Nokia (NYSE:
NOK
) has unveiled its first Windows Phone 8 device -- the Lumia 920.
The phone is gorgeous, clever, and contains some of the most
creative features ever seen in a smartphone. Under normal
circumstances, Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) and Android enthusiasts would be overjoyed by the device's Smart
Shoot feature, which allows users to eliminate
unwanted moving objects
(such as people) before taking a picture.
Tech blogs will surely praise Nokia for its advancement of
augmented reality. With a feature called Nokia City Lens, users can
point the device in any direction to receive real-time information
for restaurants, bus stops, and other businesses. The info pops up
on the screen with small, easy-to-read windows. It is very similar
to the augmented reality features seen in movies, such as Stranger
Than Fiction.
To power the Lumia 920, Nokia chose Qualcomm's (NASDAQ:
QCOM
) Snapdragon S4 processor, which is reportedly 30 percent more
efficient than quad-core alternatives. This will allow the device's
2000 mAh battery to last longer.
Nokia lived up to the expectation of being the first company to
heavily push wireless charging. To make this as convenient as
possible, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will add charging plates to
its shops across the country. The plates will sit on top of tables,
enabling customers to immediately and seamlessly charge their new
Nokia devices. While Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a relatively
small chain of coffee shops, one can only imagine what would happen
if Nokia charging plates began to appear at Starbucks (NASDAQ:
SBUX
).
The Lumia 920 also features a new technology called "super
sensitive touch." With this element, consumers can use the device
while wearing gloves.
All told, these and
other features
make the Lumia 920 one of the most exciting smartphones announced
in 2012.
Unfortunately, Nokia may never get the credit it deserves for
the aforementioned features. The company has yet to receive the
level of notoriety it deserves for producing the PureView, the
world's
best smartphone camera
. PureView technology has been integrated into the Lumia 920, which
should help boost its global reach. But as a Nokia phone, there are
many consumers who will never notice.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not just because consumers are
biased. The Internet can be deceptive in this regard. In the real
world, people are not nearly as biased toward Apple and Samsung as
the media leads us to believe. However, people are trained and
conditioned on prior experiences. Right now, consumers know that
Apple and Samsung devices are most likely to give them what they
want. Consequently, they are less interested in buying smartphones
from other smartphone manufacturers, such as Research In Motion
(NASDAQ:
RIMM
).
Nokia is in an even worse position; the stock dropped more than
12 percent during the press event this morning. Wells Fargo analyst
Jennifer Fritzsche told
Barron's
that she blamed the decline on Nokia's "lack of any positive
surprises, carrier announcements or specific launch dates."
Worldwide, the company is a renowned smartphone maker. In the
United States, the company is mostly known for producing awkward
devices that flopped. Nokia has
shown some signs of growth
, but at least one cellular carrier does not care. AT&T (NYSE:
T
) has been doing all that it can to
stop selling
Nokia devices.
This is going to make it very difficult for the Lumia 920 to
thrive at retail, which is really a shame -- first because the
device is very impressive, and second because it would be huge if
it had an Apple emblem on the back. If the aforementioned features
appeared on the iPhone 5, people would think that it is the most
innovative smartphone released in years. As a Nokia device,
however, it will likely be treated with the same lack of respect
that has accompanied other Nokia products.
Follow me
@LouisBedigianBZ
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