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The Windows 10 preview will work on more phones soon
If you've been itching to try out a technical preview version of Windows 10 on your phone but didn't have a device on the short list, then we have good news. Microsoft just released a list of devices that it expects to support in the next "flight" and it includes additional Lumia models like the 1020, 1320, 1520, 920, Icon and so on (the list is after the break -- it does not include the Lumia 930). It will be at least a week until the next update rolls out, but there's no specific date promised, and the list of supported devices could change.
IRL: Is the Lumia 1020 good enough to replace a standalone camera?
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. You only need to look at Jon Fingas' Instagram feed to understand how much he enjoys smartphone photography. We get it: you probably have an Instagram account too, but for Jon, taking photos of flowers, Christmas ornaments, ice sculptures and even other gadgets is how the guy unwinds. So what happens when you give him a camera with more megapixels than your average point-and-shoot? Just about what you'd expect.
Nokia Black update brings imaging enhancements to Lumia 1020 today
Nokia likes to bundle Microsoft's Windows Phone updates with a set of its own improvements specific to the Lumia line, and the latest such version -- known as the Black update -- is finally making its way to the Lumia 1020 on AT&T. In addition to the standard firmware enhancements that comes as part of the "GDR3" update to Windows Phone 8 (such as screen rotation lock, custom ringtones for specific types of notifications and the ability to close running apps in the app switcher more easily), you can also enjoy some of the same imaging features that were integrated into the Lumia 1520: the Nokia Camera, which combines the Pro Cam and Smart Cam into one fantastic app, and other unspecified performance enhancements. You'll also get the new and improved Glance Screen also seen on the 1520, Bluetooth 4.0 LE support, better battery monitoring and other miscellaneous stability fixes. The download is hitting our devices right now, but as usual, it may take a while to roll out to everyone.
Nokia bringing RAW photography to the Lumia 1520 and 1020
This latest nugget of news out of Nokia's big event in Abu Dhabi should be of particular interest to mobile photographers. According to @tnkgrl, aka our buddy Myriam Joire, the phone manufacturer will be bringing RAW image support to its flagship Lumia handsets, the 1520 and 1020. This will allow them to take 20MP or 41MP photos (respectively) with zero compression -- allowing far greater control over exposure, color and other settings in your photo editor of choice. The file sizes will no doubt be unwieldy compared to regular JPEGs, especially for 1020 owners who can't expand their storage (the new 1520 fortunately has a microSD slot), but we reckon the extra control ought to be worth it. Update: Now confirmed by Nokia camera developer, Juha Alakarhu.
Nokia bundles free Netflix with Lumia 1020 purchases through Vodafone
With the holiday season fast approaching, it looks like Nokia is eager to bump up sales in the UK lest it get trounced by the competition. For Vodafone customers shopping around for a new Windows Phone, that means getting a free year-long Netflix subscription with the purchase of a Lumia 1020. According to The Financial Times, Nokia will bear the brunt of the cost, while the extent of Netflix's financial involvement is unclear. Though the Lumia's photographic capabilities are undeniable, the phone hasn't quite caught on like wildfire, largely due to inaccessibly high pricing, even on contract. Considering that just last month, AT&T and Microsoft slashed the two-year contract price from a whopping $299 to $199 in the US, this type of corporate anxiety is hardly surprising. The Nokia/Netflix arrangement might prove mutually beneficial, as the latter is keen to expand in European markets, though time will tell if it's enough to reel in holiday shoppers.
Nokia Lumia 1020 and 625 launch in Canada
After teasing its release plans in the summer, Nokia has finally launched two of its most recent smartphones in Canada. The Lumia 1020 is now available through both Rogers and Telus for $199 on a two-year contract ($600 to $725 contract-free) in either yellow or black. Aspiring shutterbugs can also buy the camera grip in either color for $75. If the 1020 is beyond your budget, you'll be glad to hear that Telus is also offering the Lumia 625 for free on a contract, or $300 with no commitment. The releases aren't well-timed when Nokia is unveiling new devices in a matter of weeks, but Canucks who've faced a recent drought of Windows Phones should be happy.
Nokia says current high-end Lumias won't get Bluetooth 4.0 support (update: they may)
We hope you don't want to use a heart rate monitor while running with your Lumia 1020 -- you'll likely be out of luck. Nokia Australia claims that Bluetooth 4.0 support won't be coming to existing high-end Lumias like the 820, 925 and 1020. There are "hardware limitations" that prevent an upgrade, the company explains. We've reached out to Nokia for clarification, but the company may have hinted at those limits when launching the Adidas miCoach app -- it mentioned that only the Lumia 520, 620 and 720 would work with Adidas' heart monitors. The restrictions will no doubt frustrate some owners, although we suspect that Nokia may improve its Bluetooth support with the next wave of Lumia hardware. Update: Nokia Germany spokesman Ben Lampe says that Bluetooth 4.0 support will come to all Windows Phone 8-based Lumias through a post-Amber update. Clearly, there are conflicting responses; we're hoping to get a definitive answer soon.
gdgt's best deals for September 23rd: Nokia Lumia 1020, Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Two devices with gdgt Scores of 90 and above top today's deals slate: the Nokia Lumia 1020 and the Nook Simple Touch are both at the lowest prices we've seen. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Daily Roundup: Motorola Droid Maxx review, Google buys Bump, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
IRL: Testing the Nokia Lumia 1020's optional camera grip / battery case
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. If you're going to buy the Lumia 1020 for its 41-megapixel camera (and if not that, what the heck did you buy it for?) you may as well spring for the $59 camera grip too. That's what Philip told himself, anyway, after picking up the phone on AT&T.
