Seven reasons to buy the Nokia Lumia 920

Seven reasons to buy the Nokia Lumia 920

The Nokia Lumia 920 was shown off in New York last week and after checking out all of the coverage, I can say without a doubt that I will be purchasing one as soon as they are released. The color I choose will depend on which carrier(s) in the US get the high end Lumia, but with three carrier contracts I know at least one of my carriers will get the device. Based on just what we know so far, Microsoft was very tight lipped about Windows Phone 8, I have seven main reasons I think the Lumia 920 is the device for me.

Reason one: PureMotion HD+ display
The Nokia Lumia 900 has a ClearBlack display and some testing earlier this year revealed that the Lumia 900 has a better outdoor display than the iPhone 4S and Galaxy S. Nokia is now taking that ClearBlack display technology to the next level and showed us all their PureMotion HD+ technology that looks to be the leading display on smartphones today.

The PureMotion HD+ display automatically adjusts to sunlight glare, has those gorgeous deep blacks, provides super smooth scrolling through pixel translation speeds that are 2.5x faster than other phones, and works with fingernails, fingertips, and fingers covered with gloves. Yes, you can use your Nokia Lumia 920 in winter with gloves on without needing anything special in the gloves or any other gimmick. This new display just works and does so in nearly any environment you need. I recommend you read the white paper on the display (PDF link) to learn more about the technology.

Reason two: PureView camera technology
The Nokia 808 PureView sets the bar for all camera phones and really stands alone. Nokia's Lumia 920 doesn't have as much of that amazing technology, but it still has been shown to be an outstanding camera and when the device gets out of the prototype stage you can bet that reviewers will thoroughly test the camera. Nokia has an interesting white paper (PDF link) on the details of the camera technology used in the Lumia 920. As Nokia states this is the second phase in PureView technology and includes some of the core pieces such as high performance Carl Zeiss optics and powerful image processing algorithms. Low light performance is a major feature in this new camera, along with video image stabilization.

Reason three: Nokia Maps
Nokia Maps is the best service Nokia has ever offered and I use it on several different platforms. I love the functional offline maps and GPS navigation features in Nokia Maps Drive on my Lumia 900 and in the Lumia 920 Nokia improves that experience by rolling in several of the utilities that you can get now on the Lumia 900 and is taking Nokia Maps offline as well. You will find offline map support with free turn-by-turn navigation, daily commute and local traffic reports, Nokia Transport for public transit schedules, and Nokia City Lens for augmented reality discovery.

Reason four: Windows Phone 8
I would probably have placed this higher in my list if Microsoft would have allowed Nokia to actually show it off, but it seems Microsoft is running a bit behind on the software so manufacturers are not able to give demos yet. We have seen eight new platform improvements coming in Windows Phone 8 and there are still many details remaining to be revealed. I look forward to seeing what Nokia does with NFC since they have been using it well on their Symbian devices and accessories. The new Start screen looks fantastic for the way I use my Windows Phones and WP8 just cannot get here fast enough for me.

Reason five: Qi wireless charging
I know this is not a huge feature, but it is something unique that distinguishes the Nokia Lumia from other Windows Phone 8 devices. I really appreciated the convenience of Qi charging with my Droid Charge and have been hoping there would be another manufacturer using this standard so I could pull out my pad and use it again. Nokia showed off several accessories that take advantage of this wireless charging technology and I am excited to try some out. The partnership deals with coffee shops is excellent and I hope we see more of these moving forward too.

Reason six: Nokia Music
Nokia Music just launched late last week for US Lumia owners and I have been using it every day since then. I am working on an article comparing it to the Zune Pass and other subscription services, but the big deal here is that it is FREE for Lumia owners. If you enjoy music, then getting a free service like this can provide significant regular savings to your smartphone ownership costs.

Reason seven: Color selection
Again, this may not mean much to many people, but I personally like having color options for my devices and plan to purchase the yellow Lumia 920 as long as it is supported on one of my carriers. Even if Nokia doesn't sell a ton of the yellow models, I think bold colors like this will help get people into the stores and generate conversation around the device, which is exactly what Nokia needs to do to gain marketshare.

Nokia looks to be doing everything possible to help Windows Phone succeed and make sure they are around to compete in the smartphone space. I don't know what else people were expecting from Nokia or Windows Phone 8, but in my opinion they went above my expectations with unique features such as the amazing display and Qi wireless charging.