lumia 0905

Nokia's turnaround hopes come to focus with new Lumia phones

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop isn't one to shy away from bold proclamations.

"The Lumia 920 is the world's most innovative smartphone," Elop told CNET, proudly holding up the company's latest flagship device.

Strong words, but then again, this is the company that proclaimed that the "smartphone beta test was over" with the Lumia 900, a campaign that ultimately backfired on Nokia. And while supporters of Apple, Samsung, and even HTC may vehemently disagree with Elop's assessment, it's that kind of confidence that's required if he is to see his company … Read more

Nokia bringing wireless charging to Virgin, Coffee Bean

Nokia is taking wireless charging one step further.

Its new Lumia 920 comes with wireless charging using the Qi (pronounced "chee") standard, which is found in other products like some BlackBerry devices and third-party inductive chargers.

Nokia knows it isn't enough to integrate Qi, but that it also has to provide the ecosystem for people to use it. To that end, Nokia has partnered with Virgin Atlantic and the coffee chain Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to begin seeding wireless charging stations in airport lounges (London's executive lounge at first) and coffee shops.

In addition, Nokia … Read more

Join us for Nokia's Windows Phone press conference (live blog)

Editors' note: The live blog has concluded. Here are some of the stories on what was announced: •  Nokia aims to dazzle with Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920 •  Nokia bringing wireless charging to Virgin, Coffee Bean •  Nokia's turnaround hopes come to focus with new Lumia phones •  Microsoft beefs up Windows Phone 8 camera phone features •  Nokia Lumia 920 is PureView but not PureView •  Editors' Take: Bright yellow Nokia Lumia 920 could strike gold You can replay the live blog by clicking the link below.

Tune in to CNET's live blog from Nokia's Windows Phone press conference … Read more

Nokia Music brings free streaming to U.S. Lumia owners

Nokia's new Music app offers U.S. Lumia owners their own free streaming service.

Available as of today, Nokia Music kicks off with more than 150 different playlists chosen by a team of music experts. The playlists run the gamut from Detroit underground music to performances from the New York Philharmonic, according to Nokia, and feature tracks from artists such as Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna.

Users can also scour a collection of millions of songs to generate their own playlists based on their favorite music and artists. And though the service is designed for streaming, Lumia … Read more

Nokia imaging chief throws cold water on 41-megapixel PureView

Nokia is expected to unveil a new smartphone tomorrow featuring PureView camera technology. There's just one problem: that branding might not mean what consumers think.

In a tweet this morning, Nokia imaging head Damian Dinning said that the "PureView" branding "is NOT a single specific feature or specification." That came just minutes after he said that the technology is "about blending optics, pixels, and image processing in new and different ways to allow you to do things you otherwise cannot."

Dinning also laid down the death knell: "as said many times before, … Read more

New Nokia Lumia 920, 820 to feature wireless charging

Nokia is expected to unveil Windows Phone 8-based devices this week that will feature wireless charging.

The Lumia 820 and 920 handsets will use inductive charging in which contacts on the device will line up with contacts on a charging pad, sources tell The Verge. Earlier today, Twitter user "Evleaks" posted a photo of what is purportedly one of the new handsets on the charging pad.

The phones, which will reportedly support the Qi wireless power standard, are expected to be unveiled Wednesday at a press event in New York.

Images of what is purportedly the 4.5-inch … Read more

Nokia again faces make-or-break point with new Lumia phones

commentary You can call it the "Nokia comeback story," take two.

That will likely be the theme again as Nokia and Microsoft host an event in New York on Wednesday to unveil the latest Lumia smartphones, now running on Windows Phone 8. Leaks of the purported phones have already appeared, and CNET will be there to cover the official announcement.

There is an overwhelming sense of deja vu in discussing Nokia's prospects. Last year's debut of the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 -- the company's first Windows Phone handsets -- was supposed to be the … Read more

Nokia teases September 5 event, says 'things are about to change'

Nokia is promising big things for a September 5 event in New York City.

The mobile company today posted a video showing a woman riding a bike down a street. About midway through that clip, a text overlay comes up that reads: "Things are about to change." The video's description on YouTube adds a bit more details, saying that the change is coming "5 September 2012. Stay tuned!"

Nokia announced earlier this month that it will host a New York press conference on September 5. The company said the event will be in partnership with … Read more