The Lumia 2520 isn't Nokia's First Tablet, Check Out the Lost Ones Here!

Last week, Nokia announced its “first” Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520. (Not many would’ve even given that aspect attention.) This means that while the Lumia 2520 is the company’s first tablet in years, it is far from being the first one.

If you’re a Nokia fan, you already know about following devices that were marketed by Nokia as “Internet tablets”; these lost products started coming to market during 2005 with the 770. The last one (N900) came in 2009.

What’s more interesting is that all of them came with a resistive touchscreen, two years before Apple popularised the technology in portable devices.

Nokia 770 (2005)

Nokia’s first Internet tablet ran on Maemo, the Linux-based OS and had a 4.1 inch resistive touchscreen which got input from a stylus. Apart from that, it had a 252Mhz processor, 64 MB RAM and 128 MB expandable memory.

The resultant was a slow device which got scathing reviews. Long forgotten.

Nokia N800 (2007)

The next attempt came just days after the original iPhone came. Despite this, the N800 is probably the most neglected Nokia product from the top-end N-series.

Having a 4.1 inch resistive touchscreen again, this time it came with an underclocked 330 Mhz processor, 128 MB RAM, 64 MB expandable storage and upgraded Meamo OS. At least the thing worked this time, getting 3.5 stars out of 5 from Cnet.

Nokia N810 (2007)

The N810 was the last Nokia product which got marketed as an Internet tablet and this time, it came with several big changes. Nokia N810 featured a more pocketable design plus a slide-out backlit keyboard.

The 4.1 inch resistive touchscreen display was still there, but it had 2 GB expandable memory, newer Maemo OS and a VGA camera this time. It was powered by a 400 Mhz processor on top of a 128 MB RAM. This product too got forgotten, however.

Nokia N900 (2009)

The N900 wasn’t an internet tablet only, it was a phone and it ran on the same Maemo OS. In my opinion, that telephone functionality is the reason why the N900 is a reasonably popular device because you see, a Nokia product without a SIM card slot isn’t quite Nokia enough. Therefore, even the Lumia 2520 and the Nokia Booklet 3G come with with SIM card functionality.

The touchscreen was smaller at 3.5 inches and it borrowed the same bizarre keyboard from the N97 but the N900 came with a Cortex A8 processor, 256 MB RAM, 32 GB storage and a 5 megapixel front camera. At the time of its release, it was among the most powerful phones on the market.

But its greatest legacy was its ability to run almost everything you threw at it. From Android to Windows Mobile, everything you throw at it runs. Hell, there are even tutorials of full-fledged Windows running on the device. This amazing capability will keep the N900 alive for a long time to come.

These all internet tablets are obsolete and discontinued now and the future lies in Lumia 2520 and Windows. Pretty much all of these “lost” devices were failures and it will be worth watching whether the 2520 will change that.

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Nokia Lumia 625 is a Mid-Range Windows Phone with 4.7 Inch Screen

Until now, the biggest Lumia available were the Lumia 920, Lumia 925 and 928 which came with a 4.5 inch display but Nokia is upping its recurring standard by announcing the Lumia 625 which comes with a 4.7 inch screen, despite being a mid-range device.

“With our largest smartphone screen to date, the Nokia Lumia 625 is a perfect example of how Nokia is delivering leading smartphone innovation and experiences at every price point,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Nokia Smart Devices.

The phone runs on Windows Phone 8 and also supports 4G LTE.

The 4.7 inch display comes with a WVGA resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and a pixel density of 201ppi, by far not the best. It’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and is an IPS LCD unit.

On the hardware side, the phone features a 1.2Ghz dual-core SnapDragon processor with Adreno 305 processor. It also comes with 8 GB of internal storage and 512 MB RAM. The storage is expandable, thanks to a microSD card slot.

The camera at the back is a 5 megapixel unit, capable of doing 1080p video recording and is accompanied by an LED Flash.

On the connectivity front, the phone features 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi and GPS.

