive
and More (No Junk)

For The tree huggers this phone is 100% recyclable at a recycle center ← everyone should care

Con : apps are less then apple or droid,. There are enough to keep most users satisfied and a lot of alternatives, but it will take awhile till WP8 is up to speed on the apps..

The Best Smartphone Yet November 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Jason Dragon  (Albion, NY USA) -

Pros: HiRes Display, 32 GB, Wireless Charging, Price, Great Camera, SkyDrive, Smooth UI, Skype
Cons: Smaller current market share means fewer apps, but solid prospects for steady improvement

This is one of the most pleasing electronic devices that I have ever used. The hardware feels solid and the OS is smooth and fluid to use. I like how my email, calendar, and OneNote items all stay in sync and the SkyDrive access is great. Everything feels connected whether I'm at home, work, or on the go. The addition of the tight integration of Skype is a feature that I really look forward to using.
I like that there are more choices with Windows Phone 8 than there are with the Apple iPhone. I can choose from several colors, different sizes, and different price points.
I also like that things are more restricted than with Android - in the sense that Samsung, HTC, AT&T, Verizon, etc. aren't free to load all their junk on the phone. When I took my Nokia Lumia 920 out of the box I was quickly able to set things up so that it felt like my phone - not like everyone else's or how the company that I bought it from wanted it to be for me.
I've been surprised how much I like the wireless charging feature. It seemed like a gimmick when I bought the phone, but when I started using it (when I'm in a hurry in the morning and about to fall asleep at night) I quickly realized how great it can be not to have to mess around with a cord.
I tend to keep my phone for a full 2 years, and I've found the Windows Phone OS to do a good job at feeling fresh over this time. It starts feeling fresh and by avoiding the free for all of Android I actually have a chance at getting some prompt OS updates over the life of the phone.
It seems like a real 3 horse race in the smartphone market now. I can't think of a spec where a Windows Phone now comes up short. I really hope that BlackBerry also makes a comeback with their new platform, although I have my doubts given how important the cloud services are these days to the smartphone experience. I think that the more choices there are to choose from the better.

Best of the bunch, for Windows Phone 8 November 14, 2012

Reviewer:  Jonathan Hefner  (Nashville) -

I've been a fan of Nokia since I first had a Lumia 800. That was a sweet device that ran Windows Phone 7. I now own a Lumia 920. I bought it, directly from AT&T (full price) and am running it on StraightTalk. I LOVE THIS PHONE!

The screen is gorgeous, the OS is very fast, it has NFC, and it supports wireless charging! The camera on this phone is amazing in low-light (often a complaint amongst us smartphone camera-philes). It also comes with an EQ that you can enable/disable.

If you are looking for something different from iPhone and Android, then give the Lumia 920 and Windows Phone 8 a try. You won't be disappointed.

Wonderful phone and elegant operating system January 29, 2013

Reviewer:  E. Rankin 

I'm really thrilled with my Lumia 920. So much so, in fact, that I bought 2 more for other members of my family. The camera quality is top notch, the screen is just beautiful, and battery life is acceptable (not great, not bad).

Some folks complain about the weight, but I don't find it heavy at all. It just feels substantial and well made. Really seems like a quality device.

I'm a huge fan of the wireless charging. Just drop it on the charging plate and your done. This is particularly nice when combined with the NFC. I have one of the PowerUp speakers. Just drop it on and the phone starts charging and pairs with the speaker for music playback. Really nice nightstand possibilities here!

It's really more than just the specs though. The phone is just plain attractive. I have had strangers come up and ask me about it. Some are drawn in by the large, bright screen, others by the unique Windows Phone OS.

Speaking of the Windows Phone OS, I'm quite fond of it. It's smooth, stable, and well designed. The lockscreen and live tile support are extremely useful. I'm presently able to get weather forecast, appointments, and even news headlines without opening an app at all!

