lumia

Which phone should you buy?

This story originally published September 14, 2012, and updates often to reflect the arrival of new phones.

"Which phone should I buy?" This is the single most common question readers like you ask phone reviewers like us every day. With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One to join the BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920 and 928, and Apple iPhone 5, the choices are more numerous than ever before.

On the bright side, options are a good thing -- if you're armed with the knowledge necessary to make smart shopping decisions. Sit tight as we lay out what you need to find the right mobile platform and model for you.… Read more

iPhone 5 opens the door for Nokia, Samsung

News flash: The iPhone 5 is not the end-all and be-all of the smartphone universe, a fact that should thrill Nokia and Samsung alike.

Here's what it is: a strong improvement to the iPhone 4S that offers up a larger screen, 4G LTE speeds, and a terrific camera. The iPhone 5 carries on the goodness that Apple excels at, like iTunes entertainment and cloud storage.

But however good the iPhone 5 is, it lacks the knockout, gasp-inducing feature that Apple followers have come to expect: perhaps double the battery life of any other phone on the market, or an … Read more

Nokia could launch entry-level Windows Phone 7.5 handsets, says report

Nokia may offer entry-level Windows Phone 7.5 devices by year's end, according to DigiTimes.

Citing the usual "industry sources," DigiTimes said the new phones would be aimed at consumers in emerging markets, who are considered more price-sensitive.

The hardware requirements for Windows Phone 8 are stricter than those for its predecessor, demanding a dual-core processor and support for near-field communication (NFC). Those features would be difficult to add to more entry-level and mid-level phones, according to the sources, prompting the need for less pricey Windows Phone 7.5 devices.

A Nokia spokesman told CNET that the … Read more

Nokia City Lens app for Windows Phone 7 zooms in on local shops

Owners of virtually all Nokia Lumia phones will be able to discover local businesses via the company's new City Lens augmented reality.

Shown off by Nokia last week, City Lens overlays nearby businesses on the screen when you point your phone in their direction. Tapping a specific business reveals full details, including contact information, reviews, walking distance, and directions.

Though demoed for the upcoming Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920, the new app is actually available as of yesterday for the current Lumia 900, 800, and 710 Windows Phone 7 handsets. Owners of any of those phones can download City … Read more

Viber hits 100 million users, partners with Nokia on WP7

VoIP provider Viber has hit a new milestone.

The company announced today that it now has 100 million worldwide users taking advantage of its free phone calls, texting, and photo-messaging services. It's not clear if those users are actively using the service or have just signed up. Still, the company claims to handle over 2 billion minutes of calls and 6 billion messages every month. An average of 10 million calls are placed each day.

Viber has established itself as a true competitor to Skype, the popular VoIP service now owned by Microsoft. Viber works across iOS, Android, and … Read more

Nokia culpa: Phony Lumia 920 video prompts ethics probe

Nokia committed a major gaffe in promoting its Lumia 920, and now the company says it's trying to figure out why.

Last week, the company unveiled its new Windows 8 Phone handsets, with the Lumia 920 starring as its flagship device. Touting the phone's optical image stabilization (OIS), Nokia released a promotional clip supposedly comparing video shot by the 920 using OIS with video shot by a phone without OIS.

But after The Verge noticed an odd reflection in the clip, Nokia fessed up that the OIS-flavored video was actually shot by a normal video camera and not … Read more

Oh, no, Nokia: Another oopsie?

There are days when I want to bawl out loud. And then there are days when it's just a need for simpering tears to course slowly down my face, rolling in time to a little Enya.

This morning is a time for the latter, as a company for which I have considerable affection -- Nokia -- has admitted to further dissimulation.

You may remember that last week, as it launched its canary yellow Lumia 920 phone, the company showed a rather nice video to accompany it. It heralded the new PureView technology, which makes images just so pristine.

Sadly, … Read more

Amazon sets fire to the tablet market

Amazon is heating up competition in the tablet sector with three new models of the Kindle Fire that are clearly aimed at wooing those who might buy a tablet from Apple.

The Amazon assault begins with a new $199, 7-inch model with an HD screen that doubles the built-in storage of the previous entry-level Kindle Fire to 16GB. Amazon has also doubled down on that product line with a larger, 8.9-inch model that has a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution, features 16GB of built-in storage, costs $299 and ships November 20. Topping out the line is a new 32GB model … Read more

Nokia plans to launch Lumia 920 on November 2, report says

Nokia's recently unveiled flagship smartphone, the Lumia 920, will be launching in November, new reports claim.

Earlier today, Reuters reported, citing unnamed European carrier sources, that Nokia plans to launch its Lumia 920 in November. Those sources did not provide Reuters with an exact date.

However, The Verge followed that up with a report saying that its own sources have reported a November 2 launch date for the Lumia 920 on AT&T's network. The technology site says that day "isn't set in stone" and could be pushed back in the month.

Nokia unveiled its Lumia 920 earlier this week. … Read more