Nokia Lumia Icon & Lumia 930 Review: Windows Phone, Premium

[NightLight]

"this phone has so much junk on it...this is one reason why i love my iphone 5s, clean and junk free"

you keep telling yourself that

 

[Aoyagi]

the 1320 for the business users (similar role to the venerable Nokia Communicators and E-series)

That's a hilarious thought. I wonder if anyone believing that considered actually comparing the capabilities of 1320 and E7, N8 or 808PV.

I don't think any of the Lumia phones are actually targeted for business users. Even the so-called "Large Screen 4G Business Smartphone" Lumia 1320 has main features "Bigger screen. More fun." and "Get creative with photos". Ridiculous.

 

[Antonio Java]

the 1320 for the business users (similar role to the venerable Nokia Communicators and E-series)

That's a hilarious thought. I wonder if anyone believing that considered actually comparing the capabilities of 1320 and E7, N8 or 808PV.

I don't think any of the Lumia phones are actually targeted for business users. Even the so-called "Large Screen 4G Business Smartphone" Lumia 1320 has main features "Bigger screen. More fun." and "Get creative with photos". Ridiculous.

Whether it was a hit or a miss is another story entirely. Doesn't change a fact that their target market is stated right there in the product description that you quoted.

 

[Antonio Java]

"this phone has so much junk on it...this is one reason why i love my iphone 5s, clean and junk free"

you keep telling yourself that

I know, right? Not sure if the original poster was serious or just being sarcastic. The main criticism of the Windows Phone OS has always been that it was a little too simplistic, hence the 8.1 update.

 

[cleeve]

Don, the specs listed in the table (first page) do not match the description given in the article.

Is there a specific specification you're referring to? Please let me know, thanks.

 

[Au_equus]

Don, the specs listed in the table (first page) do not match the description given in the article.

Is there a specific specification you're referring to? Please let me know, thanks.

It was the enitre table, but it has since been fixed. Thanks

 

[CaedenV]

too many Windows fanboys talking nonsense about Android. just try a custom ROM like CyanogenMod without bloatware if you think Android is slowing down in mulch-tasking. I'm sure Win Phone 8.1's notification center and other improvements will bring much more improvement in the near future. but as I said before you cant deny the fact that windows phone store still lags far behind compared to the competition. yes there are some good apps but overall its like a deserted island.

Well sure, you can put on a custom ROM, but this is not what people do. People buy a device and expect it to work with minimal effort, and this is exactly what WP8/8.1 is good at. No matter what device you pick, you get a great experience right out of the box. Even the humble low-spec 520 runs butter smooth for just about everything except for games, even on WP8.1. No need for mods, or roms, or removing carrier bloat to get a good decent experience. ... if only we could get Windows proper to have such a good experience out of the box from PC manufacturers.

And with apps... maybe it is just me? But I don't get it. 99% of the apps out there are flat out crap. Of the useful apps that do exist in the world the vast majority of them are crappy websites adapted for phone installation, and very often I find it much simpler to go to the website to do what needs to be done because it often gives more features and better control than a dedicated app. And for the rest of the popular non-website apps, WP has the vast majority of them with few exceptions and pretty nice alternatives for the ones still missing. Not saying that the app argument is not valid, but it is far too overblown compared to real world use, and getting better every quarter.

 

[RedJaron]

too many Windows fanboys talking nonsense about Android. just try a custom ROM like CyanogenMod without bloatware if you think Android is slowing down in mulch-tasking.

Oh, so you're comparing one stock product to an aftermarket modified and tuned one? And that's supposed to be a valid comparison? As Caeden said, the point is that this one works great at the stock config.

but as I said before you cant deny the fact that windows phone store still lags far behind compared to the competition. yes there are some good apps but overall its like a deserted island.

I'm also with Caeden on this one. I don't notice the phone application desert so many people complain about. Admittedly, I'm probably an atypical user in that I use my 925 first and foremost as a phone and communication device and not to browse Instagram and Pinterest or play games. Secondly, I want it to handle my contact info, calendar items, and personal scheduling items. The Windows phones have been brilliant in that regard since Windows Mobile 5 due to Outlook Mobile. The rest of the Office suite handles just about any other productivity needs. During the years that you had to pay for word processors on other phones, WM gave you Office Mobile for free.