PSA: the Nokia Lumia 1020 arrives in the UK today (updated)
Let's face it -- we can't be sure Nokia's Lumia 1020 is worth the hype until it's taken a thousand shots of Big Ben and Westminster tube station. Fortunately for us, the PureView-toting handset is landing in the UK from today. We've managed to wrangle confirmation that Vodafone, Three and O2 will be selling the unit, but alas, EE currently has no plans to offer the handset to its million-strong LTE customer base. We suspect more than a few of you, disappointed at Cupertino's latest imaging update, may be throwing your cash at the screen right now. Update: EE, in something of a last-minute tie-up with Nokia, has now pledged it'll be offering the 1020 to both Kevin Bacon and its customers at large.
Nokia Lumia 1020 price drops to $199 in the US
One of the barriers to Lumia 1020 adoption in the US has been the high price; you've had to really love phone photography to justify spending $299 on-contract. That shouldn't be an issue from now on, as both AT&T and Microsoft have permanently dropped the Nokia flagship's price to $199 with a two-year agreement. If you buy from the Microsoft Store, you'll even get a free black camera grip through a limited-time offer. The new pricing might not sway every Windows Phone fan when a next-gen Lumia may lurk just around the corner, but those who've been waiting for a good bargain on the 1020 will find one at the source links.
Lumia 1020 KIRF swaps PureView camera for '41-megaplxel' audio
You'd think that the Lumia 1020's 41-megapixel camera and unibody design would deter clone makers -- how do you even get close to the real thing? That hasn't stopped an anonymous Shenzhen company from giving it a shot, however. As you'd expect, this attempt at keepin' it real fake is nowhere near as well-designed as the Nokia original. It's housed in a crude two-piece shell and carries just a 2MP camera at the back. Most of the rear hump is occupied by "41-megaplxel" speakers and an attempted revival of Nokia's XpressMusic badge. At least the Windows Phone-like Android launcher is more convincing. We'd advise against spending $69 on this knockoff for serious uses, although you may want one for the novelty; now that Microsoft is buying Nokia's device business, it may the closest we get to an Android-based Nokia phone. Check out a second image of the clone after the break.
Ballmer promises shorter names for Nokia phones: goodbye Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 1020
What will Microsoft's thunderous multi-billion dollar purchase of Nokia's mobile phone business mean for little ol' you and me? Time will tell, of course, but in the short term Steve Ballmer is promising something concrete: shorter brand names. Speaking on a conference call today, the Microsoft CEO seized on the Nokia's latest flagship phone as an example of the need for simpler, more unified marketing: "We can probably do better for a consumer name than the "Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 1020," and yet, because of where both companies are, and the independent nature of the businesses, we haven't been able to shorten that name." Now, "Surface Phone" certainly has a ring to it (and it'd be better than Windows Phone Pro Home Edition, in any case), so let's just hope Microsoft doesn't try to over-think things.
Nokia Lumia 1020 coming to Canada through Rogers and Telus
Canadians won't miss out on the Lumia 1020's photographic prowess for much longer. Following rumors and teases, Nokia has confirmed that its flagship Windows Phone is coming to both Rogers and Telus. There's no official word on ship dates or prices, but the company says the 1020 will be available in both black and yellow. Let's hope that it reaches Canada soon -- rumors persist of even bigger devices that could overshadow the 1020 in the near future.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 19th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a free TV streaming service for Bell subscribers, the arrival of NFL Mobile to BlackBerry 10 and little bit of Windows Phone love from General Motors. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 19th, 2013.
Switched On: The camera phone
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In that human-behavior lab known as the New York City subway, a vacationing family recently sought to get in a group self-portrait on their last day in the Big Apple. But the rocking train kept thwarting the capture of their jostled bodies. To frame the picture, they tried trading the quality of their smartphone's rear camera for the one above the phone's display so they could better preview the picture, but still had trouble composing the shot. Finally, a local passenger riding with them stepped in and offered to take their photo, which he did to their expressions of gratitude. The incident served as an illustration of the often precarious situations in which we use our smartphone cameras. Had their phone been Nokia's Lumia 1020 and the stranger not intervened, the 41 megapixels of light-capturing prowess might have gone for naught as the family would've had to rely on the phone's middling front-facing camera.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 29th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought overwhelming support for MoDaCo.Switch on the GS4, new markets for the budget-priced BlackBerry Q5 and a pint-sized Android handset from Acer. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of July 29th, 2013.
The Weekly Roundup for 07.22.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
This week on gdgt: Nokia Lumia 1020, Olympus PEN E-P5 and Google's Chromecast
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
