Microsoft, Nokia step up arsenal in smartphone wars
The new Nokia 820 and (L) Lumia 920 Windows smartphones. Photo: AFP
Microsoft and Nokia joined Wednesday to boost their arsenal in the smartphone wars with two new Windows-powered devices aimed at battling Apple's iPhone and rivals powered by Google's Android system. The new Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 are part of the Finnish-based company's strategy of offering "an alternative to the faceless black and grey monoblocs that you see out there," said Nokia president and chief executive Stephen Elop at a New York launch event. "This is Lumia, the world's most innovative smartphone," Elop said in unveiling the two new devices powered by the Windows Phone 8 operating system. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer also appeared at the event, which offered no specifics on launch dates or prices in various markets. "This is a very important milestone. It is unbelievable how far we have come in 18 months working with Nokia," Ballmer said. Ballmer added that the launch highlights "the broader context of where we're going overall with Windows," with the launch of the new Windows 8 platform and Windows Phone 8. "This is a year for Windows," he said. "Windows phones, Windows tablets, Windows PCs -- we've reimagined Windows from the ground up." Offered in several bright colors such as yellow and lipstick red, the devices come into a sizzling market for smartphones now dominated by Apple and Android phones. Nokia smart devices team leader Jo Harlow said the Lumia 920, which will be the new flagship, "is the most innovative smartphone in the world." She said the phone has the most advanced camera of any smartphone, extended battery life and a display with "better than HD resolution." "The clarity is so incredible that video just pops right out of the screen," she said. The device also includes Nokia's location platform, which allows users notably to point the phone at a location in a city and get information on local shops and restaurants. Harlow called this "the most intuitive way to explore the world around you." The new phone's battery, she said, would be 30 percent more efficient than its rivals and also incorporate wireless charging, with Nokia joining an effort to bring this technology to airports, coffee shops and other locations. The event also unveiled a Lumia 820, described as "a stylish, mid-range smartphone that delivers high-end performance in a compact package" with interchangeable shells, including one in purple.
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