With a snazzy design and great features, Nokia's Lumia 900 is the most eye-catching Windows Phone device to date.
Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Thought Leadership, Speed Desk and How-To. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds.
Jessica led CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
If Design Within Reach made cell phones, they would probably look like the Nokia Lumia 900, an LTE Windows Phone for AT&T that costs an extremely reasonable $99.99.
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Pop of color
A 4.3-inch AMOLED screen with ClearBlack display technology keeps Web sites and images looking great with high contrast and lots of brightness.
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Pocket size?
The Lumia 900 is too large to fit comfortably in my front pocket, but the smooth matte finish makes it easy to slip into my back pocket.
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Zeiss power
Nokia loves to share that the Lumia 900 has Carl Zeiss optics. The 8-megapixel camera took some really stellar outdoor shots (you'll see some later,) but also took some poorer indoor and outdoor pictures, depending on the scenario.
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Camera close-up
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Top view
Stick a straight "key" into the top of the phone to get to the micro-SIM card.
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Lock screen
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Side controls
That's the power button in the middle. I don't love the placement, but I did get used to it.
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Close-up of controls
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Nokia apps
Nokia added some partner apps and some of its own, like Nokia Maps, in its section of the Marketplace.
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Video playback
Ron Burgundy from "Anchorman" plays back on the Lumia 900.
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It's so meta
I loved the one-touch focus-and-snap of the Lumia 900, but it does slow down the shutter. It works really well on stationary objects.
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Full monty
Didn't get enough? Here's the Lumia 900 in all its glory.
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Not just another black phone
It's great there are more white and red phones out there. The blue version of the Lumia 900 stuck out among a sea of black phones one my desk.
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It's a bright one
The iPhone 4S (top), Nokia Lumia 900 (middle), and Samsung Focus S (below) are all at max brightness showing the same online HD image. The Lumia 900 is the brightest by far, with the greatest range of color, but it exaggerated the greens and made them look plastic and fake.
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Meh
The Lumia 900 didn't do as well taking photos from a distance. (These photos have been resized, but are otherwise untouched.)
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1 in 15 ain't bad
It took more than a dozen tries to get this pooch to hold still long enough to take this shot. Shutter speed could have been snappier.
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Waves
I wish I had gotten crisper waves in my beach shots.
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Front-facing camera
A photo of yours truly taken from the Lumia 900's 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.
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Mural
Most mural shots come out well, and this is no exception.
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Waves
I really think that photos in my beach series could have come out sharper. This was one of my best.
