And Now for Something Completely Different (from the iPhone)- the Nokia Lumina 920 Review

People are sheep. Even though we'd all like to think we're rugged individualists and our own person, fact is, most of us are not so unique, very different or like to move away from the middle ground. 

The same goes for smart phones. I asked my mother why she bought an iPhone. Her answer was as revealing as it was unsurprising, "Because that's what everyone else has." She felt safe making that choice.

And that's the issue for some people when it comes to smartphones. Many don't want the same phone everyone else has. While they do want a powerful, capable device able to perform all the functions of an iPhone, they seek out the different, the unusual and the unique. Even the Android operating system is not enough for these trailblazers- they're looking for a more out-there solution without sacrificing all of the conveniences the mainstream phones offer. 

For many, the Nokia Lumina 920 offers them the opportunity to use a robust, powerful and creative operating system while still rebelling against the mainstream user base. The secret is, though, that the 920 uses an operating system from the most mainstream of tech companies- Microsoft. The flagship of the Microsoft Windows Phone 8 system, the Lumina 920 is the equal of any of the top tier offerings from Apple or any of the Android phone makers. Available in a rainbow of bright, "look at me!" colors, the 920 seems tailor made for those who seek out different choices for themselves. 

For the rebel in all of us, the Nokia Lumina 920
(courtesy: telegraph.co.uk)

Neither light nor thin, the Lumina 920 nevertheless surprises with its square but rounded shape and big bright screen. Battery life seems to be average, but I think that most of use have learned to plug in and charge at any opportunity by this point in the tech evolution of the cellphone regardless of manufacturer. The camera is a delight with vibrant colors, a fast shutter and the ability to easily share your life with others. Slashgear.com did a full review and their look at this different offering can be found by clicking here.

There has been grumblings online with some complaining that the WP8 system offers "only" 100,000 apps. Over time, I have found that I tend to use the same 8-10 apps over and over again only adding one or removing one here or there occasionally, so I find this complaint to be unfounded and silly. All of the major OS's have tens of thousands of apps none of us will ever want, need or use. 

So which OS do you get? Go for the Apple OS and get 1,000,000 apps and all of the accessories available anywhere? Go Android and feel safe and snug? Or do you feel like a rebel and want to have some thing no one else does? 

If the answer is the Nokia Lumina 920, you might still be a sheep in some ways, but you'd be the one with a Mohawk.

Nokia Lumina 900 Review- The best Windows Phone yet?

A couple of weeks ago, I detailed the Nokia Lumina 700 series of cell phones and what it had to offer the mobile phone user seeking an alternative to the ubiquitous iPhone and Android phones. At the time, the Lumina 700 was the tops in Windows Phone 7 (WP7) offerings.

Released this past Easter Sunday(!?), the Lumina 900 tops the 700 with bigger this, faster that and at a  price that has the phone world talking. Phone service providers are offering this top-line phone for just $99 (USD). If you live outside the US, I'll leave it to you to figure out exchange rates, but rest assured, that's cheap. Regardless, it seems the 900 is the current pinnacle of WP7 development.

So, is the pinnacle a big deal? Mostly. Strengths include a gorgeous design, funky colors if you want them, decent battery life, no dropped calls and very good data throughput.

The last time I saw a phone this color was...never.
(nokia.com)

Where does the Lumina 900 fall short? Internet connections can be funky, The WP7 software tends to get confused on 3rd party apps like Twitter and the camera is merely adequate (is adequate enough for a top-line phone?).

Joshua Topolsky from theverge.com has been testing a Lumina 900 for some time now and has a full review of the phone here- the good the bad and the middling. His verdict? Oh no no no , you'll have to go to the site to see for yourself what he thought of this phone Nokia is making in an attempt to establish once and for all Windows Phone 7 as a legitimate competitor to Apple and Android. 

Nokia Lumina 710 review- Windows Phone 7 done right?

For those who want to be different- the Lumina  710
(nokia.com)

For a while now, Windows phones have taken a back seat to the iPhone and the Android systems as far as ease of use and powerful features. No longer. Now, Nokia (little known as the world's #1 cell phone producer) is introducing into the United States a new model called the Nokia Lumina 710 and Nokia is looking to make a splash in the US market with this nifty offering. Windows Phone 7 is little known in America and Microsoft is trying to get some market traction for its mobile phone system.

Based on a hugely successful model long popular in Europe, the Lumina 710 is actually the bottom of the Nokia Windows phone pile with the model 800 in the middle and the model 900 at the top. The difference lies in memory, processors, types of material used to build the phone along with screen resolution.

Anyway, the 710 will contain the latest iteration of the new Windows 7 mobile software. Just as powerful and easy to use as the Apple and Android system, the Windows universe also boasts more than 50,000 apps. This is just a tiny fraction of the 750,000 apps in the Apple iTunes store, but when was the last time you needed or used 750,000 apps? Or even 50,000 apps? The point is, there's more than enough apps in everyone's store to keep even the most consumptive phone freak happy.

The Seattle Times's website has their review of the Nokia Lumina Model 710 that's short and to the point. In general they like the phone and because it's available for less than $40 at your friendly cell provider (T-Mobile in the U.S.) and just about anyone can discover and enjoy the Windows Phone experience. Go here to see the review and go to Nokia's Lumina 710 site here for more technical info. 

That's all of the phone news for now. With Apple's rumored iPad3 announcement in a couple of weeks, I get the feeling I'll be wearing out the "A" key on my computer over the next month.