lumia930
Latest
HTC One M8 for Windows, 'Halo 2: Anniversary' and other stories you might've missed
This week, we got our hands on the HTC One M8 for Windows, anticipated the release of Halo 2: Anniversary, learned about monkey selfie rights, investigated issues with Secret's anonymity and more! Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Engadget Daily: Lumia 930 review, remote-controlled moths and more!
Today, we visit Seattle's Living Computer Museum, go hands-on with the Lumia 930, ponder remote-controlled moths, learn about Sony's plan to reclaim "20 lost years," and more. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Nokia Lumia 930 review: like the Icon, but better
Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia is now bearing fruit, but as often happens when big companies merge, there aren't enough jobs to go around. More than 10,000 former Nokia employees are due to be laid off by the end of the year, but their legacy will live on for a time in the Lumia 930: one of the last all-Nokia creations. If you live in the UK, then you already know where to get the flagship Windows Phone, but the more important question is whether you want one. We've already taken a deep dive on the 930 in our review of the Lumia Icon, which is essentially the same phone, just exclusive to Verizon in the US. Let's revisit the good, the bad and the competition.
Where to buy Nokia's Lumia 930
Nokia's latest flagship Windows Phone, and its last as a company unbeholden to Microsoft, launched in the UK today. The Lumia 930, also known as the Lumia Icon over in the states, marries high-end specs with the newest version of Microsoft's mobile OS, Windows Phone 8.1. Unfortunately, one of the major new features of the update -- the addition of virtual assistant Cortana -- isn't available in the UK yet (officially, anyway). At least Brits get a free wireless charger with every Lumia 930 purchase in recompense, and if you're looking to spring for one right now, you also stand to receive an introductory accessory bundle including portable wireless charger, Bluetooth speaker and £20 app voucher (or £40 from Vodafone). This bonus is only available from major carriers and retailers before the end of July, or until stocks last, mind. Incentives are great and all, but before that, you still need to decide which of the many Lumia 930 merchants you want to do business with.
Some new Windows Phones won't let you change your web search provider
If you're picking up a shiny new Lumia 630 or 930 in the near future, you may be in for an unwelcome surprise. The Verge has discovered that at least some unlocked versions of either Windows Phone won't let you switch Internet Explorer's default search provider to Google; it's either Bing or nothing. Some European models of the same phones do let you change the provider, though, so this clearly isn't a platform-wide policy. We've asked Microsoft if it can share more about what's going on, and we'll let you know if it has more to add. The move likely won't cause that much consternation given that many Windows Phone users are inclined to use Bing, but it's bad news if you like to use Google services on Microsoft platforms.
Nokia Lumia 930 hits the UK on July 17th with free wireless charging pad
Before being swallowed by Microsoft, Nokia had one last flagship up its sleeve: the Lumia 930. Smartphone aficionados might be familiar with the combination of 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip and 20-megapixel camera, given the 930 already exists in the US as the Lumia Icon. This international edition comes with Windows Phone 8.1 right out the box (no developer loophole required), and we've just learnt it'll be available in the UK from July 17th. We don't have a SIM-free price to report currently, but you should be able to pick one up on contract from most major carriers and retailers from around £33 per month. Each handset will come with a wireless charging pad included in the box, and until the end of July, each purchase will also come with a special starter pack including a portable wireless charger, Bluetooth speaker and £20 app voucher.
Here's what you missed at Microsoft's 2014 Build conference
We came, we saw, we barked orders into a phone. Though Microsoft's annual developer conference is technically called "Build Windows," we actually spent far more time at this year's event playing with handsets -- almost no PCs, come to think of it. Indeed, the star of the show was a husky-voiced lady (fembot?) named Cortana, Microsoft's new Siri-like personal assistant. Of course, Cortana wouldn't exist outside of the next version of Windows Phone (that'd be v. 8.1.), which we also got a glimpse of this week. In case you missed our three-hour liveblog -- or were too busy following our Amazon Fire TV coverage -- we've got a neat recap below. We promise we've left out all the boring bits about developer tools. Mostly, anyway.