The biggest challenge to WP, IMNSHO, is Microsoft itself. They removed a lot of features from WM 6.5 and are only now getting around to putting them back into WP 8.1, something I can't understand for the life of me.

 

[Nicko Porras]

you can get the lowest brightness in windows phone by using the automatic mode. but it can only be done in no light/low light places

 

[shaun_shaun]

too many Windows fanboys talking nonsense about Android. just try a custom ROM like CyanyogenMod without bloatware if you think Android is slowing down in mulch-tasking.

Oh, so you're comparing one stock product to an aftermarket modified and tuned one? And that's supposed to be a valid comparison? As Caeden said, the point is that this one works great at the stock config.

but as I said before you cant deny the fact that windows phone store still lags far behind compared to the competition. yes there are some good apps but overall its like a deserted island.

I'm also with Caeden on this one. I don't notice the phone application desert so many people complain about. Admittedly, I'm probably an atypical user in that I use my 925 first and foremost as a phone and communication device and not to browse Instagram and Pinterest or play games. Secondly, I want it to handle my contact info, calendar items, and personal scheduling items. The Windows phones have been brilliant in that regard since Windows Mobile 5 due to Outlook Mobile. The rest of the Office suite handles just about any other productivity needs. During the years that you had to pay for word processors on other phones, WM gave you Office Mobile for free.

The biggest challenge to WP, IMNSHO, is Microsoft itself. They removed a lot of features from WM 6.5 and are only now getting around to putting them back into WP 8.1, something I can't understand for the life of me.

first of all l'm not a android fanboy or a Windows phone hater. I owned lumia 920 before and it was a gorgeous device with excellent camera. but that's it. let me give you few examples. the default Windows music app is a garbage. most of my music library is flac. and there is no proper app that supports flac in WP8.lots of garbage apps comparing with Poweramp. btw I love Poweramp and its probably the best app available right now. and with windows phones you still can't use devices like external dacs.
and I hate Windows Explorer and there are no alternatives in WP8. same for the keyboard you have to stick with the default keyboard in WP which I didn't like comparig with SwiftKey in Android. these are just few examples.
and I know windows phone works great instock form compared to TouchWiz. etc. but currently I have moto G and it's pure Android and works brilliant. so I don't want to use a custom rom like CyanogenMod like I did with my Tab 2. and btw I love CyanogenMod and its cutomizability. it destoyes Windows phone. no competition for it. the beauty is I can use all these options including my dac with my Moto G. and it completely outclassed 920 for just $200.
windows phone 8.1 will bring some key improvements like notification center and Cortana. but still Windows phone is not for powerusers. may be it's working for you if so stick with it. it will improve with time. but for now I ll wait and see

 

[WyomingKnott]

It's a phone. Did I miss it, or did the review leave out call quality, the central feature of a phone? Otherwise, it's a small tablet.

 

[RedJaron]

let me give you few examples. the default Windows music app is a garbage. most of my music library is flac. and there is no proper app that supports flac in WP8.lots of garbage apps comparing with Poweramp. btw I love Poweramp and its probably the best app available right now. and with windows phones you still can't use devices like external dacs.

I will disagree with you on the music player. I think it's actually quite robust. Sorting and grouping by artist, album, playlist, genre, and even related artists isn't enough? The Smart DJ feature is still better than anything I've tried on other devices. If you want to complain about the podcast support, I'm right there with you. WP7 handled podcasts just fine, but it got royally screwed up on WP8. Thankfully it was well addressed with 8.1.

I'm not sure why you're complaining about lack of FLAC support on a mobile device. What's the point of FLAC, or any lossless codec, when you're not using a high-end DAC and full range speakers? Sync your media over to the device and have it converted to AAC and you can't notice a difference over your earbuds. This is actually something WP7 and the Zune did automatically, so you could argue that it supported your FLAC library without you manually intervening. Again, another thing I have no idea why MS took out with WP8. Now when I put media on my phone it copies the file directly instead of converting it to a format more appropriate for the device.

