Nokia Lumia 900
The basics
The Nokia Lumia 900 is the big brother of the Nokia Lumia 800 launched last year. It's bigger in every way, with a display that is a 4.3-inch AMOLED panel, so better for reading websites and emails and we found it worked really well even out and about. It's also running the Windows Phone operating which has been gathering plenty of praise of late and the phone has a look that puts the boring Samsung Galaxy S3 to shame.
The good
The Nokia Lumia 900 sticks to the tried and tested design of the Nokia N9 and Nokia Lumia 800 before it, just on a bigger scale. The design has been tweaked, the charging port has been alerted, for example, and the feel of the polycarbonate body is different, suggesting a tweaked recipe but the standard rounded edges, flat top and bottom with speaker holes drilled in are all present and correct.
The screen is big and bright and uses Nokia's own ClearBlack technology, which means you can use it our doors without having to run for shade like many smartphones at present. Being touchscreen, we also found it highly responsive so getting around is quick and easy.
Nokia hasn't entered the world of dual-core processing yet, so you'll find the same 1.4GHz processor chip as in its earlier phones. That's no bad thing as it's more than capable of handling the OS with ease. We really like the layout of Windows Phone, the Tiles format is easy to view and if anything happens, such as a new Tweet or message from friends on Facebook, it pops up on the screen so you can see it at a glance.
The bad
Nokia has done away with the curved glass that made the Nokia Lumia 800, and the HTC One X, such gorgeous phones to look at and use. By comparison, the flat screen isn't as viewable from all angles and it means the homescreen doesn't quite pop out at you in the same fashion.
The 480 × 800 isn't ideal for such a big screen, with some images looking a little grainy but this is a limitation of the Windows Phone OS rather than a design flaw on Nokia's side.
When it comes to the operating system you'll find that while Microsoft has been desperately trying to play catchup with the likes of Android and iOS, there are still plenty of killer apps missing.
The bottom line
The Nokia Lumia 900 is the most impressive Nokia Windows Phone to-date but it stills feels hampered by an OS that doesn't allow for much in the way of true power-user status. That said, it's got a cracking battery life, the finish is fantastic and we anyone looking for a big-screen, easy-use phone will like how it responds in the hand.
User comments (8)
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Doug18 May 2012
Fair review. Good point about Windows Phone not being a 'power user' device. I am a big fan of the OS and I believe that to be an accurate statement. I think the 'lack of apps' is a bit over-stated. Many apps common to Android and iPhone are there and of the ones that are missing, there are most often substitutes that are more than adequate. The biggest limitation for me is 16g storage w/ no SIM support. I also think MS could take the high road and support flash and upgrade the resolution to 720P. Not sure about the former, but the latter should be addressed in WP8. The VAST majority of people having never seen WP7.5 would be SHOCKED at how good it is. Although some things need to be added yet, it really has come a long way in a short time.
Report as inappropriatemarkster21 May 2012
i love this phone its awesome. and windows phone is on the up.
Report as inappropriateAnonymous28 May 2012
Great phone. There couldn't be anything better about it, Nokia have just impressed us all with this awesome piece of tech! The only thing that I'm not too keen on is the lack of apps that are available . Overall I think it is a great phone.
Report as inappropriateNwelch31 August 2012
I have had the iphone 4 and blackberry torch before I got hold of this phone. I must say it is refreshing to have a new phone on the block. blackberry has dropped a couple of clangors and people are thinking twice before buying one, iphone's have lost there novelty factor, so this is the next best thing on the market and I can see WP's getting bigger and better along with the app's. The Xbox live helps boost the "Geek" numbers up, plus the OS I think has some bad points but it is by far the easiest to use. Anyone that likes keeping up-to-date with FB and Twitter, emails for work the home screen with the interactive tiles give you everything you need instantly. The sky drive is class and gives you unlimited storage without slowing your phone down. Which makes the 16 GB storage irrelevant when comparing to other phones. The only issue is that WP8.0 will not be useable on the lumia 900 it will only be getting an WP7.8 update with a few WP8.0 parts, so i can see this phone becoming out of date fast. I will be moving onto the next Gen Nokia limia WP phone that is running WP8.0. All-round if you don't want to just follow the crowed this is the phone for you. You will not be disappointed.
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TomDaleyFan01 February 2013
This phone is awesome. I really want it. Please, please, please say i get one.
Report as inappropriatehelloeveryone07 February 2013
I really want this because it has wireless charging
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