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Nokia outs firmware for Lumia 620, 820 and 920 for better touch, camera action
Owners of Nokia's Lumia 620, 820 and 920 are getting some firmware joy as the Swedish Finnish firm just released a new update for the Windows Phone 8 handsets. It'll bring improved auto screen brightness / touch screen functionality, camera fixes, enhanced Bluetooth headset functionality and numerous performance and stability enhancements, according to Nokia. You can expect to see it rollout "over the coming weeks," but may able to force the issue by selecting "phone update" from the settings. Check the source for more. Update: Nokia's Scandinavian Nordic but it sure ain't Swedish. Thanks to all who pointed it out.
Nokia Lumia 822 and HTC 8X show up in Verizon colors, get pegged for November 8th release
The Verizon-flavored Nokia Lumia 822 hasn't exactly been camera-shy, nor has it been coy about its imminent arrival, but the details on price and availability have, as yet, not been pinned down. That is until now, according to a tip-off at WPCentral. The candid shot shows the Nokia next to an HTC 8X -- both with Verizon livery. The word is that the Lumia 822 will run you $99 at launch, while the HTC 8X will command $199, both with a contract. The same source claims that these will launch on November 8th. Just in time to get that first killer app. Update: Not satisfied with just white? Don't worry about it -- you'll have two more shades to pick from, according to a press image uncovered by EvLeaks. A professionally captured view of the 822's black and grey facades can be found at the more coverage link below.
Verizon-bound Nokia Lumia 822 surfaces in leaked photos
We caught a glimpse of a Verizon-branded Windows Phone 8 handset by the name of Atlas in a leaked image yesterday, and now new photos give us a closer look at the smartphone. According to WMPoweruser, who received the photos from a tipster, the device is a Nokia Lumia 820 variant and will be exclusive to Big Red as the Lumia 822. Though it's riffed on its progenitor's design, the mobile will keep the same WVGA resolution and 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. There's still no official word from Verizon or Nokia regarding the phone, but we expect that to change relatively soon.
Nokia announces Australian carriers: Telstra gets the 920, Vodafone and Optus get the 820
Nokia's started its world tour of local announcements in Australia, letting slip that the Lumia 920 is coming to Telstra's LTE network down under. Those with an eye on the cheaper Lumia 820 are in luck too, as it's going to be carried by both Vodafone and Optus Business. The Finnish phone maker added that a number of leading retailers would be selling both handsets, but declined to go into specifics there. Pricing and availability will be announced toward the end of October, giving us hope that everything's on schedule for a strong pre-Christmas launch.
Nokia Lumia 820 hands-on (update: now with video)
Nokia's Lumia 820 is here, after countless leaks, and the budget-friendly handset is exactly what we expected. We'll admit we're sad to see the rather singular design of its spiritual forebear, the Lumia 800, fall by the wayside, but we can't complain about the build quality here. The usual attention to detail and materials we've come to appreciate from the Finnish phone maker is on full display. The flat glass panel on the front may lack the mystique of the curved display on the 920 and 800, but it's hardly something that should factor into your decision to buy this handset or another. The ceramic volume rocker and lock button on the right side have a pleasant and satisfying click, though we're sad to report that the camera button still leaves us wanting. Sure, any dedicated camera key is better than none, but its squishy response to our press was hardly encouraging. At least Nokia had the good grace to upgrade to a dual-stage solution. We were also a bit put off by the shine of the body. The Lumia series stole our hearts with its matte finish when it first debuted; now the glossy exterior is more likely to throw some glare and attract fingerprints. The new plastic also feels quite a bit lighter in the hand, which makes the 820 feel more like the midrange device it is and less like the premium handset it's succeeding. What's under the hood certainly makes up for some of those shortcomings. The 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM simply chewed through the lightweight Windows Phone 8, leaving us to wonder if Apple and Google can truly keep up. All of the UI animations were smooth and fluid, and apps launched with nary a hiccup. And, can we just say that Windows Phone 8 is an absolute pleasure to use. At the risk of angering quite a few people -- there's simply no mid-range Android phone or iOS device that's as quick and satisfying to use as the Lumia 820, and much of that is thanks to the highly optimized Microsoft OS. It's a pleasure to see that new features like the customizable home screen and background multitasking haven't weighed down Redmond's phone platform. And things will likely only get better as the final wrinkles are ironed out and bugs are squashed. But, as we all know, speed and smooth animations alone don't make a device -- Microsoft will have to convince developers to support its still fledgling platform. %Gallery-164355%
Purported Nokia Lumia 820, 920 Pureview pics arrive on Twitter
Our old friend, the @evleaks Twitter account is back, claiming that it's gotten the first official shots of Nokia's Lumia 820 and 920 with Pureview. The terse tweets claim that the 820 is a 4.3-inch handset, while the 4.5-inch 920 will arrive with Nokia's magical new imaging technology. We're understandably skeptical, given the small size of the lens on the 920 (pictured, left) compared to the 808, but we can't fault the feed's track record for leaks so far.
