The Nokia Lumia 900 review

The Nokia Lumia 900 has the weight of two technology behemoths and Windows Phone fans on its polycarbonate shoulders. Ars sees if the flagship smartphone can do them all proud.

<a href='http://meincmagazine.com/gadgets/reviews/2012/04/the-nokia-lumia-900-review.ars'>Read the whole story</a>

 

[koolraap]

What's the better choice Lumia 800 or 900?

(I've had an 800 for a few months; while the phone's great, and I like WP7.5, I can't stand the Windows Zune application, and the marketplace search facility is useless).

 

[koolraap]

This article (and others) basically say that the future of the Windows Phone platform is riding upon the success or failure of this one handset, the Lumia 900.

That, to me, adds risk. If the "flagship" "hero" phone fails to sell very well, then Windows Phone 7.5 platform is in trouble. Later this year, Microsoft will release Windows Phone 8, but in other publications Microsoft is quoted as saying it "doesn't know" if the Lumia 900 can be upgraded to the next OS.

These are questions to ponder, beyond simple specs about how the video camera performs etc etc.

That's the big question. If existing/recent Windows phones can't upgrade to WP8, then Microsoft should just give up now with Windows Phone; do they want to be like Apple and establish a long-term relationship with the consumer, or do they want to appease the handset makers.

 

[koolraap]

Some comments and possible corrections:

1. There is a tutorial for the Windows Phone. It's an app called Help+How-to, and it's baked in as of Mango. Yes, it should start at launch, or default as one of the front 8 tiles, but it is definitely there.

It's not on my handset. Maybe it's different on phones shipping with Mango or something, but I've never even heard of it.

It comes on all the Mango phones. It was also added to my Samsung Focus with the 8107 update, so Americans with older handsets probably haven't seen it yet.

Microsoft has also made it available as a separate download.

Oh that would explain it. AT&T won't let me have 8107 on this handset. I'll try the app.

Just in case you're not aware, it's possible to upgrade manually (although it's a little bit of a mission). But... beware. I needed to manually mess with the APN after upgrading my HK phone in Aus.

Strange that Windows 8 doesn't have the indexing feature.

 

[koolraap]

What do you mean by Windows 8 doesn't have indexing?

And we're all aware of the "forcing" but as you noted, it leads to some other issues.

The Metro start screen application list doesn't have the "scrabble" tile shortcuts like WP7.5. (I don't want to derail this post, but I have 100s of things installed on Windows 8, and I have maybe 30 on my phone, and the *phone* has the indexing feature!? And don't get me started on how Metro (on both WP and Win8) frequently truncates the names of things, so apps that install 10 things starting with Microsoft Visual Studio Consumer Preview, or if your MP3s start with "Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder" you just get frustrated trying to use it /rant)