2 Weeks With A Windows Phone....

.....a Nokia Lumia 900, no less. Why is this important? Well, the current mobile phone market is dominated by iOS (Apple) and Android (Google - through manufacturers such as Samsung, Motorola, LG etc..), Microsoft and Nokia are currently beavering away to match or better the market leaders and gain a larger slice of the smartphone pie. The more competition, the more likely companies are likely to innovate and that means we all win.

With that in mind, Nokia were kind enough to send across a Lumia 900 to see if I could live 
with one in lieu of my beloved HTC OneX. Now, the thing to bear in mind here is what operating system the phone is running. Bear with me, it's a little geeky. Windows Phone 8 has just been launched and the new Lumia 920 is on sale from this weekend. This phone, the Lumia 900, was the flagship in Nokia's range. It came running Windows Phone 7.5 and will be updated in the future to WP 7.8. But, it will never get Windows 8, nor any of the latest Windows 8 apps. Phew! Right, have you got that? Good.

So, where does this phone fit in the market place? After using it for the two weeks, I can safely say there is a place, just not quite where you, or Nokia, expect it to be.

"A Finnish slice of fresh air, cutting through an otherwise stale market place."

First of all, the phone looks brilliant. It's a Finnish slice of fresh air, cutting through an otherwise stale market place. The bold colours (blue as tested) combined with the bleeding edge profile combine to make a phone that really does stand out for all the right reasons. It's not just the exterior styling too, as the user interface is like something out of a 70's Star Trek episode. Only more forward thinking and minus the tape deck...

The phone itself, in terms of hardware, is very powerful. The phone zips along and is very snappy, but you get the impression that Windows Phone 7 isn't quite so speedy. For instance, multi-tasking feels a step backwards and jumping from one app to another can be laborious. When you do open an app, for instance Twitter, the design is once again dripping with cool. The Windows theme across all apps really is a joy to behold. Nothing is as distinctive and I found myself smiling at the design touches within certain apps (to which people thought I was a bit mad..)


Then again, the apps aren't always as they seem. Yes, there is Spotify on there, but it is clearly an older version of the app compared with versions on other platforms. The same can be said of Twitter and Foursquare. Most apps I found even display old company logos and fonts that have long been superseded. So while all the apps that 99% of users require are on the store, if you are swapping from say an iPhone 3GS/4 or a 18 month old Android phone, e.g. HTC Desire or Desire HD that is just out of contract, you may have to use older versions of the same apps on the Lumia 900.

"The design, the ergonomics and the hardware power are all top notch."

That said, the phone itself is brilliant. The design, the ergonomics and the hardware power are all top notch. Then there is also the camera. If you want a phone to use as your primary snapping device, there are few phones, if any, that are as good as the Lumia 900. You don't get that horrible "white-eye" effect when the flash is used, there is a dedicated camera button which launches the app straight away and image quality (for a phone) is class-leading. Nokia clearly haven't lost the knack for making a fine piece of hardware.

The idea of owning a Nokia may bring memories of playing Snake on a 3210, so this phone has to work hard to shake off those old cliches. Thankfully, it just about manages it. One thing I found was that the design cuts a dash and makes people intrigued as to what the phone is that you are using. But then, once you say "Nokia" there was a bit of explaining to do as why you own it. So, going back to the original question, just what is the place in the market for the Nokia Lumia 900?

Well, price could and should be the defining factor. At launch, this was a premier priced phone, circa £450 unlocked and on the higher tier monthly contract pricing. But, if you hunt around, there have been some incredible deals , well under the £200 mark (although the best price at the time of writing was £299.99). So, this phone combined with a cheap SIM-only monthly contract deal could be the ideal phone for someone who wants to stand out, but still use a phone for social media and picture taking.

There is then a perfectly logical reason for purchasing a phone which left me endeared to it's unique charms but, more than anything, lays the platform for a successful Nokia Lumia 920 and Windows Phone 8.

A New Phone: Taking The Plunge

I have a HTC Desire HD. I bought it from new towards the end of 2010. At the time it was a very new model. My policy with phones is that because the market changes so quickly it is imperative to get a phone that is hot off the press as to try and be as future-proof as possible. Of course, this is hard to do as you are locked into a 18 or 24 month contract. But buying as early as possible is far better than buying an older model for a little less money. For instance, while I'm sure buying a new iPhone 3GS (which you can still do, as I write this) will give you plenty of badge and apps for relatively little expenditure, it already looks out of date and receives less improvements with every iOS update. Now imagine that phone 23 months from now. Or even worse, if you were one of the poor soles that bought a WindowsPhone recently....

So, to rewind to 2010 again, the DesireHD was running the up and coming Google developed Android OS and was, at the time I believe, the most powerful Android device available. Over the following 18 months I have thoroughly enjoyed my ownership. It is rare, which I quite like. The exact model was replaced quite soon with a HD2 and Evo 3D models, but the basic design and processor were much the same. I have never seen anyone else with the same phone. The only negative in this respect I found was lower spec Desire & Widlfire devices damaging the image and consumer satisfaction of running android (despite having less power and lower versions of android). So, I felt quite unique and it ran all the apps I needed for social media.

But as the last 6 months of technological advances occurred I started to feel phone-envy. Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.0 Android came first on the Galaxy Nexus and then to the HTC OneX & Samsung Galaxy S3. Not only that, but with a full memory and 18months of heavy daily use, my little old DesireHD was starting to look a little tired. Easily quicker than an iPhone 3GS and just about keeping up with an iPhone4  it was time to look around for a new pocket-able steed. (As an aside, ICS will be available soon on the DesireHD, but it remains to be seen how smooth the now old device will cope).

A Galaxy S3, Just In Case You Weren't Sure...

The obvious choice at the moment is the Samsung Galaxy S3. In 2011 the worlds best selling phone was the Galaxy S2 and it's easy to see why. Currently upgraded to run ICS, I've had plenty of time to see how nice the screen is and how quick the thing is at loading web pages & apps seen as my brother owns one. With the recent introduction of the S3, there is an even bigger and sharper screen, quad-core processor and a whole host of new Samsung apps that work in conjunction with ICS from the ground up. Having tried one out on several occasions, I was sorely tempted.

But, then there was good old HTC, also with ICS, large screens & quad-core power in the shape of the OneX. Not only that, but HTC reportedly spent more money designing the phone than on any other device in their history in order to impress in terms of looks and ergonomics (an area where Apple have a strong advantage). Once again, I tried before I bought. In fact, a good friends of mine DavidJMClare traded in his iPhone 4 for one and he loves his Apple products (iPod's, MacBooks, Apple TV etc) so there must be something to it.

The pros to the Galaxy were the nicer screen, more Samsung apps and a far better image (not overly important to me, but everyone knows what a Galaxy is, whereas it's simply not cool when I have to explain what a HTC OneX is....). The unquestionable negative is the actual build quality. I really like the phone, but it feels tacky to behold. The OneX on the other hand is subtle. Initially, it looks like any other HTC, but as soon as you hold and use the phone, you soon realise that this one of the best designed phones out there.

Close then, but the deciding factor was cost. The OneX was available with a free phone, £36 per month, enough internet/calls/sms to shake a stick at and, the clincher, only on a 12month contract. The iPhone 4S (which is now over 6 months old) and the Galaxy S3 could come anywhere near as close on cost per month, or having to pay up front and a minimum of 18months (most 24) contract.

So, there, I bought a HTC OneX. Now there will be a series of blogs with what I think and what it's like to actually own one. Stay tuned.