About the only complaint I can muster is the lack of some key apps. There are alternatives for just about everything so its really not that big a deal. Still it would be nice to have more support from some of the big players. I feel certain this will be less and less of an issue as global market share increases. Windows Phone still has a very small share here in the USA but is growing much more rapidly in other important countries. Really looking forward to the operating system and the ecosystem continuing to grow and mature.

a thing of beauty November 16, 2012

Reviewer:  mahesh 

i am a gadget freak; around the house i have various iphones, an ipad, older nokias (maemo), one android samsung and a wp7 samsung focus. the nokia 920 makes all these other devices look drab and ugly. there's something about the combination of the bright WP8 colors and the solid build quality that elevates this phone to a work of art.

the operating system is a lot of fun; i've spent most of the last two days poking around in its corners, finding new things it's capable of. i am sure i'll eventually get bored with it, but for now i'm finding enough new features to play with (e.g., xbox smartglass, tighter facebook integration, customizable start screen notifications, nokia mapping software that provides turn-by-turn instructions in multiple languages, kids mode, wireless charging, nfc support). the phone is very responsive (dual-core helps!) and so far battery life seems good if not spectacular. The camera is just fantastic, as reviewers have pointed out.

but again, the big surprise for me is not the functionality but the aesthetics of the phone. it's just so darn pretty!

one caveat: this is a big phone! it'll fit in your pocket, but it definitely takes some getting used to. The upside is all the screen real estate.

Worth the wait! November 16, 2012

Reviewer:  phillydet000 

As ridiculous as this launch has been, I have to say this phone is worth the wait.

I'll keep this review and try not to duplicate comments already echoe'd.

My Pros: (outside of the obvious awesome display, camera and overall great UI)

Wireless Charging! - When announced, I knew this was going to be a killer feature. I kept hearing people discount the feature and whine about it only being 70-75% of a normal charge. So what!? To be able to set my phone down for a quick charge in between calls/text/whatever is great!!

New Tile Interface - Windows 7.5 was great, but having the entire ("gutter-less") screen to work with is awesome.

Nokia Apps - This would be a deal breaker for me. I considered the HTC, but not having the Nokia apps was a void for me.

Cons:

This my second Lumia 920. I originally purchased the glossy red (which looks GORGEOUS, but is a finger print MAGNET) and it became unresponsive after about 3-4 hours of normal use. I returned to AT&T and ended up going to my local Microsoft store to purchase the matter Cyan version. Love the matte style. However, I've already had this one freeze once. Had to let the battery die and restart. No problems since, but it a bit of a concern going forward. Especially when I'm trying to sell this new platform to my friends and family. (that's probably when it will happen again, go figure.)

Hope this helps!

An Aesthetic and Technological Marvel November 15, 2012

Reviewer:  Mark L. Dean 

I had a 900, and was eager to get the 920. I knew from the specs and capabilities that it was the most technologically advanced phone available. What I didn't know, before I bought it, was how aesthetically pleasing it is. It is a visual and tactile work of art.

No contest - just go out and buy this phone November 16, 2012

Reviewer:  Gary 

Wow. What an awesome phone! I typically don't write a ton of reviews, but this product really stands out as something special so I wanted to chime in with my own thoughts to add to the many positive reviews that I am seeing already.

This is undoubtedly the best smartphone that I have owned. Big brilliant screen that looks great even in bright sunlight, a fantastic camera that takes exceptional low-light indoor photos, and access to some great free Nokia apps like Nokia Drive and Nokia Music. Navigating the Windows Phone 8 OS is a joy and I like the way I can personalize it. I love the people hub integration with Twitter, Facebook, Linked-in, etc. I also love the kids corner feature so I don't have to worry about my 5 year old daughter messing anything up when she wants to play games on my phone or listen to her music. There is also this Xbox Smartglass feature that is so cool if you happen to own an Xbox. This phone has everything that I want and the price is so amazingly low for a smartphone of this exceptional quality! After using my new phone for nearly a week now, I have no regrets at all and am very happy with my purchase.

I purchased the cyan color phone - I happen to prefer the matt finish on it - it doesn't show fingerprints and it is something different from the standard black that I've always had in the past.

You have probably read reviews out there saying that this phone is too big and heavy. I disagree. Granted the phone has a large beautiful screen that would be a difficult to stuff it into a small pocket, however, I have no problem at all keeping it in the front pocket of my jeans. As for the weight - yes, it does feel a bit dense and would have preferred if it was about an ounce lighter, but you can tell that this phone is exceptionally well made and will be very durable. If you search YouTube and you will find some cool drop test videos and other videos where people test to see how much abuse this phone can take - it is really impressive how this phone can clearly take a beating. Really - the weight is by no means an issue (at least for me) - its a trade off I can completly live with in exchange for some superior features - so don't let that deter you from purchasing. I can tell you that after using the phone for over 4 hours straight last night that I had an indentation in my left pinky from where the phone was resting - possibly contributed to the phones weight, but most likely simply because I just couldn't put this phone down! :)

Battery life has been good. I take the phone off the wireless charger (which is very cool) around 7 AM and with moderate use thoughout the day I still seem to average at least %15 charge left by the time I go to sleep by midnight - this certainly meets my needs. With very heavy use, I suppose you might need a little charge some time during the day to get you through the late evening. I read a few people who claim they were getting barely a half day battery life out of the phone - I am thinking they got defective units because I am having a much different experience.

