Following the release of the Lumia 800 and 710 smartphones earlier this year, Nokia launched the third smartphone in its Windows Phone OS-powered range, the Lumia 900, at a function at Turbine Hall in Newtown last night.
The new flagship of the Lumia smartphone range is scheduled to arrive at MTN stores across the country on 28 June 2012. It will be available in either black or white on an MTN Anytime 200 contract for R369 per month for 24 months, which includes a 75 MB internet bundle for the duration of the contract.
In addition, consumers will also be able to opt for a limited edition (only 200 available) Lumia 900 with the Batman logo engraved on the back of the device in celebration of the upcoming Batman release, The Dark Knight Rises.
Nokia’s Lumia 900 wears a handsome polycarbonate suit like the Lumia 800 (116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm, 142 g), but is a bit bigger, measuring in at 127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5 mm and weighing 160 g.
One reason for its larger frame is the fact that it sports a 4.3" WVGA (480 x 800) AMOLED capacitive ClearBlack touchscreen, compared to the 800’s 3.7" WVGA display. Some of the benefits of the larger display include less need for scrolling whilst browsing the web and an enhanced movie watching experience.
The Lumia 900 is Nokia’s first LTE (4G) enabled handset that employs HSDPA+ connectivity to deliver speeds of up to 42 Mbps. It also boast 512 MB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, an 8 MP auto-focus with Carl Zeiss optics that is capable of recording HD-Ready (720p) videos, as well as a 1 MP front-facing snapper for video calls and capturing self-portraits.
Powering the 900 is a 1.4 GHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon application processor, with the smartphone also incorporating a much larger 1830 mAh battery compared to the Lumia 800’s 1450 mAh battery.
“As an innovative telecommunications provider with a world-class network infrastructure, MTN is well-placed to bring the Lumia 900 smartphone to South Africa,” stated Serame Taukobong, chief marketing officer at MTN SA. “By leveraging Nokia’s partnership with the box office hit, The Dark Knight Rises, and co-branded marketing efforts above-the-line, online and in retail, MTN is in a great position to provide a smart network for the Nokia Lumia 900.”
Besides the Lumia 900, local Nokia and Windows Phone OS fans can also look forward to the local release of the Lumia 610 (19.24 x 62.18 x 11.95 mm, 131.5 g). This will be Nokia’s entry-level Lumia device targeted at the youth segment of the market.
The Lumia 610 boasts a 3.7" WVGA (480 x 800) TFT capacitive touch LCD display, 256 MB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 n, Bluetooth version 2.1 plus EDR, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, GPS and 8 GB internal storage. It is powered by a 800 MHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 mobile processor and sports HSDPA connectivity, offering speeds up to 7.2 Mbps.
Also onboard is a 5 MP auto-focus camera with LED flash that is capable of recording VGA (640 x 460) videos at a buttery smooth 30 fps, as well as Nokia’s signature Lumia services such as Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Mix Radio.
“The 610 is Nokia’s fourth and most affordable Lumia smartphone, and will help a new group of people experience the impressive social capabilities of the Windows Phone platform. We are building real momentum with Lumia in South Africa, and bringing the range to customers on MTN is another huge step forward for us,” said Gerard Brandjes, VP for Nokia in South East Africa.
Nokia’s Lumia 610 will be available in white, cyan, magenta or black with finely beveled metallic edges from MTN stores “soon”. No pricing info is available for the Lumia 610 as yet.
In related news, Nokia recently announced a number of major structural changes in order to raise income and cut its expenses, whilst the company’s CFO Timo Ihamuotila also revealed that Espoo is ready to generate additional funds, by selling some of its intellectual property rights (IPR) for the “right price”.
