Nokia Lumia 720 is like a 920 'light'
Nokia's Lumia 720 Windows Phone device offers some features found in the Lumia 920, but for a much lower price.
Read the full Nokia Lumia 720 review from CNET UK.
BARCELONA, Spain--Of the four new handsets Nokia introduced at Mobile World Congress, the Nokia Lumia 720 is by far the most high-end.
The Windows Phone 8 device has a 4.3-inch LCD display with a ClearBlack filter that reduces outdoor glare and with a highly sensitive screen that responds to your navigational gestures, even if you're wearing gloves or have long nails -- just like the Lumia 920 and 820 series.
The rest of the body looks achingly familiar with squared-off edges and a more consistently flat body than the much rounder Lumia 820 series. The 720 has the same unibody design, but this time adds a microSD card slot that you can use to expand memory up to 64GB. There's also 8GB of internal memory and you get 7GB online storage through SkyDrive.
Nokia says its target demographic is younger, trendier, social people who don't require the highest level of hardware technology, but who still want some quality. To that end, the 720 is capable of wireless charging, and has a 6.7-megapixel camera with an f/1.9 aperture intended to capture low-light conditions (like nightlife), and an LED flash.
You'll also find a 1.3-megapixel camera, which supports Skype HD and has a wide-angle lens for fitting more faces into self-portraits. Photo-editing tools include "digital makeup" to whiten teeth, enlarge eyes, and give skin a softer glow. I tried this out, and maybe it's because I'm outside the target demographic, but I found the facial modification filters a little creepy.
Nokia primarily intends to sell the Lumia 720 in Asia and Europe in spots where LTE isn't as critical a selling point as it is in top-tier U.S. markets. China Mobile will sell the 720 in the second quarter.
In addition to the handset, Nokia also announced a new wireless charging holder that has a charging coil in the bottom and an NFC tag you can program to boot up Nokia Drive navigation or other programs.
Nokia will sell its Lumia 720 for 249 euros at full retail price, or about $338.
Correction, Monday at 10:18 a.m. PT: The Nokia Lumia 720's aperture is f/1.9.