Oh, it feels good typing this! The first Nokia phablet is now official. And by the same token, the first larger screen Windows Phone 8 device has also been unveiled.
There have been some Windows Phone powered handsets with a sizeable screen size, but this is the first that can be classified as a phablet. The huge 6-inch display on the Nokia Lumia 1520 is as impressive as remarkable 20 megapixel PureView camera on the back.
This was the first Windows Phone handset that Nokia announced at its Nokia World 2013 event in Abu Dhabi, and Stephen Elop confirmed the specifications on the stage.
The full HD 1080p capacitive touchscreen display of the Lumia 1520 is backed up by a notably powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. And as expected, the screen makes use of technologies like ClearBlack and Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coating.
In terms of imaging capabilities, the 20 megapixel PureView shooter on the back offers OIS (optical image stabilization), Carl Zeiss lens, dual-LED flash along with full HD video recording. A 1.2 megapixel camera for video conferencing sits on the front of the handset.
A microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 64GB is handily available.
Nokia has also thrown in a high-capacity 3400 mAh Li-Ion battery to power the imposing hardware. This, the company claims, should be enough for around 780 hours of standby or 25 hours of talk time. In multimedia speak, the battery is good for 11 hours of video playback and 124 hours of music listening.
Standard software includes preinstalled Microsoft Office, free global HERE maps (as well as Here Drive+). The company also offers Nokia Music for unlimited ad-free music streaming.
The Lumia 1520 is on track to hit store shelves in Q4 for $749 outright.
It will be initially launched in Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States. While other markets including China and Europe will get it soon afterwards. Oh, and color options of the handset include white, black, yellow and glossy red.
All Comments
I still don’t know if I’m a phablet person, but I do want me Lumia at some point. I’m already looking forward to 8.1