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Verizon confirms ongoing talks with Nokia for potential tie-up, declines to kiss and tell
Remember that image sent recently by an anonymous tipster showing two versions of the Nokia Lumia 822 nestled comfortably within Verizon's device management system? Turns out there is something cooking between the Finnish phone maker and Big Red after all. The Wall Street Journal reports that Verizon has confirmed plans involving a Nokia Corp. tie-up, with sources familiar with the deal saying that the companies have been in talks since the spring. Just exactly what it is they're working on, however, still remains a mystery. Apparently, Verizon and Nokia are playing their cards close to the vest and refusing to disclose specific details about a potential deal. Still, the betting money is on some sort of tie-up involving Nokia's Lumia line. The Windows 8 handsets have seen a deluge of news this month, mostly involving the new 920 and 820 models. Whatever Nokia's got planned, several analysts also said the company needs to act fast. With Samsung's popular Galaxy S III already out and Apple's new iPhone expected to launch soon, Nokia's new phones are expected to see some tough competition.
Nokia Lumia 822 and 5-inch HTC device found in Verizon systems
The Nokia Lumia 820 is fresh on everyone's minds, and rumors of a 5-inch Android device from HTC are floating around, so why not add a couple more pieces of kindling to the fire? We've been handed images of Verizon's device management system (DMD, for short) showing off a couple new devices: the Nokia Lumia 822 (in Gray and White) and the HTC 6435, which we've seen leaked as the potential Galaxy Note competitor. While this doesn't guarantee a surefire launch in any way, phones typically pop up in the DMD a few weeks prior to launch -- and it's good news for two groups of people: Windows Phone fans anxiously awaiting something fresh on the LTE carrier, and phablet fans looking for a device not called the Intuition. [Thanks, Anonymous!]
Lumia 920 PureView trailer was filmed with a different camera, Nokia apologizes for the confusion
Nokia's video showcasing the Lumia 920's Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) might've given the impression it was filmed with the new PureView-toting device, but a reflection of a film crew spotted by PocketNow in the trailer (27 seconds deep) hinted that wasn't the case. The folks in Espoo have confirmed that the footage was indeed captured using a different camera. "Of course, hindsight is 20 / 20, but we should have posted a disclaimer stating this was a representation of OIS only," the company's Heidi Lemmetyinen penned on the Nokia Conversations blog. "This was not shot with a Lumia 920. At least, not yet. We apologize for the confusion we created." You can catch the offending video and a shorter, but accurate clip comparing a prototype of the PureView handset with a competing device after the break.
Nokia and Motorola event roundup
Boy, what a day. September 5th has been one for the books, as five new devices from Nokia and Motorola were exposed to the public eye. We were happy to bring you extensive coverage of everything that happened today, but if you're just getting home from work you may not have had the opportunity to keep up with the goings-on. To help you navigate the feeds a little easier, we've compiled all of the essential news in one place. So kick off your shoes, grab a bite to eat and meet us below the break to get caught up on the latest smartphones!
Nokia Lumia 920 vs. Lumia 900... fight!
Both arriving in a fanfare of primary colors and big screens, we've already taken a look at the spec sheet breakdown, but how does the Lumia 920 compare to its predecessor in the looks department? In a battle of polycarbonate matte and gloss, we put them both into an Engadget editor's outstretched hands and let the photography do the talking. %Gallery-164399% Ben Gilbert contributed to this report.
Nokia adds Qi wireless charging tech to new Lumia phones, we go hands-on
So the big buzz of the day's just passed, but now's the time to focus on the lesser details of Nokia's big Windows Phone 8 / Lumia presser: the accessories. Revealed during the presentation today, the Lumia 920 and 820 both incorporate Qi tech for wireless charging (albeit, optionally in the latter's case), a perk that will let users choose from the company's own stylish, soap-bar like dock, Fatboy pillow or an NFC-equipped charging stand. All three function exactly as advertised -- put the phone on top and it starts charging right away. The basic dock is the same sort of plastic that now graces the outside of the Lumia line. It's simple, slightly shiny and comes in a variety of hues. The Pillow is broad, flat and not exactly comfortable. The charging element sits right in the middle and is surrounded by beanbag-like cushions on all sides save for the top -- we wouldn't advise putting it under your head to go to sleep. The most interesting peripheral is definitely the charging stand. It's the least cumbersome of the charging options and it's got a neat trick up its sleeve. An NFC chip embedded in its base can be used to tell a Lumia to launch an app when you place it in the dock. So, you could easily put a 920 down, keep it charged and automatically open your music player or alarm clock. You can see the NFC trick in action in a video after the break. %Gallery-164405%
Nokia Lumia screens tout Synaptics tech for gloves-on use, 920 adds outdoor-friendly brightness
Everyone who regularly deals with cold winters knows the pain of using a smartphone in January -- you're usually forced to take your gloves off and risk frostbite if that call just can't wait. Nokia's new Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 phones bring in a Synaptics ClearPad Series 3 sensor whose responsiveness will keep those hands toasty. Super Sensitive Touch, as Nokia calls it, lets the capacitive surface react to more than just direct skin contact: it can recognize input through gloves, as well as from those with long fingernails. You'll want to spring for the Lumia 920 if you envision updating Twitter during a sunny skiing trip, however. On top of that extra-large 1,280 x 768 resolution, the 920's PureMotion HD+ display is reportedly about 25 percent brighter than its next-best rival. We're looking forward to a real field test -- not to mention preserving all the feeling in our fingers.
