If there’s one thing that CES is good for, it helps build up feverish anticipation for the latest consumer gadgets soon to hit the market in the coming year. Many devices stood out during this year’s convention, but few garnered as much critical praise as the Nokia Lumia 900. It’s got the goods required to make it one of the top-selling smart phones of 2012, and can easily do so as AT&T’s network continues to improve. Why is the Nokia Lumia 900 so widely-lauded? Let’s take a look at the relevant information, and you can decide for yourself whether or not the hype is justified.
Hardware and Features
Under the hood, the Lumia 900 boasts a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and 16 GB of on-board storage. It sports front and rear-facing cameras as you’d expect from any phone, as well as a few aesthetic touches that are lacking in other phones on the market at the moment for the same price. One thing that strikes you immediately when seeing the Lumia 900 for the first time is its effortless class. It just looks solid, despite the lack of brushed aluminum. It’s one of the slimmest smartphones phones available on the market, and comes in a distinctive cyan tone that’s tough to forget.
Software, UI, and More
Once released into the wild, the Lumia 900 will be running the excellent Windows Phone 7.5 operating system, one that’s gaining market share and consumers every day. According to MBA Online, Understanding market context is necessary for implementing innovative products. Microsoft understood that a competitive operating system today needed visible icons and informative home screens, and Windows Phone does just that. That alone should give potential buyers a reason to at least give it a shot. Aside from WP7′s technical merits, it’s particularly peppy on the Lumia 900. Microsoft doesn’t really get enough credit for WP7, because it really is a decent operating system. It looks great, and performs even better. It’s a bit of a change of pace from Android or iOS, but it’s well worth making the effort. Mango’s tile-based interface is easily one of the slickest mobile experiences you can get nowadays.
Network and Carriers
Like the Nokia Lumia 710 before it, the 900 will come on AT&T’s still-evolving 4G network. At present, the 4G layout of AT&T’s wireless setup is obviously behind that of Verizon. However, that’s hardly the drawback that many make it out to be. AT&T offers much the same speeds that can be achieved in certain areas on Verizon, though that’s more or less only applicable in urban areas. Elsewhere, you’ll have to rely on Ma Bell’s 3G HSPA+ service to get you through the night. Still, 3G with AT&T can be appreciably better than with other networks, as some field tests will attest.
Final Thoughts
The Nokia Lumia 900 has many things going for it, and none of them are particularly superlative in their own categories. The hardware isn’t dominant, the operating system isn’t Android, and AT&T isn’t really the best 4G network. The Lumia 900 is generating such massive levels of enthusiasm due in large part to its flawless execution. Some times these things happen by design, and other times by happenstance. Regardless, the Lumia 900 running WP7 is one of the most promising phones of 2012. Absent a gigantic solar flare that renders the world’s telecommunications infrastructure useless, it’ll be a hit because it’s one of the best overall phones to come along in a long time.
Unboxing of the limited edition Nokia Lumia 800 Dark Night Rises. This version of the Nokia Lumia 800 ties in with Batman, The Dark Night Rises. The phone wont be for sale and there is only 40 made worldwide.
JTT has just launched the IPHDAVAD, which is iPhone, iPod and iPad attachment that provides a HDMI Out, analog TV out, mini USB Port and USB OTG port. Thus, you can add your USB keyboard, memory card reader and then convert it into HDMI all at once.
I havent seen a Hello Kitty powered PC for a while, but now Mouse Computer Japan has announced the new LuvBook S. The LusBook S is powered by an Intel Core i3-2330M, 11.6” (1366×768) screen, an Intel HD 3000 graphics, 500GB of HDD, 4GB of RAM, Bluetooth 3.0, SDXC, HDMI, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi GBN for a total weight of 1.5kg and a price of 69,930 Yen.
This comes straight from an Instructables user who has decided to make their own espresso machine that fits in his pocket. An alcohol stove provides the heat and it means you can have a quick hot cup of coffee in a matter of minutes. Worrying that people are that addicted to espresso.. cant be that good for you.
If you think the tablet wars have heated up a bit lately, you haven’t seen anything yet. The tablet PC market is about to get a lot more competitive, thanks in large part to the upcoming Asus Transformer 2. Also known as the Transformer Prime, Asus will be debuting its quad-core, Android-based tablet hybrid next month in December. Building on the success of the original Asus Eee Pad Transformer, the Transformer Prime will boast significantly more powerful technology than its predecessor. With more and more students in undergraduate, master’s degree, and PhD programs using tablets as a means of reading textbooks, taking notes, and collaborating, (playing games too, of course), this tablet is sure to be a hit among people looking for an all-capable device. Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect.
Bringing The Heat
The Transformer 2 packs a punch in terms of hardware under the hood. When it ships in December, it’ll feature a quad-core 1.3 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, a 12-core GeForce GPU, 10” display, 15 hours of battery life, mini-HDMI output, and of course a detachable keyboard. Storage space starts at 32 GB, running up to 64 GB if you’re willing to pay for it. Pricing begins somewhere between $500 and $600, making it fairly competitive given its impressive computing horsepower. The keyboard dock will be sold separately for $150, but it has the benefit of adding an additional six hours of battery life to the Prime’s stamina.
Superior Graphics and UI
While the hardware specs are impressive, the software is the real story here. Equipped with Android 3.2 aka “Honeycomb”, the Transformer Prime takes advantage of the latest advances in Google’s operating system. With the tablet-focused variant of Android really starting to hit its stride after several iterations, the Transformer Prime’s capable silicon is the perfect testbed to see what Honeycomb can do. Though details are a bit hazy at the moment, an OTA update to Android 4.0 should be available in early 2012.
The Prime features 1200 x 800 pixel Super IPS+ resolution, with crystal clear picture put out by the Tegra 3 GPU’s vSMP technology. Super IPS+ makes working with the Transformer Prime fairly hassle-free in a wide variety of lighting environments. Capable of adjusting brightness based on the ambient lighting around it, the Prime’s crisp screen is another compelling reason to consider the Transformer.
The Last Word
Comparisons between the Asus Transformer Prime and its competition from the likes of Apple’s iPad are inevitable. Furthermore, lower-end tablets such as the Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Touch are going to be wildly successful, but they’re aimed at an entirely different niche. The Transformer 2 will most likely take a bite out of the market share of Apple’s iPad 2. The Transformer Prime is a serious tablet that should do very well with enterprise users. With any luck, that popularity will filter down to mainstream users looking for a tablet that’s well-suited for both work and play.
I came across this amazing wooden iPhone 4 case that I would love to get my hands on! This wooden iPhone 4 case makes it look like you are taking a photo with an amazing old school camera. Sexy, old and futuristic at the same time!
Samsung Illusion 4G pictures have been floating around for some time now, but it has been confirmed that Verizon will be shipping the Samsung Illusion 4G in the US this holiday season.
A leaked rebate sheet reveals the device could be headed to Verizon very soon.
Nvidia has just launched the quad-core ARM Cortex A9 Tegra 3 processor… God damm it makes your games look sick. I could bore you with all the finer details we received from the press release, but whats the point. Here is the video to prove it.
It seems like Gdgt is having a very busy 24 hours at the moment. There have been reports that Gdgt has signed a new deal with Engadget to provide product based information at the bottom of all their articles. This is a big deal for Gdgt as it provides them with millions of readers each month and opens the doors to a lot of the AOL network.
Additionally, Gdgt is rumoured to be in talks with Cnet who want to acquire the company. There were no details on the numbers and founders declined to comment.
Gdgt is a great technology product database and its great to see them growing nicely.
p.s. It also helps if your founders also founded Engadget.. the largest gadget site on the web!