Now, yes, it's sad that more audio peripherals don't have full Zune/WP integration to get DAC bypass support. That's a mark against WP, sure, since you can't get many, if any now, speakers and other peripherals to drop your WP in and play. That's more a decision of the third-party manufacturers and not so much Microsoft though.

and I hate Windows Explorer and there are no alternatives in WP8.

Umm, Windows Explorer isn't even on WP ( though it was on WM6.5, yet another omission in the current devices. ) Perhaps you're talking about Internet Explorer? I have no complaints about it either, so we'll just have to disagree on preferences. I don't care to do a lot of Internet browsing on my phone. If I need to shop online, comment on forums, or read the news I'd much rather do that in front of a large screen with a full keyboard under my hands.

same for the keyboard you have to stick with the default keyboard in WP which I didn't like comparig with SwiftKey in Android. these are just few examples.

I don't have complaints on the standard keyboard, other than I still miss a full slide-out keyboard like my Touch Pro2. I've found the auto-correct to be at least as good as other options, and much better than some as well. 8.1 offers a Swype-like option, though MS built it from the ground up and it's actually proven faster than Swype.

windows phone 8.1 will bring some key improvements like notification center and Cortana. but still Windows phone is not for powerusers. may be it's working for you if so stick with it. it will improve with time. but for now I ll wait and see

The notification center is yet another option that was available in WM6.5 but was removed in WP7. I'll have to disagree about it not being for power users, though.

I'm not saying WP is perfect. In this comment alone I've pointed out a few flaws. I'm just saying that I don't think the big problems are the ones you're complaining about.

 

[shaun_shaun]

I will disagree with you on the music player. I think it's actually quite robust. Sorting and grouping by artist, album, playlist, genre, and even related artists isn't enough? The Smart DJ feature is still better than anything I've tried on other devices. If you want to complain about the podcast support, I'm right there with you. WP7 handled podcasts just fine, but it got royally screwed up on WP8. Thankfully it was well addressed with 8.1.

I'm not sure why you're complaining about lack of FLAC support on a mobile device. What's the point of FLAC, or any lossless codec, when you're not using a high-end DAC and full range speakers? Sync your media over to the device and have it converted to AAC and you can't notice a difference over your earbuds.

who said I was using cheap earbuds with FLACS ? lol . I'm currently using k550,hd650,he500

and its not about organization. its about the sound quality, you ll understand this if can compare this on a decent system.

Umm, Windows Explorer isn't even on WP ( though it was on WM6.5, yet another omission in the current devices. ) Perhaps you're talking about Internet Explorer? I have no complaints about it either, so we'll just have to disagree on preferences. I don't care to do a lot of Internet browsing on my phone. If I need to shop online, comment on forums, or read the news I'd much rather do that in front of a large screen with a full keyboard under my hands.

I don't have complaints on the standard keyboard, other than I still miss a full slide-out keyboard like my Touch Pro2. I've found the auto-correct to be at least as good as other options, and much better than some as well. 8.1 offers a Swype-like option, though MS built it from the ground up and it's actually proven faster than Swype.

I'll have to disagree about it not being for power users, though.

I'm not saying WP is perfect. In this comment alone I've pointed out a few flaws. I'm just saying that I don't think the big problems are the ones you're complaining about.

sorry. I was talking about IE of course. and its a preference thing. and I also wanted to mention the fact that, still WP don't have a file manager too. that's a big minor. I can't live with that. and if you haven't used a pure Android devise or custom OS like CyanogenMod , you wouldn't notice what a power user really missing on WP comparing the customizabilty of Android.


so you already mentioned

"Admittedly, I'm probably an atypical user in that I use my 925 first and foremost as a phone and communication device and not to browse Instagram and Pinterest or play games."

so if you want to use your 925 "first and foremost" as a communication devise, don't you think that's a bit overkill for your needs ?

 

[RedJaron]

who said I was using cheap earbuds with FLACS ? lol . I'm currently using k550,hd650,he500

and its not about organization. its about the sound quality, you ll understand this if can compare this on a decent system.

