Nokia Lumia Icon Explained

Nokia Lumia Icon
Brand:Nokia
Manufacturer:Nokia
Series:Lumia
Type:Touchscreen smartphone
Operatingsystem:Windows Phone 8
upgradable to Windows 10 Mobile
Carrier:Verizon Communications
Predecessor:Nokia Lumia 928
Successor:Microsoft Lumia 950
Related:Nokia Lumia 930
Nokia Lumia 1520
Released:February 20, 2014[1]
Form:Bar
Size:137mm H
71mm W
9.8mm D
Weight:167g
Soc:Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974)
Cpu:2.2 GHz quad-core Krait
Gpu:Qualcomm Adreno 330
Display:5inches FHD AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 pixels at 441 ppi, 16:9 aspect ratio, 24-bit color depth, 16M colors, 60 Hz refresh rate, ClearBlack display, Sunlight Readability Enhancement (SRE), High Brightness Mode (HBM), Super-sensitive capacitive touch enables interacting with the display with gloves and long fingernails, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Memory:GB LPDDR3
Storage:32 GB internal flash and 7 GB free in SkyDrive
Networks:2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE – 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
2.5G CDMA 1xRTT/1x-Advanced - 800, 1900 MHz
3G UMTS/DC-HSPA+ – 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
3G CDMA Ev-DO Rev. A - 800, 1900 MHz
4G LTE Rel. 8 (UE Cat 3) – 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz
Battery:Integrated 2420 mAh Li-poly battery with Qi wireless charging
Input:Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, proximity sensor, 3D-Accelerometer
Camera:20 MP PureView sensor, Carl Zeiss Tessar lens and dual LED flash, wide-angle, f/2.4, 26 mm true 16:9 optics, 1/2.5-inch sensor, OIS,
2160p video capture @ 30 fps with LED for video
Front Camera:1.2 MP wide angle, f/2.4,
720p video capture @ 30fps
Other:Talk time: Up to 16.4 hours
Standby time: Up to 432 hours (approx. 18 days)

The Nokia Lumia Icon (originally known as the Lumia 929[2]) is a high-end smartphone developed by Nokia that runs Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system. It was announced on February 12, 2014, and released on Verizon Wireless in the United States on February 20, 2014.[3] [4] It is currently exclusive to Verizon and the U.S. market; its international counterpart is the Nokia Lumia 930.

On February 11, 2015, Verizon released the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system and Lumia Denim firmware update for the Icon.[5] [6] On June 23, 2016, Verizon released the Windows 10 Mobile operating system update for the Icon.[7] [8]

Primary features

The primary features of the Lumia Icon are:[9]

Availability

The phone was released for sale exclusively through Verizon in the United States for $199.99 with a 2-year contract or $549.99 with no contract.[12] The Lumia Icon has almost identical internal specifications to the larger Nokia Lumia 1520 with the primary difference being that it has a smaller screen of 5 inches compared with the Lumia 1520's 6 inches.

The Nokia Lumia 930, released in April 2014, is nearly identical to the Icon in both appearance and specifications. However, the 930 uses GSM radios and comes with Windows Phone 8.1 and the Cyan firmware, and is the worldwide variant of the Icon. While the 930 has since been updated to Denim (which contains the Windows Phone 8.1 Update), Verizon previously faced criticism for not releasing the Cyan update for the Icon. Now that Verizon Wireless has updated the Icon directly to Denim, skipping Cyan, the OS and firmware distinctions have largely been eliminated.[6]

Naming

While in development, the Nokia Lumia Icon was known by its model number. Early development screenshots and prototype accessories referred to the phone as the Lumia 929.[13] [14] This was in keeping with Nokia's previous branding practice of assigning a corresponding number to the place where the phone would sit in Nokia's lineup, with higher numbers indicating higher-end models and lower numbers indicating lower-end products. Upon release, the phone kept the model number 929, but was the first Lumia to utilize a name other than its model number for branding.[15] [16]

