Nokia Pins Hopes on New Smartphone Running Windows Phone 8
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The wraps are expected to come off the iPhone 5 next week. But another smartphone maker is hoping to steal some of Apple's thunder with a device that runs the next version of Windows.
Nokia is betting on the phone version of Microsoft's PC software. Resizable Windows "live tiles" display the latest texts, tweets, and Facebook updates.
"Anything that can get updated instantaneously, it gets pushed right to the phone," says techhive.com associate editor Amber Bouman. She says the flagship Lumia 920 (photo) stands out from the crowd with camera lens technology that Nokia claims rivals expensive digital SLRs.
"One of the things on the camera that isn't generally seen on smartphones would be the image stabilization," she notes.
The CityLens function provides an augmented reality view of the businesses within your camera viewfinder.
Its battery can be charged wirelessly, with Qi-enabled accessories. And the 4.5" touchscreen?
"It works even if you're still wearing gloves. Even if it's really cold outside, you can still operate your phone: it still recognizes your fingers through gloves."
The 920, with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, comes in several colors; the cheaper Lumia 820 doesn't have the special camera lenses.
There's no word on price or release date. It's expected in the late fall, which means the next iPhone will ship before it. It's also unclear on which carrier the phones will be available.
