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Nokia’s long-awaited Windows Phone 7 handsets have been invited into our houses, sat down, and given a thorough introduction today, after months (years! it felt like years!) of rumours and leaks. The Lumia 800, previously known as the N800, previously known as Sea Ray, is the colourful flagship, and the Lumia 710 (Sabre) is very much for the younger crowd, with its swappable covers.
Truth be told though, both phones have a vibrant and fun exterior so are sure to bowl anyone “young at heart” over, especially with the added features Nokia’s included on the phones, such as the turn-by-turn navigation software Nokia Drive and Nokia Music, which can connect people with 14 million downloadable tracks and 100 radio channels. Not sure about the rest of us though — back to Microsoft’s other WP7 partners we go.
The Lumia 800, known as the Sea Ray for months now, has been leaked so many times that it already feels familiar. The official specs however include a 3.7-inch WVGA 800 x 480 AMOLED screen; 1.4Ghz MSM8255 Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. An 8-megapixel camera with LED flash has also been bolted on, because really, it’d be a shame if Nokia’s flagship was hulking down with the 5-megapixel boys. Inside, a 1450mAh battery lurks — not bad, but it could definitely be better. It’s not as svelte as some of the other just-announced phones, such as the Motorola Droid RAZR, but its 12.1mm waistline is an improvement over the days of the N95, at the very least.
Available in bog-standard black, but also blue and pink. Its stablemate, the Lumia 710, is available in a wider range of colours, with the clip-on cases being the main selling point. You can choose between a black or white front, plus the same colours for the reverse, along with blue, pink and yellow.
The Lumia 710 has the same screen size as the 800, at 3.7-inches, but is just a WVGA TFT job. The very same 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor has been used, along with the 512MB of RAM, but there’s less internal storage at just 8GB, and only a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash.
After so many leaks, rumours and speculation, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed with Nokia’s showings today. This is a company that’s worked closely with Microsoft — like no other WP7 partner before — so the fact they’ve only got a few added features to boast about really isn’t much. Downloadable music tracks? Really? It’s been less than a year since you shuttered shop on Comes With Music, Nokia. Let us know your thoughts on Nokia’s announcements, downstairs.
While prices haven’t been announced yet for the Lumia 800 and 710, Phones4U claims they will be in-store on the 16th of November.
Updating live
Well, hardly set the World on fire.
/Apathy.
I get the feeling they just wanted to get something out before the end of the year. Still, quite a nice design carried over from the N9. I still have happy memories of snap on covers, playing snake and then snake 2!! in the 6th form common room and making my own ring tones and I’d quite like Nokia to have a resurgence.
(and careful mentioning megapixels Kat …you don’t want to get in trouble again do you?!)
I most certainly do not want to anger those megapixel trolls!
Haha! Well at least my ranting didn’t fall on deaf ears
Apathy…too…great.
Can’t…even…summon…up…energy…to…go…meh!
Meh and a half. No outstanding features make Nokia seem like the RIM of the consumer world – going down.
If it wasn’t leaked on such a massive scale, would we be more excited?
…probably not
While I like the design, el-N95-esqeu, Nokia’s Drive and Music sync is still somewhat, well, very lacking. Actually, it sucks ass.
Apathy is indeed correct. I really thought i’de be more excited about it :/ Might just get it for the wifey.
I was hoping for something special from Nokia but alas, I think we can add this to the list of slightly underwhelming announcements which have plagued the last few weeks (iPhone4S and G-Nexus included).
Having used WP7 I have been really imppressed with it, and I thought that Nokia, whilst only havnig 8 months to work on it, could have really added something. Instead they just went through all the same features you can get on every other WP7 phone, with some navigation and a nice camera. There is nothing there to make me want either of these to replace my year old android. I’m hoping for something good next year to really make them stand out from the WP7 crowd, and hopefully for Microsoft to release its vice-like grip on the spec for WP7 – I understand their reasons but I like my phones like I like my biscuits, a nice selection so I can choose what suits my mood/purpose.
