Nokia Lumia 900: Better than the iPhone (Yes, Really)
Although I’ve had a Nokia Lumia 900 at work for a few month now, the device is now official after being unveiled at CES this week. I can’t say I’m surprised that it’s getting some pretty great reviews. Hell, even Apple fanboy MG Siegler is getting in on the positive reaction. I used the device around the office as my daily phone for about two weeks and was in love with it so much I didn’t want to go back to my iPhone…a big statement if you read my blog regularly.
I’ve used hundreds of phones over the years, but a rare few made me excited to open the box on launch day. I don’t say this lightly, but Nokia’s Lumia 900 unboxing experience is the best yet.
My personal cell phone infatuation history is a common one. Starting in the late 90s with the StarTAC flip phone, then in 2000 getting a panasonic GU87 (the first color screen phone in america), the black Moto Razr, and finally the Nokia N95, until Apple took over my heart with the iPhone. These devices struck my fancy for various reasons, from 80’s miniature coolness to technical capabilities, like a true 5MP camera. What peaked my interest about the Lumia 900 wasn’t it’s software (as the iPhone continues to do so well), but it’s creative hardware.
Simply put, the Lumia 900 is beautiful. Everything that I love about an electronic device this thing nails. The weight is that dense, but not quite heavy feeling that the iPhone 4/4S and the Nexus One have. The texture is right on, smooth but not slippery. Most of all though, are the edges and curves the phone has. It feels so nice in your hand, it just fits in a nice comforting way and I don’t want to put it away in my pocket.
Using the device is a joy as well, whether you’re using Meego (sad Nokia killed it, such promise) or Windows Phone (which I know more about than I should) the hardware is what sticks out.
So, how can the hardware stand out when using the phone? What about the software? The curves I mentioned before are on the edges of the screen as well. You’ll notice there isn’t a single physical button anywhere on the front and all navigation is done via swiping left <-> right from the edge of the screen. The first time you do it, it’s a bit weird, but then it becomes natural and really fast. Moving your thumb from the top of the screen, down the bottom to hit the home button and then back up is slower than you’d think, but trust me, after you start swiping as part of our navigation inside an application, it’s hard to go back.
Unfortunately though, like any device nowadays, it’s not just about hardware. Do I like this phone? Hell yes, and if I could make this run iOS I’d pony up the money and switch from my 4S tomorrow. I’ve used the device on both Meego and WP7, and it’s ok…not great enough to have me switch from iOS, but certainly not horrible. The rendering is done very well inside most apps, like for instance AP Mobile, and the previously mentioned app swiping is great, but there’s just that last mile in the OS missing that iOS continues to lead on.
How great can this device be? The new Galaxy Nexus is going to give it a run for it’s money for the non-iPhone, iPhone market. It would do amazingly well if it was out 3-6 months ago. Unfortunately, such as the pace of the mobile world, by the time this is actually out, it will compete with other Android phones, let alone the new iPhone 5.
The Lumia 900 is the best Windows Phone device made hands down and is going to help stop the bleeding for Microsoft, but they needed this out in 2011, not 2012. Techies will love it, I know I have, but it’ll take another great device, and soon, to keep Microsoft around.
NOTE: The photos above are actually of the Nokia N9, but the majority of dimensions and general FEEL of the two devices is the same…if anything the lumia is even nicer.
