Today’s smartphone market is very crowded and it is increasingly difficult for any phone to stand out. Smartphones have become homogeneous and samey – each copying off each other to the point that it doesn’t really matter which phone you choose. Any of the higher end phones are going to have a nice camera, a nice screen, a crowded app store, and similar features. Microsoft Windows Phone has been trying unsuccessfully for a few years to penetrate the market and make its presence felt. It has not had much of an impact either in market share or in the minds of customers. That may be beginning to change with the release of the Lumia 928 on Verizon. The fourth Windows Phone to debut with the nation’s largest cellular carrier, it is by far the best and has quickly become my favorite smartphone.
Hardware
I had been using an 822 for about six months and previously the Galaxy S III was my main smartphone. When people asked me what I thought of the 822 and of Windows Phone I would reply: “I like it – but I don’t recommend it”. There were too many areas where the phone struggled. The camera was substandard and the screen was strictly average. It was a good phone for someone who maybe had never used a smartphone before but there was too much missing to recommend it to anyone else. The 928, however, is a veritable powerhouse by comparison. It boasts the following specs:
Height: 133.0 mm
Width: 68.9 mm
Thickness2: 10.1 mm
Weight: 162.0 g
4.5 inch AMOLED WXGA (1280 x 768) Gorilla® Glass 2
Snapdragon S4 Dual Core 1.5GHz
Pixel density: 334.0 ppi
Battery Capacity: 2000mAh
Physically the phone feels very nice. The smooth finish and relatively sharp corners give the phone a pronounced “premium” feel. The phone is light but has just the right amount of heft to feel sturdy. I wouldn’t want it any lighter. I have not put it in a case yet, but I am considering it. The slick finish tends to make the phone more difficult to hold on to and I am afraid this may lead to dropping the phone often.
The specs themselves aren’t anything amazing but they get the job done. The screen is very bright and crisp. A touch glossy for my taste but nothing too terrible. Battery life is very good. I haven’t run any benchmarks but I get about a day to a day and a half between charges depending on usage.
Nokia has been touting the camera as the best in the industry and it does not disappoint. Its not going to replace your dSLR anytime soon but for a smartphone some of the images you can take in low light are just amazing.
While a video put out by Nokia may not be the most honest source the camera does indeed take fantastic photos. Video performance was also good – the motion blur reduction makes a noticeable impact. Overall its easily the best smartphone camera I’ve had the pleasure of using.
Software
There isn’t a whole lot new here for previous Windows Phone 8 users. It will be new for most people, however, and it really is an outstanding smartphone platform. The home screen is easy to tailor to your specifications. The metro inspired interface is intuitive and manages to squeeze a lot of information into small amounts of space. With the extra screen real estate I have managed to squeeze everything I need into a single screen with no scrolling necessary. It can be as busy or minimalist as you want it to be.
The calendar and email apps are both fantastic. The messaging app allows for Facebook chat integration and really manages to outshine its iOS and Android counterparts.
Overall it feels like a very mature operating system with very few bugs. It feels very fluid, quick, and responsive with limited lag.
Apps
Microsoft and Nokia have a ton of ground to make up here. Nokia users are better off than HTC or Samsung users because of Nokia’s suite of exclusive products. Nokia music is top notch and the additional camera lenses help make up for the absence of Instagram. HERE maps has improved to the point I actually prefer it over Google Maps. Integrated Microsoft Office puts everything available in the other ecosystems to shame when working with Office files. All that being said, only a fraction of the apps available on iOS and Android are available with notable omissions running the gamut from the aforementioned Instagram to Candy Crush, Gmail, imo, Marvel Unlimited, and thousands more. If you are migrating from another operating system, chances are that an app you liked will not be available and there may or may not be a capable replacement available.
Things are slowly improving by the week and will continue to improve but its easily the most glaring weakness here.
Summary
Even though I have enjoyed my last 8 months or so with Windows Phone I have not recommended it to anyone until now. The 928 feels like much greater than the sum of its parts. Its very good hardware built on an impressive operating system and its easy to recommend at the $99 (on contract) asking price. Its only standout feature is the outstanding camera but the idea of trading it for a GS 4 or an iPhone 5 seems ridiculous to me. Bottom line is if you are looking for a new phone and willing to try something new I absolutely recommend getting the Lumia 928.
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