Are there as many apps available as there are on other platforms? At the moment, clearly the answer is no, but the marketplace seems to be growing rapidly and I have found that there are plenty of apps available to meet all of my top needs. I think this phone is going to be a big hit, so as more people adopt the Windows Phone 8 platform any remaining gaps are going to be filled and I expect that within another year that the app availability to be as good as Android or Apple.

Great hardware and great OS! November 15, 2012

Reviewer:  Jack M  (San Francisco, CA, US) -

The camera on the Nokia Lumia 920 is amazing and the best camera as I typically take photo in darker locations such as restaurants, bars, and clubs. The image stabilization works extremely well and all the photos captured are crystal clear. Using Windows 8 tablet and the phone allows all of my documents, music, video, shared via SkyDrive effortlessly. Oh, and Nokia Drive+ is the best GPS navigation that I've used to date. Of course, I had to get the Cyan Lumia to match my Cyan touch cover for my Surface RT tablet. :)

Awesome phone November 29, 2012

Reviewer:  home "techie geek"  (Chicago, IL) -

Decided to copy my review from the red phone as I I ended up getting a great deal on this and bought three of them in white, blue and red (for my wife, daughter, myself). The wireless charging is amazing and works just like my electric toothbrush, just sit it on a pad (of course mine is the only one still backordered). The blue phone arrived last, red was second to arrive while white came in pretty quick but that's what my wife wanted after seeing the iPhone in white. I don't know why these are unavailable on Amazon although I have heard many stores are also sold out in one color or another. As for AT&T, I was willing to leave and go try Verizon but couldn't pass up on the deal due to my company's discounts on service PLUS I wanted this phone. My nephew also recently gave up his Iphone after many years to go buy a Lumia 920. He was able to move his music collection (from ITunes) with the app for his Mac. He considered Galaxy or Nexus as well and absolutely loves this phone.

How heavy? At first I thought it was heavy when I was trying it out in the store but now I am used to it. No one in the family complaining but know that it's heavier than most smartphones. If you have trouble carrying another 30 grams or so, perhaps look into doing some pushups :).

How sturdy? I also bought a case for my wife but she doesn't use it, the phone seems sturdy enough.

What about the OS? As for the Windows Phone OS, I haven't noticed any showstoppers. The interface is refreshing, fast and fluid. You have to keep the phone to realize how much easier it is to integrate with Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. I haven't explored a new feature called rooms or groups but it seems interesting for a family to stay in sync with shared contacts, calendar, notes etc. almost like an electronic bulletin board. My wife is not technical so will have to see how useful this feature is or if she uses it. Will update the review on this one. As for apps, they keep coming every day and I don't feel like it's limited or what the brouhaha is. The only one I hear about is instagram but I hear its coming.

Critical feature that sold me on this versus alternatives? Nokia Maps. I also considered HTC 8x but felt Nokia had more apps I wanted and I expect better support. One of the best phones I have ever owned was a Nokia and this seems solid. I would consider the 8x if the weight really bothers you but again, we are all used to it already.

Quick review of AT&T stores if I may: AT&T help and knowledge of these products at the store is a hit or miss. When asked what is the difference between 920 and 820, I got, one's bigger than the other. Daaah!!! How about wireless charging built in, the awesome camera (btw pics and video on this are great and much better than my old phone and rival my canon Point and shoot), xbox integration (some of it is gimmicky but man I use it as a remote more than I thought), Nokia music.

What I would have liked to see more of: FM radio but I can live without it. Nothing else comes to mind for now. If you go with an open mind with no preconceived notions (hard to do if you are a fanboy or fangirl), you'll be pleasantly surprised.

To add, 12/1/2012: I wondered if the phone locks do you just wait it for it to die or is there a reset?
I found out at the AT&T store (sorry if I said bad things about you before) you can press volume and power and hold for 5-10 seconds and the device resets (like ctl alt del).