Nokia and AOL announce Entrance, an entertainment app for Nokia's Windows Phone devices
In case you didn't notice, Microsoft and Nokia are holding a pretty major press event right now, and while we've mainly been waiting for some shiny new hardware, a few fresh apps never hurt either. Nokia just made a joint announcement with AOL, unveiling an entertainment hub called Entrance, which will be available only on Nokia's Windows Phone devices. AOL (which happens to be Engadget's parent company) naturally used the app as a way to highlight its various properties, including Moviefone, AOL Music and Huffington Post Entertainment. So, for example, you might watch trailers or buy tickets on Moviefone, or read news from HuffPo. Like its various Android apps, it includes Shoutcast Radio integration with streaming from over 55,000 radio stations worldwide. Perhaps the most compelling bit, though, is an augmented reality feature with overlays for movie posters and show times. The app's free and available for download at the source link below, and we've also got some screenshots to help give you a sense for the look and feel.
Nokia Music free streaming service comes to US, available exclusively for Lumia handsets
Nokia Lumia owners on the other side of the pond have been rockin' out to the company's streaming service ever since Music launched during last year's Nokia World, but users in the US of A are about to get access as well. The Windows Phone handset maker just announced that Nokia Music will be available for US-based Lumia devices beginning today, with a US-based team of "musicologists" running the show. Users will have access to more than 150 playlists that span all major genres as part of an all-you-can-eat pro bono offering. There's also an option to create custom playlists with a Pandora-like feature that pulls in songs based on a selected artist and plays them back in random order, without advertisements popping in every few minutes. Playlists can be downloaded for offline listening as well. Officially, the app supports Lumia 900 and 710 handsets, and it can be downloaded from Marketplace today. Full details are in the PR after the break.
Nokia invites you to stay tuned, offers augmented reality teaser (updated)
With just a day to go, Nokia has pushed out another brief teaser, this time pointing towards more map-based contextual functionality. It looks like whatever the company's got up its sleeves, alongside any new Lumia hardware, should include some map-based social network chops and City Lens features -- not much of a shocker given that the latter has just shed its beta status. Update: Nokia's throw out another video -- which reveals that its good-looking star does manage to find those shoes. Phew. We've added it after the break.
Nokia Lumia wireless charging pad breaks cover
That was quick: we'd heard rumors through The Verge of wireless charging coming to the repeatedly leaked Lumia 920 alongside a pseudo-PureView camera, and the mysterious @evleaks has come through with what looks to be press photos showing the wireless charging pad in action. As long as they're more than just wild imaginings, they reveal a puck-like surface that could juice up both the Lumia 920 and the less ambitious 820. We don't know much more about the charger, although it's expected to use Qi and wouldn't limit the phones and pad to coupling solely with each other. We'll know the bigger picture on September 5th; in the meantime, check after the break for a bonus picture showing both Windows Phone 8 devices with an unnamed Bluetooth headset (likely a Luna variant) that might join the charger in Nokia's accessory line.
Nokia City Lens exits beta, gives a window on the world to Lumia owners
Nokia first kicked off the City Lens beta back in May. That was just four months ago, but it feels like an eternity in the mobile space. The wait has come to a welcome (if abrupt) end with the finished version quietly reaching the Windows Phone Marketplace for Lumia owners. From initial appearances, the augmented reality app is functionally the same as its test edition. Point the camera and you'll be shown points of interest in your field of view, with ratings and directions to get you on your way -- if you've seen Yelp's Monocle mode, you'll know the score. Don't be surprised if the source link doesn't initially work, as City Lens is slowly trickling out to Microsoft's servers, but do expect a quicker trip to the sushi bar when the app is in your hands.
Mark/Space Welcome Home eases us into new Nokia Lumias, lifts the burden of app hunting
So you just bought a Nokia Lumia 900 and are wondering how on Earth you'll get all your old phone's data over to that new Windows Phone. Nokia and Mark/Space have you covered with a new, Lumia-tuned Welcome Home to Windows Phone app. The Mac- and Windows-based utility goes beyond just shuffling calendars, contacts and media; if you're jumping ship from Android, a BlackBerry or an iPhone, it will scan apps linked to the outgoing hardware and offer QR codes to download either direct or close-enough equivalents for the Windows Phone world. Fresh Lumia owners might appreciate the price more than anything -- unlike the Android porting tool, the Lumia version is a free treat just for joining the Nokia flock. It's available today, but we have a feeling that most of the demand will come after September 5th.