I don't care if you're using Ultrasone Signature Pros or K812s. You're still running the FLAC through a cheapo mobile DAC and amp. You can feed that thing FLAC, ALAC, WMAL, or 320 AAC, but the output difference is minimal at best. Now if you regularly hook the phone up to some kind of DAC bypassing dock and route that through some nice speakers, you've got a valid complaint. But at that point you're treating your phone more like a mobile media storage unit, so why not throw your FLACs on a USB drive or SD card for a more universal interface?

sorry. I was talking about IE of course. and its a preference thing. and I also wanted to mention the fact that, still WP don't have a file manager too. that's a big minor. I can't live with that. and if you haven't used a pure Android devise or custom OS like CyanogenMod , you wouldn't notice what a power user really missing on WP comparing the customizabilty of Android.

I sometimes miss the file manager as well, but not as much as I thought I would. I don't have a whole lot of reason to rummage around the device file structure like I used to. Between DropBox and LiveDrive, I've got my files nearly everywhere I'd need them, so I don't need to manage folder storage anymore. And I no longer care about customizing phone sounds and ringtones since it's on vibrate 99% of the time. Would be nice for a few things now and then though.

The things you're describing here I would categorize more in tweaking than power-user, but that gets into semantics. To me a power-user wants a robust device capable of many advanced features and connectivity. The tweaker wants to root around and customize every nook and cranny. Not saying there isn't some overlap there, but they do have some differences too. I know many IT and networking pros that demand a lot from a phone and are quite happy with WP. The tweaker crowd will almost always be drawn to Android though.

so you already mentioned

"Admittedly, I'm probably an atypical user in that I use my 925 first and foremost as a phone and communication device and not to browse Instagram and Pinterest or play games."

so if you want to use your 925 "first and foremost" as a communication devise, don't you think that's a bit overkill for your needs ?

Not at all. Good communication means proper organization of contacts, appointments, and communication records, as well as speedy retrieval thereof. A large screen and slick OS lets me get to what I need faster. And just because I use it primarily for communication doesn't mean I don't use it for anything else. I listen to podcasts on my commute to work, maybe play a game here or there on a train, check newsfeeds, and more.

 

[shaun_shaun]

You're still running the FLAC through a cheapo mobile DAC and amp. You can feed that thing FLAC, ALAC, WMAL, or 320 AAC, but the output difference is minimal at best. Now if you regularly hook the phone up to some kind of DAC bypassing dock and route that through some nice speakers, you've got a valid complaint. But at that point you're treating your phone more like a mobile media storage unit, so why not throw your FLACs on a USB drive or SD card for a more universal interface?

I think you got it wrong. the point is to bypass the mobile dac and amp by connecting my E17 with USB OTG Cable. (that's what I was complaining about earlier, the missing usb otg support on WP. some rumors say WP 8.1 might support it). that's my mobile setup with k550.(Moto G >usb otg cable>Fiio E17>K550) and my primary setup is ODAC and Asgard 2 with my desktop pc (he500,hd650)

The things you're describing here I would categorize more in tweaking than power-user, but that gets into semantics. To me a power-user wants a robust device capable of many advanced features and connectivity. The tweaker wants to root around and customize every nook and cranny. Not saying there isn't some overlap there,

Not at all. Good communication means proper organization of contacts, appointments, and communication records, as well as speedy retrieval thereof. A large screen and slick OS lets me get to what I need faster. And just because I use it primarily for communication doesn't mean I don't use it for anything else. I listen to podcasts on my commute to work, maybe play a game here or there on a train, check newsfeeds, and more.

to me, it doesn't matter if you are a power user or a tweaker, phones like Moto G, Moto X, Nexus 5 far more capable of all these things, for a much less price point. but hay, if you appreciate WP ecosystem. still 925 is not a bad option at all. as I said before it will improve with time.

great thing about WP is all the WP8 devices getting the wp8.1 update including 520.

 

[starmajoris]

For me this it's the year of Windows Phone. I simply loved Windows Mobile in its time and was forced to move to Android. I think Android is great without any shadow of a doubt with all its pros and cons, but WP has matured enough to finally make a go. I like very much the interface and cohesive experience, something you don't have on Android devices.

 

[asven1]

the review did no justice to the screen on this thing... I am an outdoor enthusiast and love the winter in full sun on the mountain I could not see anything on my Galaxy 3 or my friends 4 but on the Icon no problem. I could actually use the camera and see what I was taking pictures of. To me the WP OS is simple and easy to use. I would recommend it to first time smart phone owners.