I now need to find a clip so I can attach it to my dash somehow for music and gps. If someone has suggestions, please fire away.

Possibly the best Windows Phone you can get right now April 30, 2013

Reviewer:  Mr Sigma  (United States) -

I purchased this phone primarily for development purposes, and I really do like what I've used of it. The Windows Phone 8 software is quite polished and definitely not the horror it once was during the early adoption days of Windows Phone 7. You can tell that Microsoft really cares about the success of the mobile OS and really is trying.

As far as software goes, Windows Phone 8's app selection is good to fair. You don't get overabundant choices you find on platforms like iOS or Android, but there are at least some choices available. Being an Android user before, the only apps I had trouble replacing include a bank app (my bank only has an iOS app and barely launched an Android app a few months ago), an app compatible with my budgeting software (I usually enter stuff on my desktop for ease of use anyway), and a crossword app I like (Shortyz on Android is simply one of the best apps I've seen at this and none of the current offerings on the WP8 store come close to it). Other than that, everything is either there or has a substitute that works sufficiently. Apps like Pandora on WP8 prove just how great the ecosystem can be when developers put their all into polishing their apps, because the Pandora app is very impressive on it.

There's stuff I would normally get apps to use, but the contact hub is quite good about that. Instead of having to get a Twitter client, I just added a Twitter account under the accounts menu and I can see my status updates at a glance under the "Me" tile. I can even make updates from here. Getting my Google Calendar to properly work on it was quite a challenge, but the problem is on Google's end and I used a workaround that I found with enough searching. As a result, the calendar syncs very nicely with all my appointments. My Gmail shows up quite well, too. But what I love about how Windows Phone 8 ties everything together is the lock screen. This is one of the best lock screens I've ever used on any phone. It is simple, but it's also very configurable and unobtrusive. I can set it up to show me upcoming appointments, unread email messages, missed calls, battery life, and more. To top it off, it also shows me song information when I'm hearing music and offers music controls to skip, rewind, or play/pause.

Oh, but let's talk about music. The phone's built-in music app is very sufficient for the most part, but what really bothers me about it is how it doesn't support FLAC files. I find that annoying because some of my music is in FLAC, so some of my artists are unplayable while the majority (in MP3) are just fine. Sound quality is decent over headphones and the speaker as well. Not anything that blows you away like any HTC phones with the built-in Beats equalizers (if I'm not mistaken, the 8X has it as well), but it's very decent nonetheless.

The hardware is impressive. I love the choice in colors, considering that Windows Phones usually offer several colors while Apple and Android usually offer a choice of black or white. I chose the cyan color. It's kind of a candy-blue hue, and the polycarbonate casing feels nice with just the right level of heft. This isn't a cheap phone; it feels nice to use and hold. On the side are volume rockers, power, and (get this) a dedicated camera button. You never see that in phones anymore.

But the camera? It's great. I took a few photos with it and I was very impressed with the results. It also rivals the HTC One when it comes to low light photo quality. They both take slightly different photos in day, but the difference between low light photos on both phones is still debatable. The camera sits nice and flush in the back and does not protrude in any way, which is a plus. I also like the bezel. It's black and feels like it's overflowing from the case, but it's very shiny and comparable to clear obsidian rock. Just holding it and touching it feels great, and Nokia put effort into making the touch screen usable by people with gloves on (which seems to be a problem many other smartphones have with people living in colder climates).

Something else I really liked about this phone is the wireless charging. When I first got the phone, it was completely dead, and I did find it faster to charge it by USB, but for day to day charging, the wireless charging option is very convenient. Just put your phone on the Nokia wireless charging pad (I think it's sold separately; mine was included in a bundle I purchased outside Amazon) and forget about it.

If you're on the market for a Windows Phone at all, or you're somebody itching to try something other than iOS or Android, this is a great phone to take a look at. If you like Nokia, are using an existing Windows Phone 7.5 phone, or just want a middle ground between Apple and Google, this is definitely a great phone to try. I would also highly recommend this phone to people who like the Microsoft ecosystem (Outlook, OneNote, etc.), or want a smartphone but aren't so crazy about using apps.

People usually put down Windows Phones because the OS is "still getting there", but I'd say that's more of an issue in the past year or two. Windows Phone 8 is definitely picking up steam and getting better with each passing day. It's definitely more solid than it once was.

