Nokia Lumia 928 Won’t Steal the Spotlight
The Nokia Lumia 928 is the most advanced Windows phone, but those upgrades are negligible and us at Tech Void believe the device will be a lackluster competitor compared with other new phones this summer. Nokia’s upgrade of the Windows Phone 8 flagship Lumia 920 is available on May 16 through Verizon for just $99 with a two-year contract, or $500 with no contract. Microsoft released the Lumia 920 in September.
Users of the AT&T Lumia 920 have few incentives to switch to Verizon’s Lumia 928. The hardware specs of the two phones are the same, and the incremental improvements include a Xenon camera flash, an OLED screen display, and an improved speaker. The Lumia 928 is also lighter at 185 grams, compared with the Lumia 920 at 163 grams. It also still features Qi wireless charging.
It appears Microsoft is stifling Nokia on improvements for its Windows phones, given Nokia’s track record for innovating phone apps such as an FM transmitter for streaming to a car stereo. Some of those apps could have been lost in the transition to the latest Windows Phone 8 software. Microsoft is offering a free update of Windows 8 to PC users, after lackluster sales of the platform since it was released in October.
Nokia’s main competition on the market so far is the aggressively-marketed Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and Apple’s iPhone 5. The Lumia 928’s potential edge on iPhone 5 could be its 8.7 megapixel camera and 32 GB storage space, compared with the iPhone 5’s 8 megapixel camera and 16 GB storage space. However it is hard to pry Apple users from the company’s interoperable family of gear – and rumors of the next-generation iPhone keep growing. The Galaxy S4 also boasts the latest Android 4.2.2 software, a user-replaceable battery, and a microSD storage slot.
Whatever its innovation strategy, Nokia has to step up its hype and advertising if it’s going to win this Game of Phones. The Galaxy S4 is selling at lightspeed and Samsung has shipped 6 million units of the phone since releasing the device on April 26. There were also approximately 2 million orders for the iPhone 5 in the first 24 hours it was available in September.
Images: Nokia
This is the One
I am sure I have used the phrase “This is the One” before. Oh wait, I have. But this device is too nice not to say it twice. In my review of the HTC One X, I also said that “HTC is back.” With the new One, HTC has not only released a premium smartphone, but in the process jumpstarted their ascent back into the hearts and minds of tech lovers everywhere. The HTC brand should now be considered at the same level of Apple and Samsung.
“Wow, these are some pretty bold claims!” you say? Well, I stick by my story when I tell you the HTC One is the best phone on the market today. Maybe even on the planet. “Best smartphone on the planet!?” you say? Yes. Without a doubt. “Oh come on. Tell me more!” Well then read on I say.
Thoughts on Facebook Home
Now that I have actually laid my own hands on Facebook Home (via the HTC One), I feel that my “official” thoughts are ready for prime time. For avid Facebook users, I can see Home being a great addition to their smartphone. If you don’t want to read this entire piece, I can tell you that I won’t be using Home any time soon. For those with the time and patience to read the entire article, read on for my thoughts on Facebook Home.
Review: The BlackBerry Z10 (AT&T)
I am hoping that by now, you have read our first impressions of the BlackBerry Z10 and all of the other reviews on this device. The device has officially been on the market in the U.S. for a couple weeks and adoption has been slow. That doesn’t tell the entire tale, but the U.S. usually leads the way with mobile adoption and is an indicator for the rest of the market. Now that I have spent about a month with the Z10, I have some more thoughts on the hardware and the future of BlackBerry.
T-Mobile’s ‘Simple Choice’ plans may be on to something
Last week, the nation’s fourth largest cellular provider announced a radical new model for wireless service pricing. T-Mobile customers now have the option of going “off-contract” (kind of) and take advantage of aggressive pricing that beats anything Verizon, AT&T and Sprint can offer.
All of the new “Simple Choice” plans begin with the unlimited voice and text messaging and pricing will vary depending on how much data you need. Erik has highlighted the new plans but just to recap, starting at $50/ month, you get 500MB of high-speed data with rates throttled to 2G speeds after you hit that limit. Heavier data users can add an additional 2GB of unthrottled data for an extra $10/month. 2GB of data not enough you say? For $70/month, you can get unlimited 4G data. A second line will run another $30 on top of that, with each additional line costing $10 each.
Throttled data sucks and I am guessing rather than simply charge customers the extra $10 for 2GB of data, they want people to suffer long enough to upgrade their plan to the $70/month plan. But at the end of the day, either tier of pricing still offers customers a lot of value at an unbeatable price.
Not only is T-Mobile offering great pricing and flexibility in their rate plans, they are also spending a good chunk of the $3 billion they received from AT&T after their failed takeover merger on network enhancements and building out their LTE network. During its initial launch, T-Mobile will be lighting up LTE in seven markets including Baltimore, MD; Kansas City, KS; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; San Jose, CA and our hometown of Washington D.C. Data speeds on this new network should range between 10 to 20Mbps down and 8 to 12 Mbps for uploads. The suite of devices that will be available on T-Mobile’s LTE network include the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S 4, Galaxy Note II, BlackBerry Z10 and iPhone 5. That’s right. The last piece of huge news that came out of T-Mobile’s UnCarrier event is that they finally sealed the deal with Apple to sell the iPhone.
Even better, the cost of owning an iPhone on T-Mobile is less than any other network. Here is a chart from Zagg that compares the cost of owning an iPhone on T-Mobile versus its main competitors of Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.
With all of this news from T-Mobile, it is clear they are making a huge push against its competition. They have seen too many customers leaving for cheaper options and these new Simple Choice plans are the perfect solution. Not only will T-Mobile see a higher retention of current customers, it is safe to assume that they will begin to grow their customer base at the expense of Verizon, AT&T and Sprint with a majority coming from the latter two carriers. An April Fool’s joke this surely is not. T-Mobile is for real.