The Nokia Lumia 625 also provides many innovations found in the recently announced flagship Nokia Lumia 1020. These include a range of integrated camera applications like Nokia Smart Camera, offering handy features like removing unwanted objects from pictures, and Nokia Cinema graph, which turns photos into living memories with added movement.

Here are the full specs of the phone:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8
• 4.7 inch IPS LCD display with WVGA resolution (201ppi)
• Super-sensitive multi-touch touchscreen
• Weight: 159g
• 9.2mm thick
• 1.2Ghz dual-core SnapDragon processor
• Adreno 305 GPU
• 512 MB RAM with 8 GB expandable storage
• 5 megapixel camera with LED Flash and 1080p Full HD video
• 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi-Hotspot, GPS
• Available in yellow, green, white, orange and black
• 2000 mAh battery

The phone will hit the world in the third quarter of 2013 for a reasonable price tag of $290. In this range, it will face stiff competition of a number of smartphones including Samsung Galaxy Grand so it will be a strict matter of Windows Phone vs Android while buying this one.

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Nokia Lumia 928 pictures

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Nokia Unveils Lumia 925 Smartphone

Merely days after announcing its highly anticipated Windows Phone the Lumia 928, Nokia has come back and given the smartphone world another blow (in both good and bad ways) in the new Lumia 925. The phone isn’t substantially different from the previous 920, 928 flagships but finally brings a sleeker, slimmer body.

Design

This is the first phone in the Lumia line-up to be made of aluminium. This is not a full metal body since the back is still made of polycarbonate plastic but nonetheless gives the phone a fresher look. The phone is also notably slimmer (at 8.4mm) and lighter (139 grams) compared to the 10.7mm and 185 grams of the Lumia 920.

The design also puts it in the same league as the HTC One and iPhone 5 since those too are made of premium quality materials.

Display

The Lumia 925 packs a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ display (same as the Lumia 920) with resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels. That’s large enough for most people but is still a far cry from the 5 and 5.5 inch flagships of Samsung, HTC and LG.

It’s an AMOLED ClearBlack panel so the blacks must be pretty good. Protection is done by Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Pixel density is 334ppi.

Camera

And here’s the star of the show. No, it doesn’t bring anything exactly new to the mix but is still one of the very best in the market right now. The Lumia 925 features an 8.7 megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and f/2.0 aperture.

There’s also a dual LED Flash at the back unlike the Xenon one found in the Lumia 928. Just like pretty much every other flagship, it is also capable of shooting 1080p Full HD videos.

Nokia has added the Smart Camera app in the phone though which adds modes such as Action Shot, Motion Focus, Burst Mode and Best Shot along with some editing. And there’s a 1.3mp front-facing camera too.

Software, Hardware and connectivity

The phone again doesn’t bring anything substantially different here. First of all, it features the exact same software, i.e. Windows Phone 8 as others along with some ‘special’ Nokia apps. Under the hood, it features the same dual-core 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 processor with 1GB RAM and Adreno 225 GPU.

It also offers the same rich connectivity as its predecessor. To start off, it uses micro-sim for data. Then there’s Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, Wifi Hotspot, 4G LTE, GPS and NFC. The phone features a non-removable 2000mAh battery. There’s wireless charging too but it’s enabled via an additional accessory so it won’t exactly be used by many. The Lumia 925 will be available in Silver and Grey.

Comparison with Lumia 928 and 920

As written several times earlier, the phone is virtually the same package as the earlier Lumia 920 and 928, except for the design and lack of Xenon Flash. But the design itself is a huge plus since the weight and thickness of the Lumia 920 made it a big no for a lot of people.