Best phone I have ever had my hands on. December 9, 2012

Reviewer:  Jason M Antolik 

I've had the opportunity to spend time with almost every smartphone on the market. This is the best phone I have ever had in my hands. The build quality is superb and highly durable when compared to its peers. It fits very well in the palm of your hand thanks to its curvature. The screen is a gorgeous 720p display with deep blacks, vibrant colors, and a 60hz refresh rate that's buttery smooth.

Nokia threw every feature in this beast they could think of. Optical Image Stabilization, which allows the phone to compensate for tiny movements and also makes it possible for this device to take low-light photos you will not believe. It has HAAC microphones for recording sound up to 140db. If you every have the desire to record at a concert, this phone will give you the best audio hands down. Wireless charging, super-sensitive screen that can be used with gloves, NFC... I think I hit them all, but I may have missed something.

Seriously, unless the size is a deal-breaker, or if you need to have Pandora or Instagram RIGHT NOW, then I strongly advise you to check this handset out. Nokia's craftsmanship rivals that of Apple's.

Awesome phone, awesome price! November 23, 2012

Reviewer:  Dang 

The phone has been amazing! I switched from iPhone 4 and iPad, and now I'm loving this Lumia 920. Everything is fast quick and so human. My first phone had a couple of issues but was quickly given a replacement and it has been wonderful. Love WP8 love the Lumia. Would recommend to everyone.

A very capable smartphone May 22, 2013

Reviewer:  daniel_leavitt2000 

I purchased the Lumia 920 in November, along with a free wireless charger. After using several Windows Phone 7 series of devices, this was my first experience with Windows Phone 8 and with Nokia smartphones. After several months with the phone, I feel this is one of the best smartphones on the market for what I need.

Build quality:
The phone features a one piece polycarbonate plastic body and a curved Gorilla Glass screen. There are four buttons along the right side and virtually nothing else. The phone never looks busy like devices from Samsung or Motorola. The build is excellent, with little to no gaps anywhere on the device. If Apple had focused on plastics instead of glass and metal, I imagine the quality would be about the same.

My phone survived multiple drops, tosses and pockets with keys. It is about as rugged as anything I have used before. Which is good, because this phone is massive. I cannot wear it in a back pocket and sit down. It feels a bit like a micro-tablet with its large flat surfaces. I don't feel the phone is too big to be usable, but its size is something you notice.

Hardware:
The 920 uses a dual core Snapdragon processor, LTE, 1GB of ram and 32GB of internal memory. The phone feels very quick; loading times for apps is often less than a second. Even the most complex games will start up in 15-20 seconds. This is a huge improvement over previous Windows Phones.

The rear camera is 8.7MP, and can record 1080p video. The camera takes excellent night shots and features optical image stabilization, only found on high end Nokia phones.

The screen is 4.5 inches and has a resolution of 1280 x 768. Although this screen uses an LCD instead of AMOLED technology, the blacks are very dark and the colors are crisp. Video motion is very smooth; much smoother than any other smartphone I have seen. Viewing in direct sunlight is no problem either.

The only down side to the screen is that it feels thick; your thumb seems to float above the display rather than actually touching the pixels as on some AMOLED displays. I think this may be due to the front glass not being optically bonded to the LCD panel. The other issue is that the viewing angle is a bit narrower than I am used to. This is no problem in daily use, but when viewing the screen at an extreme angle (like looking at the caller ID when in bed) can be problematic. Even with these faults, the screen is easily the best I have used on a phone.

Software:
The phone comes with Windows Phone 8, which is a unique take on a smart phone operating system. Tiles populate the start screen and act in the same way widgets do in Android. Some provide up to date weather, others display notifications for apps you have installed. The tiles are customizable and very intuitive.

Nokia also packs in extensive navigation software with their phones. You will never need a GPS or be required to purchase software. The on-board navigation features offline maps for most of the world, supports multiple languages and is very accurate.

I like WP8 a lot, but I ran into one major issue. At one point, the camera flash stopped working. Thinking it may have been a software issue, I reset my phone, but the reset crashed halfway through. I contacted AT&T and they sent out a replacement phone within a few days. I am not sure what caused the error, but I am glad it was under warrantee. I doubt this was a hardware problem and may be something to do with a recent software update the phone received.

