With the operating system being highly successful after Microsoft’s hot design strategy and awesome interoperability, device manufacturers are highly ambitious about their devices. HTC, Samsung, and Nokia are all set to reveal their Windows 8 smartphones. Let’s look at some of the hot contenders in this category and see which seems to be the good choice for customers.
The Devices
Here are the Windows Phone 8 phones expected to be launched in the coming days.
Hardware Specifications
Being Microsoft’s preferred choice of device manufacturers, Nokia came up with the first breakthrough device after the failure of Symbian, with the Lumia series. Now, they have two phones coming, Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 that compete with other devices in Windows Phone 8 operating system. Both are rich in hardware. I will tell you about four major areas in comparison: display, battery, memory, and processing power. These are the major factors that determine phone’s usability and price. I will also tell you about the fifth factor, camera, that many people actually want to hear about.
In terms of display, the main contenders are ATIV S from Samsung and Lumia 920 from Nokia. Although the larger display is with ATIV S, I would say the better display is from Nokia. In just 4.5 inches, Nokia has packed 326 ppi LCD IPS display with a resolution of 768x1280. This is truly impressive, and display size is pretty good for all sorts of tasks. Lumia 820 is the toned-down version of 920, and if you are looking for good price, this is another option to go.
Battery life is a major factor that determines usability. The best battery among Windows Phone 8 smartphones comes with ATIV S that has a capacity of 2300 mAh. With its less-power-consuming AMOLED screen, this may be the most lasting battery there is.
The power of the phone depends most on the power of the processor. In this, Lumia 920’s Snapdragon S4, dual-core processor, is probably the best. HTC Windows Phone 8X also has the same battery. ATIV S also sports a dual-core processor of the same parameters.
Storage space is not a big concern as Microsoft SkyDrive is available on all Windows Phone versions. It provides 7 GB storage for free, and for legacy customers, about 25 GB is available for free. Among the phones, internal storage available are thus: Lumia 920 with 32 GB, ATIV S with option for 16 or 32 GB, and HTC 8X with only 16 GB storage. With a second option to choose from, ATIV S may be the best in this. All of them have 1 GB of RAM.
It is hard to determine which device has the best camera. It has become almost a standard to make phones with 8MP camera—neither too big, nor small. However, here the main competition is between the cameras of Lumia 920 and HTC 8X. Lumia has a slightly larger 8.7 MP camera sporting PureView technology, while HTC 8X has a better sensor for capturing dark scenes.
The Price
Nokia has been under a lot of pressure after the breakdown of Symbian, and HTC and Samsung have been giving this Finnish mobile manufacturer a lot of competition. In such conditions, Nokia has managed to turn up with awesomely designed Lumia 900 and 800 sporting the first version of Microsoft Windows Phone. It managed to become the first choice for customers looking for Windows phones.
However, with the new version of the operating system, and with a lot of competition from other manufacturers, the situation may change dramatically. Nokia’s product is simply superior and their profit margin depends on a good price.
On the other hand, Samsung and HTC think of Windows Phone as their secondary market. They can test-run their devices at highly competitive prices to capture a whole chunk of Nokia customers. Lumia 920 should be priced around 700 dollars, while ATIV S should be available well below 700, and HTC Windows 8X around 500 dollars. In terms of pricing, Nokia’s best bet is its toned-down Lumia 820 that directly competes with HTC 8X, and is a better take at the price range.
Conclusion
Microsoft Windows Phone 8 will compete directly with iPhone in the proprietary mobile OS segment. With such great device diversity and awesome hardware, this OS could be a fatal competitor to Apple iPhone 5 and its successors. With the devices already released, I would suggest you go with either Nokia Lumia 920 or 820 as they pack the punch. If you want a high-end device at a more affordable price, go for Samsung ATIV S.