Windows 10 Concept: Microsoft Lumia 940

Zachary Boddy

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Unfortunately I don't possess the necessary equipment to create an actual render, or I would in a heart beat. I've designed a phone (every aspect of the phone) that I would LOVE to own. And yes, it's actually realistic.

This is the Microsoft Lumia 940, and these are the specs:
A 5-inch QHD AMOLED display
3GB LPDDR4 RAM
32GB internal storage
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC
25MP camera; f/1.8; OIS; tri-flash; laser autofocus
8MP front facing camera
3,000 mAh removable battery
microSD card support (up to 128GB)
Dual 4G SIM support (in certain territories) (Nano)

The Lumia 940 has a 7.8mm thick body, wrapped around with an aluminum frame that curves gently around each edge, both into the removable polycarbonate back and the Gorilla Glass 4 display. The corners are more rounded than the Lumia 830, but still more sharp than the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S6. On every side, near the corners, is a dark strip to break the design up (this means there's eight strips in total). On the top right edge of the phone--with the screen facing you--is a microUSB or USB Type C charging port. Along the right edge--still with the screen facing you--is the power button and two-stage physical shutter for the camera. The power button is nearly halfway down the side of the device and is ridged to differentiate it and make it easier to find. The physical shutter is near the bottom corner and is firm, to prevent accidental pressing. On the left side of the frame, near the top, is the volume rocker which slopes slightly down in the center to tell the difference from volume up and volume down. At the bottom of the frame, also near the right corner, is the 3.5mm headphone jack. The screen looks like such: at the top edge is the first front facing speaker, which is hidden within the frame, much like the HTC built Nexus 9. Directly below the front facing speaker is "Microsoft." Directly to the right of the speaker is the ambient light sensor. To the right of that is the 8MP front facing camera. In the far right corner is the same sensor used to activate the Glance Screen. To the left of the speaker is an LED notification light, and in the far left corner is another sensor to improve the reaction time and speed of the Glance Screen. The top bezel overall is as thin if not thinner than on the Icon/930. The side bezels are very thin, in fact the thinnest on a Windows Phone ever. Near the bottom is the three capacitive, backlit buttons: Back, Home, and Search. Directly below that is the second front facing speaker, also hidden within the frame. In the center of the front facing speaker, to conserve space, is the mic. In each corner at the bottom of the screen is a third and fourth sensor. This is the same setup as on the Moto X, to make the Glance Screen response immediate upon taking the phone out of your pocket or picking it up. The entire front is covered in Gorilla Glass 4. Now this is very important, as the display CANNOT slope into the frame like on the Lumia 830. You see, this makes the entire display prone to scratches and it makes screen protectors very frustrating. Although it looks nice, it's not practical. The display on the Lumia 940 must lie completely flat with the aluminum frame. This means a tempered glass screen protector can cover nearly the entire front of the phone except for the frame. Now we turn to the back of the phone. The aluminum frame slopes seamlessly into polycarbonate back to give the impression of a unibody design. The polycarbonate back is secured in a similar manner to the Lumia 830. The 25MP camera with a f/1.8 aperture and OIS lies near the top, with--the back facing you-- "PureView" and "Zeiss Optics" on the left, with the tri-flash on the left. The laser autofocus is on the right with the labels. Also on the back is four omnidirectional HAAC mics for recording. Near the bottom (a little above where the mono speaker is on the Lumia 830) is the Microsoft logo. Underneath the matte polycarbonate back is the removable 3,000 mAh battery, the nanoSIM slots, and the microSD slot. On the back of every single back is two standards of wireless charging: Qi and PMA. This is an overall view of the phone.

Now I'm going to take a short break to explain some of my design choices before I talk about the customization options.

Charging port and headphone jack placement: In my opinion, the charging port works better when it's near the top. It's easier to plug in, and easier to hold the phone when it's plugged in. I've found that overall it's just easier when it's on top. (I own the Lumia 830 as my daily driver). However, I placed it on the right edge instead of the left edge like on the Lumia 830. I did this because of landscape mode. The majority of people, when turning their phone to landscape mode, turn their phone so the bottom of the phone is cupped in the right hand. Apps and the OS in general seem to prefer this as well. Now when you hold the phone in landscape mode with the phone plugged in or with headphones (or both), you hold the entire phone and the cords don't dig into your hand. I found with the Lumia 830 that because the microUSB port is on the left edge holding the phone in landscape can get uncomfortable. I placed the headphone jack at the bottom to keep the top edge uncluttered and for the same reason as mentioned above. Also, I've found that the headphone jack at the bottom seems to make it easier to put your phone in your pocket. I think this is a good choice.