Overall, I think this is a better feeling phone than anything put out by Sony, Samsung, LG or Motorola. The software is fun and easy to understand. There are a lot of great games and apps out there to use and the camera and screen are among the best. There is room for improvement though - thinner profile, wider viewing angles, Micro-SD card support are a few at the top of the list.

Best Windows Phone as of early 2013 May 18, 2013

Reviewer:  rpv  (San Francisco, CA) -

Windows 8 apps are a welcome change from iOS. Among the three ecosystems, I prefer Android, Windows 8, and iOS in that order. Blackberry, what ?! For ease of use, Windows phone is really easy to use. For someone interested in a first smartphone, Lumia 920 is an excellent choice. I got access to few Windows 8 phones to review. I will try to review them, but since I have not used for a period longer than a month I am not reviewing for reliability. User interface in Windows 8 is very pleasing and this is one of best phones with awesome user experience. If you prefer great user experience over infinite hackability, aka Android, then Windows 8 phones are great choice.

The Lumia 920 has a stunning 4.5" IPS LCD, 1280x768 resolution, 332 ppi display. This phone has up to 32 GB storage and 1 GB RAM. 8.7 MP camera and a 1080p HD Video. 1.5 GHz dual core processor. I have extensively used in the past HTC Titan I and II which is pre Windows 8 (7.5) and I was surprised it has become more buttery smooth now. This phone has Gorilla Glass 2. Glass 3 is in the making and supposed to be even better. Stating following because this is highly underrated in reviews. From Corning's Gorilla Glass specs; WHAT MAKES GORILLA GLASS SO DAMAGE RESISTANT? The unique composition of Gorilla Glass allows for a deep layer of high compressive stress (created through an ion-exchange process). This compression acts as a sort of "armor," making the glass exceptionally tough and damage resistant. Ion exchange is a chemical strengthening process where large ions are "stuffed" into the glass surface, creating a state of compression. Gorilla Glass is specially designed to maximize this behavior.

Lumia 920 does not support microSD expansion. I always feel this is a bummer. But with 32GB it is plenty with current app ecosystem. These phones seem to be copying iPhone philosophy. Battery 2000 mAh Lithium polymer battery (Compared to a high end Android Galaxy Note II, which has a battery of 3100 mAh Battery.) Unlike the Nokia Lumia 820, the Lumia 920 doesn't have a removable battery cover, which means you can't access or replace your battery. __Not having a storage expansion slot is a bummer for lot of people! Not being able to remove battery is a double bummer.__ For me, storage expansion and removal of battery is very important, so I was disappointed. This is the downside the unibody design. Wireless charging is a big plus, though!

Phone quality was excellent and speakerphone was awesome. Nice to see built in active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic. Nice to see Lumia 920 has Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth low energy (BLE), known as WiBree, is a subset of Bluetooth v4.0 with an entirely new protocol stack. As an alternative to the Bluetooth standard protocols that were introduced in Bluetooth v1.0 to v3.0, it is aimed at very low power applications running off a coin cell. I was able to get excellent reception with Bluetooth headset, [[ASIN:B003TO52A2 Jaybird Sportsband Stereo Bluetooth Headphone - Bulk Packaging - Midnight Black]] and [[ASIN:B00AIRUOI8 JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones - Midnight Black]] All the usual smartphone stuff, facebook, twitter, music, emails etc are all excellent. It is only the third party apps that are lacking in some arenas. If you are Microsoft heavy like Office suites, Lumia phone are awesome!

Apps are limited in Windows 8 marketplace. Yes, we have heard this a gazillion times. Lumia has GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support. I tried with Garmin Navigon app which turned out to be great in giving voice directions. App ecosystem is a chicken and egg situation. Unless more phones are sold, developers don't have incentives to write apps. Apps are less now, because people are not buying in big droves. Windows Phone is now (early-mid 2013) the third-leading mobile phone platform, more than tripling its market share year-over-year. One recent report I read Android and iOS are ahead in games with 162.1 and 37.4 million shipments in 1Q13 and Windows phone came in 7 million. This is more than double from previous year. I really hope for Windows 8 platform to surge ahead because having a 3 way competition with iOS and Android is good for the ecosystem.

ONE LINE SUMMARY: The Nokia Lumia 920 is certainly the best Windows Phone 8 smartphone on the market right now.