In the end, here’s the specs roundup:

• Processor: 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon
• Operating system: Windows Phone 8
• Display: 4.5″ AMOLED WXGA (1280×768), 2.25 D sculpted Gorilla 2 Glass, ClearBlack, High Brightness Mode, Sunlight Readability, Super Sensitive Touch for glove and nail usage
• Main camera: PureView 8.7 MP with Optical Image Stabilization, Autofocus, short pulse high power dual LED flash, most advanced lens technology, 1080p HD video at 30fps with Optical Image Stabilization. Includes Nokia Smart Camera mode.
• Front facing camera: 1.2 MP wide angle
• Memory: 1GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory; 7 GB free SkyDrive cloud storage
• Battery: 2000 mAh battery, Wireless Charging supported via an accessory cover

Pricing and availability

The phone will be available in June this year for $610 (around Rs. 65000). That puts it in the same line as every phone else in the market including the Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

There will be two questions to answer then before buying this phone: How much do you really want a Nokia & Windows Phone and can you live with a phone with a dire lack of some important apps and features. If yes, then this is the phone to get and if not, then you can find pretty much any phone you want in the market for the same price.

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Nokia Announces Dual-SIM Asha 501 Smartphone

Nokia has announced its Asha 501 smartphone to debut the Asha Platform, claimed by Nokia to offer innovative user interface, a faster and seamless mobile operating system for low-to-mid level smartphones.

Asha 501 comes with solid build and colours at an affordable price. It supports single SIM or easy-swap Dual SIM features.

Design

Nokia says that its Asha 501 offers high-end design and build-quality accessible to more people through this affordable phone. Nokia Asha 501 comes in just two parts: a durable, removable casing and the scratch-resistant glass display, which features a three-inch, capacitive touchscreen and a single ‘back’ button.

Asha weighs only 98 grams and comes in six colours.

User Interface

Asha platform is said to make things easier for people to access anything they like with a simple swipe and a choice of two main screens: Home and Fastlane. Home is a traditional, icon-based view for launching individual apps or accessing a specific feature, like the dialler or phone settings. The new Fastlane view was inspired by how people really use their phone. Recently accessed contacts, social networks and apps, unique to each person, are stored and presented in Fastlane. It provides a record of how the phone is used, giving people a glimpse of their past, present and future activity, and helping them multi-task by providing easy access to their favorite features.

Asha Platform

Nokia has this tendency of introducing various mobile operating platform, but not sticking to anyone. Asha platform is hoped to be more usual for the firm and should become a primary platform for Asha series of phones.

The new Asha platform provides developers with an open, standards-based environment for creating quality apps for consumers. Developers can create apps for the Nokia Asha 501 that will be compatible with future Asha platform-based devices.

Nokia gives developers the chance to make more money through the global reach of Nokia Store and tools like Nokia In-App Payment and Nokia Advertising Exchange (NAX), as well as Nokia’s unparalleled operator billing network.

Nokia said that Asha already offers some popular applications including CNN, eBuddy, ESPN, Facebook, Foursquare, Line, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Pictelligent, The Weather Channel, Twitter, WeChat, World of Red Bull and games from Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Indiagames, Namco-Bandai and Reliance Games. WhatsApp and other key partners continue to explore new Asha.

48 Days of Battery

Nokia Asha 501 is claimed to offer whooping 48 days of battery stand-by – when using a single SIM.

Specs of Nokia Asha 501

• Dimensions:  99.2 x 58 x 12.1 mm; 98 grams
• Camera: 3.2 MP
• Single SIM standby time: up to 48 days**
• Dual SIM standby time: up to 26 days**
• Talk time: up to 17 hours
• Additional memory of 4GB (card included in box), expandable up to 32GB
• Forty free EA Games worth €75 downloadable from Nokia Store
• Available colours: Bright Red, Bright Green, Cyan, Yellow, White and Black

Availability and Price

Nokia Asha 501 is expected to start shipping in June 2013 at around Rs. 10,000 or around.

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Nokia Launches Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 in Pakistan

Nokia has announced the availability of two new additions to its Lumia series, augmenting its range of Windows Phone 8 devices in Pakistan across price points to attract younger and hyper social audience.

Nokia Lumia 720 offers a powerful camera as well as an integrated entertainment and social experience of WP8. Nokia Lumia 520 is a highly immersive and affordable smartphone that provides rich selection of innovations for a more fun and exciting smartphone experience.

