Last week, Samsung announced the ATIV S, the world’s first phone running on Windows Phone 8. However, in the days after the announcement, there have been lots of leaks about the new range of WP8 smartphones from both HTC and Nokia.
Read on after the break for the latest news on the HTC Accord and also the new Lumia, now with PureView…most probably.
First off, The Verge reported on what is supposedly the HTC Accord, HTC’s first WP8 phone. As with all WP8 phones, the hardware have been regulated to contain a 1.5GHz dual core chip, 4.3-inch 720p screen, NFC and microSD card support. HTC has confirmed, however, that its range of WP8 phones will come with its Beats Audio enhancement software.
But what we found amusing was not just the phone’s name, which springs “Honda” to mind, but the very Lumia-esque design of the phone itself. At first glance at the image render, one would immediately think that it was the new Nokia Lumia. It doesn’t help either that the vibrant purple hue takes a leaf right out of the Lumia handbook. Regardless, HTC are expected to reveal up to three new WP8 phones on the third week of September.
What about Nokia, then? With its Lumia announcement a matter of days away, images showing the supposed Lumia 920 and 820 were leaked on Twitter, showing that the new WP8 Nokia phones retaining the characteristic polycarbonate unibody design from the N9, Lumia 900 and 800. While the internals are still unkown, Microsoft’s strict hardware regulation means that they shouldn’t deviate much from that of the HTC Accord.
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Indeed, even Nokia Malaysia seemed to confirm the screen sizes of the new Lumias. A few weeks back, they asked via their Facebook page about which screen size do users prefer, with the choices being 4.5, 4.3 and 3.7 inches. The Lumia 920 will feature a 4.5-inch 720p screen, while the 820 will sport a 4.3-inch screen. The 3.7-inch screen might eventually be used for the low-end WP8 Lumia, similar to the 610.
However, what will almost certainly be in the new Lumias is the implementation of Nokia’s industry-leading PureView technology. Yes, it appears that oversampling goodness will finally be available for the masses. However, don’t expect a massive 41MP sensor to be included, due to hardware and size limitations. A more reasonable sensor size of around 20MP is widely speculated for the 920 though.
They also appear to be coming in a rainbow of new colours, which should appeal to female users. It should bode well for Nokia that, after being shown the same leaked image above, a female friend screamed “Yellow!!!”.
The next few weeks look set to be a very exciting time for Microsoft as the new WP8 phones roll out. With more companies producing their own WP8 iterations, and increased carrier support for them in the US, it may well be time for the third ecosystem to finally make its mark.
(Source: The Verge (1), (2), (3), (4))
(Image source: themobilefanatics.com)
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