Is this Nokia's new Windows Phone handset? Mr. Blurrycam thinks so
Just when you think that the era of decent smartphone cameras has killed the Blurrycam, you get a beauty like this. Here's an image purporting to be of a new Nokia Windows Phone 8 handset that, if real, we'll see on September 5th. Of course, it could just as easily be a block of golden marzipan with some detailing, but at least it gives us hope that the company's sticking with its trademark polycarbonate in various shades of primary colors.
Nokia's unsafe cyclist promises 'things are about to change' in confusing new teaser (video)
We know that Nokia's got something big planned for September 5th, and we're reasonably sure that it's going to be the company's new Windows Phone 8 flagship. To whet our appetites, it's released a 21-second teaser featuring a helmet-free cyclist smiling at the camera and not spending enough time watching where she's going. We can't find any clues in the footage (after the break), except that it's using the same font that we saw in the run up to the Pureview launch. Who knows, maybe we can get our hopes up for a Lumia device rocking that 41-megapixel sensor.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: smartphones
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we're tapping away on our brand-new smartphones -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of August we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- you can hit up the hub page right here! It's a good time to be a student. Last year, there were some solid picks, but it was still very clear that those willing to scrimp and save a little longer had a much better experience. This year, it's a people's revolution. Thanks to cutthroat competition, there are some exceptional phones out there, even for those of you hoping to avoid eating ramen noodles for a month. Software has taken a leap forward too, with many phones now offering a vital way to remember when that term paper is due... or to procrastinate at the pub. We have nine choices of phones in our shortlist, spread out across three categories to serve everyone from the I-just-need-a-phone freshman to the overloaded doctoral candidate. While you're eying the selection, don't forget to enter our giveaway and potentially ease the burden -- who knows, you may get a phone you want rather than the one dictated by your student loan.
Nokia wants to become the 'where?' company, Lumias to become sensor masters
Nokia is still taking its lumps in earnings, but CEO Stephen Elop has an idea as to how the troubled phone giant can carve out its slice of the smartphone market: like a real estate agent, it's all about location, location, location. As he outlined in the company's fiscal results call, the aim is to make Nokia the "where?" company -- the go-to for location-based services, whether it's Drive, Transport or anything else that locks in on our whereabouts. Facebook and Google are the "who?" and "what?" companies, Elop says. He also imagines that his own firm "could be a leader" in sensors as a whole, tracking subtler cues like the owner's pulse rate. Whether or not Nokia puts itself in front through positioning, the executive gave a small tease of the future during the call -- the next wave of Lumia phones will have "more differentiation," and both Windows Phone 7.8 as well as Windows Phone 8 will make their way to budget Nokia hardware.
How would you change the Nokia Lumia 710?
While Nokia's Lumia 710 may have been imagined as the Jan Brady of the Lumia line, this supposedly awkward middle child does plenty of things right. In fact, for everyone outside of the smartphone hardcore, it'll serve you very well at a far lower price than the better-looking (yet similarly specced) 800. That said, does it really need to exist? Would you pick this over the cheaper 610, the better designed 800 or the LTE-packing 900? That's the question we're asking you today -- if you were bending Stephen Elop's ear off about his trials and triumphs, what would you say about the 710, and more importantly, what would you change?
Nokia: it 'won't be long' before Verizon gets its due, and we'll have more gear in the fall
Most talk of a Nokia Lumia for Verizon has been relegated to small-scale rumors and incidental CDMA references. Nokia's Worldwide Developer Relations head Richard Kerris has rather suddenly brought the elusive subject into focus through an interview: he tells Neowin that it "won't be long" before the can-you-hear-me-now network gets a taste of an experience that has previously been limited to the GSM side of the US telecom world, like AT&T and T-Mobile. We're not getting a roadmap for any Verizon devices just yet, to no one's surprise, but Kerris is more than willing to share when we can expect the next wave of Nokia devices. We should expect a refresh of the line sometime in the fall, and whatever's arriving in the spring will purportedly be good enough to have people "climbing over themselves" to get it -- just in case Nokia's role as a Windows Phone 8 partner for the fall launch and beyond wasn't clear enough. The question-and-answer session touches on a handful of other subjects, including a hint that the near-mythical Windows Phone with PureView may be a bit closer to reality, so click on through if you'd like a peek at where the Lumia is headed next.
Nokia Camera Extras hits Lumia 900 in US and China, offers four new ways to capture candids
Although Nokia's Camera Extras app was scheduled to hit Lumia 900 smartphones sometime next week, owners in the US and China will be pleased to know they they can get it now. Nokia has officially pushed the free app into the Windows Phone Marketplace for both regions, giving Mango-flavored Lumia users four new options for capturing photos. Along with a much-needed self-timer, you'll find three other modes: Panorama, Action Shot (for photographing fast-moving subjects) and Smart Group Shot (selects the best faces from a sequence of frames). Don't fret if you don't have a 900 or live outside of the aforementioned either -- Nokia plans to release the Scalado-bred software for all Lumia smartphones worldwide in July. Hit up the links below for more info, and be sure to let us know how it works for you in the comments.