Speaking about the new devices, Arif Shafique, country general manager, Nokia Pakistan & Afgahnistan said, “The WP8 momentum is building and Nokia is charging ahead with the Lumia series. The availability of Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 in Pakistan market reflects our commitment to build a winning ecosystem that will enrich people’s mobile experience and help them connect with each other at newer price points. The two new smart devices will further invigorate brand Nokia amongst the new generation of smartphone purchasers.”

With a focus on younger and connected audience, the two devices are not only high on innovation but come with a stunning and eye catching design that is sure to make heads turn. Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 are based on the core components of design-inspiration, colour, craft, simplicity and material – that bring together gorgeous design and great functionality to reveal devices that are truly spectacular.

Nokia Lumia 720:

Nokia Lumia 720 comes with unibody design and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus mobile processor optimized for the Windows Phone 8 experience.

The highly responsive curved 4.3” Clear Black Display with super sensitive touch brings an innovative lamination process for wider viewing angles, and enhanced clarity in bright conditions thanks to software enhancements.

Providing a rich entertainment experience, Nokia Lumia 720 also comes with the option to add wireless charging with a snap-on wireless charging cover. The sleek and stylish Nokia Lumia 720 delivers a high-end camera performance at a mid-range price point.

Along with powerful hardware and Nokia digital camera lenses including Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot and Glam Me, the Nokia Lumia 720 makes it easy to capture and share stunning pictures. Nokia Lumia 720 is available in 5 eye catching colours yellow, red, cyan, white, and black.

Here are specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8
• 4.3 inch ClearBlack display
• Super-sensitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• 9mm thick
• Weight: 128g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM and 8GB expandable memory
• 6.7MP with Carl Zeiss lens, f/1.9 aperture & LED Flash
• 720p HD video recording
• 1.3mp front camera
• Bluetooth 36.0, microUSB 2.0, NFC, GPS
• 2000 mAh battery
• Wireless charging

Nokia Lumia 520:

The Nokia Lumia 520 is Nokia’s most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone, delivering rich selection of innovations taken from the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820. Powered by Windows Phone 8, this fun and colorful addition to the Nokia Lumia family contains many of the features as its high end siblings including the same digital camera lenses, as well as a four inch super sensitive touchscreen for a highly immersive smartphone experience.

Digital camera lenses transform the 5-megapixel autofocus camera on the Nokia Lumia 520 into a fun way to capture pictures and share memories. Cinemagraph adds motion to still images that can then be shared with friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. Nokia Lumia 520 is available in yellow, red, cyan, white, and black and with changeable shells.

Lumia 520 Specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS
• 4 inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
• Scratch-resistant and supersensitive display
• 9.9mm thick
• Weight: 124g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM
• 5mp rear-facing camera with 720p video recording (no secondary camera)
• Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, GPS, Wifi
• 1430 mAh battery
• Available in White/Black, Cyan, Red and Yellow colours

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Nokia Introduces Dual SIM Enabled Nokia Asha 210

Nokia today unveiled the latest device in its Asha family, designed to offer consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in Single-or Easy Swap Dual-SIM variants, features a Nokia design and smart imaging that sets it apart from the crowd.

It supports Wi-Fi to help people enjoy more of the Internet for less and is the world’s first phone to have a dedicated WhatsApp button.

The Nokia Asha 210 has a QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated WhatsApp button for fast access to instant messaging. To celebrate the Nokia and WhatsApp partnership, WhatsApp is offering their service for free on all Nokia Asha 210 devices with the WhatsApp button for their lifespan. Combined with Facebook, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 210 is designed to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their friends and family.

The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options

People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia’s innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.

• Social phonebook integration with the ability to launch WhatsApp direct from contact cards in the Phonebook
• Preloaded YouTube launcher for direct video streaming
• Chat screen notifications that keep users up-to-date on new conversations
• Single-SIM and Dual-SIM models featuring Nokia’s exclusive Easy Swap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
• WiFi On/Off control button
• Nokia’s renowned long battery life: up to 46 days with Single-SIM and up to 24 days with Dual-SIM

The Nokia Asha 210 is available in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 210 is around 72 USD and it is expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2013.

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