Reception

The Lumia Icon received fairly positive reviews, with some reviewers calling it the best Windows Phone released, praising the phone's camera quality, display, and overall speed but detracting its being locked to one carrier and having a camera with a slow transition time between taking photographs. Reviewers were split on the design of the phone, with some praising its metal build quality as solid and premium, and others criticizing it for being too utilitarian and conservative.[17] [18]

Brad Molen of Engadget called the Lumia Icon "the solid high-end Windows Phone that we've wanted for a long time. It has an amazing display, great performance and solid imaging capability, but its exclusivity to Verizon will severely limit its appeal." and Mark Hachman of PCWorld said "If you’re an app fiend, you’d still be better off buying an iPhone or Android phone, which dependably receive third-party apps. But the Icon and Lumia 1520 are clearly the best Windows Phones on the market. Deciding between them simply depends on which size you prefer." Christina Bonnington from Wired said that the best Windows Phone ever still disappoints, and mentioned poor call quality as one of the detractors, but praised the solid build quality, inclusion of wireless charging, and powerful processor.[19]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon Review. Rubino. Daniel. Feb 12, 2014. Mobile Nations. 23 February 2014.
  2. Web site: Nokia Lumia 929 'Icon' leak takes the stage on carrier's own website . Rougeau . Michael . Jan 21, 2014 . TechRadar . Future . 18 July 2015.
  3. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon for Verizon officially announced. Fedewa. Joe. Feb 12, 2014. Winsource.com. 23 February 2014.
  4. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon for Verizon is finally announced. T.. Nick. Feb 12, 2014. Phonearena.com. 23 February 2014.
  5. Web site: Full of features: Lumia Denim Update. Fraser. Adam. microsoft.com. 13 February 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150212082729/http://lumiaconversations.microsoft.com/2014/09/04/lumia-denim-update/. 12 February 2015.
  6. Web site: Better late than never: Lumia Icon gets big Denim update with Windows 8.1. Newman. Jared. pcworld.com. 13 February 2015.
  7. Web site: Microsoft Lumia Icon Software Update Verizon Wireless. www.verizonwireless.com. 2016-06-23.
  8. Web site: Verizon is set to upgrade Lumia Icon to Windows 10 Mobile on June 23. 2016-06-22. 2016-06-23.
  9. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon. Nokia. 23 February 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140221223442/http://www.nokia.com/us-en/phones/phone/lumia-icon/specifications/. 21 February 2014.
  10. Web site: Technobuffalo Lumia Icon Review. 19 March 2014.
  11. Web site: Microsoft's new Lumia update adds 4K recording and more to a few Windows Phones . Moon . Mariella . Dec 19, 2014 . Engadget . AOL Tech . 2017-02-13.
  12. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon review: a big step forward for Windows Phone. Molen. Brad. Feb 19, 2014. Engadget.com. 23 February 2014.
  13. Web site: Leaked: Nokia Lumia Icon cases (that you can't buy yet from Verizon). Sabri. Sam. Feb 4, 2014. Mobile Nations. 23 February 2014.
  14. Web site: Verizon-bound Nokia Lumia 929 leaks in high-res photos. Nov 4, 2014. GSMarena.com. 23 February 2014.
  15. Web site: Verizon Nokia Lumia 929 to be first Lumia to drop number name, launch as Lumia Icon. Geddes. James. Dec 17, 2013. IT Tech Post. 23 February 2014.
  16. Web site: Lumia 929 for Verizon to be called 'Icon' and delayed to Q1 2014. Dec 18, 2013. Windowsphonearena.com. 23 February 2014.
  17. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon review: The best Windows Phone so far. Hachman. Mark. Feb 20, 2014. PCworld.com. 23 February 2014.
  18. Web site: Nokia Lumia Icon Review. Smith. Sherri. Feb 12, 2014. Laptopmag.com. 23 February 2014.
  19. https://www.wired.com/reviews/2014/02/nokia-lumia-icon/ The Best Windows Phone Ever Still Disappoints | Product Reviews | Wired.com