And why have we suddenly fallen into a trend of manufacturers rehashing old (current) designs – iPhone4S – essentially the same, G-Nexus – essentially a bigger Nexus S, HTC Sensation XL – essentially the Titan with android, Nokia Lumia 800 – essentially the N9 with WP7. Granted they have made some tweaks/improvements on the inside and outside, but they are essentially the same designs. I don’t want crazy styles, but just something a little bit different, the Desire, Galaxy S, Nexus S, iPhone4, even the RAZR have all been new and different. Yes it means lower prices to manufacture, but a what cost to the world of mobile style advancement?
I am going to go with none what so ever.
Everyone has said how great the N9 design is, and lamented that it is on a ‘Dead Man Walking OS’. So Nokia deliver the design on WP7, a non dead OS. Yes its the same design, but when it’s a killer design why not use the same one again.
This point holds for the iPhone 4S. Do you really want a tear drop shaped phone, that you use landscape as much as portrait these days… Really?
Again HTC have done the same thing for ages, although fair point with them as I am beginning to tire of their designs.
Nice to see someone not going for a mahoosive screen size though!
Do we know the pricing yet?
Nothing’s been announced yet I’m afraid — though Phones4U has said it’ll land November 16th.
Clove have it unlocked for £369 plus VAT = £443.
And Phones4U have it on both Vodafone and Orange £31 on 24 month contract
Sorry for the multiple posting but I can’t edit my old ones.
The prices above are for the Lumia 800
Link for Phones4U: http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_contract_details.asp?ItemKey=565785
Link for Clove:
http://www.clove.co.uk/nokia-lumia-800-black
Prices for Vodafone and Three on nokia website
http://www.nokia.co.uk/gb-en/products/phone/lumia800/buynow/
Very nice, but I can’t help but wonder if they’ll be overpriced as Nokia’s seem to always be, I’ll stick with my Samsung Omnia 7 for now, but this is a nice start from Nokia
I actually think the specs sound pretty good. 512MB ram, 16gb internal storage, 1.4ghz snapdragon, 8mp camera. I really like the look of it too. Just a shame it has WP7 on it. Be nice to see if someone can hack Android onto it.
just wondering what the battery life on the nokia’s will be… most of the nokia’s i’ve have lasted a week before needing charging..
I too am a little disappointed. It’s been several years since the N95 was released and from what I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be a too much difference in the hardware. Yes, there’s a better camera, and a faster processor – but given jump they made technologically between the N73 and N95 in about a year, I expected much more. Having said that, aesthetically speaking, the Lumia 800 does look incredible.
And in Spain they’ll be loved:
lu·mia Feminine – Noun – Singular
Plural: lumias
Translation to English: whore, hooker, prostitute, street-walker, streetwalker
http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/dictionary/es-en/lumia.php
Beat me to it. http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/26/8491410-nokias-lumia-translates-as-prostitute-in-spanish
Well at least you’ll probably get a short-term contract
These phones look very nice, clean crisp lines, nice choice of colours and very different to anything else in terms of design. Nokia is one company not being pursued by Apple or at least that I know of. Hopefully Nokia is one company that can make a comeback, back to the top, maybe Apple will loose its top spot to an old dog!
You know what else, honestly, if that design had an Apple logo on it, ran on ios5 with a 4inch plus screen size and was released earlier this month… It would have sold millions by now! Nokia’s designs are refreshing change, samsung should take note as this is what’s required not just a copy of apple!
I agree up to the Samsung bit. The galaxy s2 is far better than the iPhone imho,and looks very nice in white.
If this is Nokias first attempt at a good win7 iPhone killer, then the next one will be up there with the best, as Apple are losing the edge with no iPhone 5.
Is it me or does this look like an large (older) Ipod Nano?
With the N9 reviews only just coming out this was always going to be a bit of a me-too release. Not that it’s bad, but there really wasn’t anything new.
I’m a WP fan (with a Samsung Omnia 7) and am tempted by the Lumia 800 simply because of Nokia Drive. However, the lack of a front-facing camera is a huge disappointment.
Where was the Nokia Ace? That was the handset I was hoping would kick ass.
Mango doesn’t need or use dual core or much memory, i don’t want SD cards, grew out of them when I ditched my last WM phone.
The screen is, by all accounts drop dead gorgeous and the design is just lovely.
No, my only bitch, and it is one I never thought I’d be worried about, is lack of front camera. I never used video calling on my SE Z800i or either of my HTC Windows phones but I have used it lots on my iP4.
Hoping for one on the 900/Ace