Phenomenal Phone May 7, 2013

Reviewer:  David Tjalsma 

I've been an iPhone user for almost my entire cellular life. I started to get bored with it after the iPhone 4 however. Nothing against the iPhone - it's got an amazing build quality with a vast marketplace.

However, I found that I needed something more from the user interface and phone "experience". The iOS seems, quite simply put, archaic at this point. Again, nothing against it. It's a very stable and easy to use operating system....but the Windows Phone 8 OS is more stable and easier to use, at least in my opinion.

Most of the "must have" apps from the iOS marketplace are now on the Windows Phone marketplace. The ones that are not here have many MANY alternatives.

The camera is phenomenal, the build-qualtiy is great, the super-sensitive screen is amazing and can be used with gloves on, and the Xbox Live games are finally hitting their stride and it's fun to earn achievements on the go. Nokia Music is awesome and Nokia Drive has been a life safer for me - almost literally.

I could go on and on with my own personal preferences and opinions. What it comes down to is that when I use a Windows Phone 8 device, I feel like I am seeing the beginning of the "future" of a cellular phone operating system instead of looking to the past.

Great phone but lack of apps and accessories December 6, 2012

Reviewer:  Airone 

Nothing to complain about the phone. I love it especially the big screen! It looks great and feels great. Screen resolution is unbelievable. Overall, I am liking the phone, but there are few things that prevented me from giving it a 5 stars.

1.The absence of headphones from the package. I don't get it. Seems to be very intuitive, but somehow Nokia decided not to include one.

2.Very easy to bring up bing search by accident. It's just the way how the buttons are laid out and the touch sensitivity of the phone. Even after I turned down the sensitivity to normal, it's still very easy to switch to bing search unintended.

3.No mute switch on the phone. You will have to turn the vibrate on from setting first, then press volume control, then you will be able to switch between vibrate and ring + vibrate. If you want it to be just silent and no vibrate, then you will have to go back to setting and set vibrate to off. Seems to be more work than needed.

4.The screen does scratch easily. I was being very careful, but I still saw fine scratch through light reflection after first day of use from fingers?

5.This one derived from 4. I tried to look for accessories (screen protector & case) for the phone at bestbuy, and I couldn't find any. Amazon has some stuff, but very limited, too. The only place sells Lumia 920 accessories in store is AT&T, and you know what that means, you going to pay premium over it. The speck candy shell case is priced at 38, and screen protector is 25. I needed the screen protector so I shelled out 25 + tax, and decided to go naked on the phone.

6.Lack of apps. Some apps is very important to some people. My wife also got the phone, but when she found out that whatsapp is not available on windows 8 phone yet, she is not so happy. I think microsoft needs to do something about it if they are serious about windows phone.

The phone itself is great, but the lack of accessories and apps might hold people back from switching. However, I have no regret. I am very happy with the big screen this phone has to offer. I can wait on everything else.

Incomplete Bluetooth Support April 12, 2013

Reviewer:  Joaquin Menchaca  (San José, CA USA) -

I will try to keep this short, I found that this phone (and all Win8 Phones) do not support Bluetooth keyboards. I wanted to have a mini keyboard to use this to type some notes, as it has Office and OneNote. Both Nokia and AT&T hide this little known fact that all keyboards are not supported with Bluetooth, as Microsoft deemed it not important I suppose. I talked with folks at Microsoft Store, and they told me that users are just suppose to browse or touch up documents, not really create new content on the phone.

There are numerous other problems (I'm sure cited by other users), and the many applications one would expect to be commonplace, either don't exist or have really flawed implementations, such as having a lot of UX design flaws and huge missing functionality. The list is so huge, I could write a book. One that stood out is using e-mail: You have to configure a new application per email (yahoo, gmail, etc.) and so it isn't integrated into one app. Additionally, you can ONLY have one application per type of account, so if you had two Yahoo accounts (one for spam, one for friends, etc.) then you can only choose one of them. Thus the Yahoo email app only works with one Yahoo account.

So while other systems allow you to browse all your e-mail through a single application, Microsoft forces you to use a single application per e-mail account, and only one of the same account. Essentially, Microsoft violates the path of least surprise (using what we know to work well), has poor implementation with major gaps that lack functionality, and poor user interface and experience to boot across the board, especially in e-mail.

Combine this the fact that you cannot use bluetooth keyboards (or other HID devices like joysticks) despite advertising bluetooth is support (and how they all sort of hide the fact from users), this leaves a very distasteful experience...