TomTom announces Go Live 800 series PNDs for lost Europeans
TomTom's Go Live family got a little larger today, with the unveiling of the company's new 800 series of PNDs. With the purchase of an 820 or 825 GPS, you'll get a year's worth of free access to HD Traffic, a speed camera alert system, local weather updates and all the rest of TomTom's Live services. The navigators also come with intelligent orientation sensors that allow for easy dashboard mounting, as well as Bluetooth capabilities that enable drivers to make hands-free calls while they cruise. The five-inch 825, much like the ARM11-powered Go Live 1000, generates routes using TomTom's IQ Routes technology, though it won't cost quite as much as its big brother. No word yet on the pricing of the 4.3-inch 820, which is due to hit Europe this September, but the 825 will retail for about £230 ($373) when it launches this month. Full presser after the break.
Sharp debuts 60-inch 240Hz Aquos LED LCD TV, 68-inch set with a touch of yellow in its RGB
Like the steady hand on your wristwatch, Sharp is arriving at CES with a handful of new television sets... so let's get on with the show! This year, the Aquos LED LCD TV series is touting an impressive 1.6-inch thin frame, Energy Start Version 4 compliancy, and "four primary color technology" -- in a nutshell, it's a "RGB-meet-Y for yellow" world. The LE920 flagship series comes in 52, 60, and 68-inch models with Aquomotion 240 and edge-lit LED; those are due in May with prices listed firmly as TBD. The LE820/810 series hits the slightly tinier, 60, 52, 46, and 40-inch screen size markets and boasts 120Hz frame rate conversion and 4ms response time. They're slightly more within your reach, debuting in March with prices ranging between $1,800 and $4,000. Looking for something even faster? Meet the 60-inch E88UN with a 240Hz refresh rate alongside a X-Gen panel -- mum's the word on pricing, but it'll be the first of these out, in February. Presser after the break.
Olympus' semi-rugged Stylus series bumped to 12 megapixels
If ruggedness is your primary consideration when buying a camera then by all means, look no further than Olympus' latest lineup of Stylus (AKA, Mju outside the US) shooters. The $300 Stylus 790SW is the most like, totally extreme of the bunch dude, offering waterproofing up to 3-meters and shockproofiness from a height of 5 feet. Oh, and it also just happens to include a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 3x non-protruding zoom lens, 2.5-inch LCD, a 30fps VGA video mode, and ISO sensitivity up to 1600. Olympus also rolled out a trio of less rugged, "weatherproof" cameras: the 12 megapixel Stylus 1200 ($350); the 8 megapixel, image-stabilized Stylus 830 ($350), and 8 megapixel Stylus 820 ($300) with 5x zoom. All loose on the mean retail streets starting in September and October. %Gallery-6282%Read -- 790 SW Read -- 1200, 830, 820
Transcend's T.sonic 820 DAPs, with 4GB of flash
With the big boys like Apple, SanDisk and iriver putting so much TLC into this particular market segment of mini flash DAPs, it can be bit hard to even get noticed, much less succeed. All the same, Transcend manages to squeeze a little bit of innovative functionality into its new T.sonic 820 player to keep it from being relegated to the flash heap of history. There's not a whole lot interesting about the 12mm thickness (about twice as thick as the nano), or the 2GB (white) and 4GB (black) capacities, but the inclusion of a A-B track section repeat, along with track speed control makes this a boon to guitarist trying to learn a lead part without going nutso. Otherwise, the 1.5-inch 128 x 128 display, WMA-DRM10 support and recording capabilities are nice but par for the course, and 15 hours of battery is nothing special for a flash player anymore. No word on price or availability.[Via MP3 Player Guide]
Roc A Fella shows three new Verizon Wireless WinMo devices
Roc A Fella's back, people! The word we got from a very recent Verizon Wireless timeline he sent in is that the V's releasing three new EV-DO Windows Mobile devices by year's end. The Pantech 820 (after the break) appears to have had its launch date pushed back to September 29th, but as far as we know the Smartphone will still feature a 1.3 megapixel camera with flash, miniSD slot, and Bluetooth when it hits stores. The other two devices are manufactured by UT Starcom, and are codenamed Libra and Titan, which should both run Pocket PC and have pushemail support with AKU2; the Libra is looking at a November 15th launch date, just a month before the December 15th launch of the Titan (which we don't, in fact, believe has any relation to the TyTn). Other details on the devices are kinda sketchy right now, but we're sure that they'll surface sooner than you think.
