Despite not selling quite as well as Nokia had anticipated, and despite some problems regarding battery life, the Lumia 800 has become the biggest phone launch for Nokia since the N8. Nokia has invested more money in marketing the Lumia 800 than it has for any phone it has ever released, as the company has a lot riding on its new range of Windows Phones.
The Lumia may have what it takes to seduce some people who were thinking of switching to Windows Phone, as it is without a doubt the best looking smartphone currently running the Microsoft mobile OS, but does it have what it takes to win over people who have grown to love their N8?
One of the biggest attractions for the N8 was its stunning 12 megapixel camera. This camera is so great that it has been used for filming entire movies as well as the largest stop motion animation ever made. So what about the camera on the Lumia 800?
The Lumia ‘only’ has an 8 megapixel camera, although this is still in keeping with industry norms. Megapixel count is not everything when it comes to cameras, and the Lumia has advantages over other 8 megapixel smartphone cameras thanks to the inclusion of Nokia’s award winning Carl Zeiss optics.
Due to the slim design of the Lumia the camera has a smaller photo sensor, meaning that it is not quite as detailed as the N8, but still well within keeping of the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S2. The same size restrictions mean that the Lumia has been released with an LED flash rather than the Xenon flash of the N8.
The Lumia’s camera does offer greater colour saturation which, while not quite as natural as the N8′s, does leave the N8′s camera feeling a little washed out. The N8 provides better colour in poor lighting conditions however, even when the flash is disabled. It seems that the Lumia’s camera does offer better colours in most conditions, although it is not quite as sharp as the N8′s.
While the camera is a much loved feature of the N8, neither the N8 nor the Lumia 800 are cameras. They are smartphones, and they have a lot more to them than just photography. While the N8 may have a superior camera, the Lumia 800 shines in other areas.
Windows Phone is smoother and more modern than Symbian, and much better suited to a touchscreen environment. While the Lumia still incorporates some of Nokia’s best features, like Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive, it also benefits from Zune, Xbox LIVE and Windows Marketplace. Marketplace is currently the smallest smartphone app store, but it is growing at a rapid pace. Apps on Windows Marketplace are also highly useful, unlike the majority of content on Android Market and the Apple App Store.
Then there is the look and feel. The Lumia is a much more attractive device than the N8, which now looks clunky and antiquated. The Lumia 800 is not just the best looking Nokia phone, it is also the best looking Windows Phone available.
While the N8 is still a great phone, and still well loved by many people, its aesthetics, outdated OS and other problems suggest that it needs to move over and make way for the new breed of Nokia phone deals like the Lumia.
The current Nokia N8 devices shipping at the moment, are pre-installed with Symbian Belle with China to receive them first, followed by the rest of the world. Many users that have tried the unofficial leaked version of Symbian Belle, are mentioning that you are able to reverse to the original OS but no such proof has been seen.The official Nokia Blog, Conversations by Nokia has mentioned that February 2012 will present the existing Nokia N8 users with Symbian Belle for their devices which shall also be available via OTA, the same way that Anna was/is available.