The Nokia Lumia 930 is a global version of the Icon (hands-on)
The Nokia Lumia Icon is a fantastic Windows Phone that comes with a bunch of top features that most WP users haven't been able to enjoy until recently, but it had one critical flaw: it was an exclusive to Verizon, which meant that only a handful of users in the US could buy it. For the rest of the world, the only way to get a top-of-the-line Windows Phone (in nearly every spec, that is) has been to buy the Lumia 1520, but its large 6-inch display -- though beautiful at 1080p -- simply made it too big for a lot of people. Fortunately, that's about to end because Nokia announced a global version of the Icon known as the Lumia 930, which comes with more LTE compatibility and Windows Phone 8.1. Interestingly enough, there's not much of a difference between the two devices. This actually is a bit surprising, considering Verizon has historically landed design exclusives with Nokia like the Lumia 822 and 928. The resemblance is definitely striking, with the only major hardware changes manifest in the presence of GSM bands instead of CDMA and the additional colors that Nokia will offer.
Nokia announces the Lumia 930, a 5-inch phone with a 20-megapixel PureView camera
It appears that Nokia isn't coming to Microsoft's developer conference empty-handed. Though the acquisition is still pending, Nokia went ahead and brought in some new hardware anyway. This time, the phone maker has announced the Lumia 930, which is essentially the international version of the Lumia Icon. Which is to say, it features a 5-inch full HD display and a 20-megapixel PureView camera with a Zeiss lens. The camera is clearly the star of the show here: not only does it have optical image stabilization, but the phone also ships with a Creative Studio app that'll let you add Instagram-style filters to your snapshots. There's also a new feature called "Living Images" that can be weaved into Nokia's Storyteller application. Photos and videos are automatically sorted by time and location, and if you want to be all fancy, you can add music to the background when viewing the images. Other features include four high-performance digital microphones, directional stereo recording on-board, wireless charging and a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor. Of course, it also runs the latest Windows Phone 8.1 firmware, which promises plenty of new goodies like a notification center (finally!) and Cortana, Windows' answer to Siri and Google Now. It also has something called "SensorCore," which apparently hooks into the Bing Health & Fitness app. Microsoft says the Lumia 930 will launch first in Europe starting in June, and will be available in Asia and other markets at a later date. It should land on more than 100 operators, priced at around $599. Unfortunately, US availability hasn't been announced, but that could be because we already have the Icon. In the meantime, have a peek at the video after the break to get your first taste of Nokia's latest flagship. Update: You can check our hands-on of the Lumia 930 right here.
Nokia Lumia 930 picture leak hints at a Lumia Icon for the rest of the world
There have been rumblings about Nokia unveiling a Lumia 930 in the near future, but its actual design has remained elusive. However, frequent tipster @evleaks claims to have a press image of the new smartphone... and if the picture is accurate, it's effectively a Lumia Icon for everyone who isn't a Verizon customer. Not that we'd be complaining too much if that's the case, mind you. An Icon-like design would give the 930 top-tier features that include a 5-inch 1080p display, a 20-megapixel camera and a quick Snapdragon 800 processor. There aren't any clues as to what's under the hood just by looking at the picture, but we suspect we'll be hearing a lot more about the device at Nokia's Lumia-focused event this evening.
Nokia promises 'more Lumia' at April 2nd event
Windows Phone fans have more to look forward to this April than just the formal unveiling of Windows Phone 8.1 -- Nokia has sent out invitations for an April 2nd event in San Francisco that should deliver "more Lumia." The notice doesn't give any real hints as to what will be at the presentation. However, the event takes place on the first day of Microsoft's Build developer conference. Don't be shocked if Nokia unveils devices that need Windows Phone 8.1 to run, such as the rumored Lumia 630 (Moneypenny) and Lumia 930 (Martini). No matter what shows up, we'll be there to give you the full scoop.