Button placement: Traditionally, Windows Phones place all their buttons on the right edge. However, especially on smaller devices, this gets cluttered and makes it difficult to recognize buttons in the dark or by feel alone. I moved the volume rocker to the left edge because for right handed people it makes it easier to hit with your index finger and left handed people can use their thumb. I sloped it in the center instead of having it completely flat to make it easier to tell apart from feel alone. I moved the power button up the right side just a tad for slightly easier placement. Ridge it like on the Moto X or use a concentric circle design (can't remember which phone(s) also uses a concentric circle design on the power button but it's not many) so you can more easily tell it in the dark. I've noticed that the camera button on the Lumia 830 isn't as firm as it should be and feels a bit cheap. So make every button a little more firm (especially the camera button).

Screen orientation: I've already mostly explained why I made the screen completely flat, for better protection and for screen protectors. I think the sensors and camera placements should be pretty obvious on the front. You guys are smart, you can figure it out, haha.

Back of the phone: Most of the design choices I made here were for symmetry with the front, actually. The tri-flash is aligned on the same side of the phone as the LED notification light on the front of the phone, and the laser autofocus is one the same side as the ambient light sensor on the front. I was thinking about placing the PureView and Zeiss Optics logo below the camera to be symmetrical with the Microsoft logo on the front of the phone below the front facing speaker but it didn't look quite right. And about the Microsoft logo on the back...it took me awhile to decide on the best place for the logo, as I don't really like the slightly naft way they're doing it now. Placing it LARGE and sideways in the very center. Instead, a bit smaller and Galaxy S6esque near the bottom seems to work better.

Removable back: This was an easy decision. It keeps the frame clean and makes all the people who wants a removable battery happy. It also provides a convenient place to put the microSD and nanoSIM slots. The little indent to put your fingernail to pry the back up is in the same place as on the Lumia 830. It looks nice and works. It at the very least looks better than where Samsung put it on previous phones.

And now I'll explain the customization. The Lumia 940 will be available with these options:
Dark aluminum frame/light aluminum frame/gold aluminum frame (the dark will have nearly black strips, the light will have grey, and the gold will have black).
Black, white, red, yellow, orange, green and cyan polycarbonate backs.

Okay so let me explain this real quick. Every single 940 will come with two colors. If you choose the dark aluminum, it will come with a color of your choice (any color), AND black. If you choose light aluminum, you choose any color you want, AND white. Gold aluminum gets both black and white. For example: I would choose dark aluminum with a cyan back. I'll also get a black back that I can switch out for whenever I want. You can get any of these configurations from Microsoft directly, but I'm assuming that carriers, being crap, would probably only offer a few. Because they suck. Also, only one variant. One variant for the whole world, iPhone 6esque. If you can't fit all the bands into one phone then do a single variant for huge sections of the world. ONE variant for North America. ONE variant for all of Asia, etc.

The Lumia 940 will be powered by the six-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, paired with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It'll also have a 5inch QHD AMOLED display with Glance Screen, Double-Tap-to-Wake and zero-gap technology to decrease glare from light and increase clarity.

Tell me what you think, please.
 

gpobernardo

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Nice ideas here - the wall of text was personally quite enjoyable to read since it is descriptive, but it might impose more load than an average piece of text would on a person's imagination and reading skills. Nonetheless, your text was written in such a way that one could almost see the phone floating in some mental space, with each detail coming into sight as described.:wink:

That sensor that activates the glance screen is the proximity sensor - the idea of having two or more proximity sensors may have interesting implications or uses, such as triangulation for 3D motion sensing.

I'm not a fan of removable back covers, but I must admit that that would make replacing the battery a lot easier... but it could also make the phone build less "solid". Having more than two materials for the body may also compromise "solidness" - maybe pure aluminum or pure polycarbonate would be better?

What's a triflash? Is Xenon flash an option?

MicroSD card slot - nice to have this option as a lot of users seems to look for it, but relying on the SD card too much causes instability issues. At least the 32GB internal storage should offset the need for and SD Card slot. How about 64GB or 128GB internal storage?

Camera - is the lens cover also oleophobic Gorilla Glass? What is the wavelength of the laser for the auto-focus?

Charging port placement - not sure if I agree with it being placed on top since that makes it easier for something (e.g. a walking person's hand) to snag the cable and send the phone flying.

Button placement - I prefer the traditional right-side placement. You mentioned that it is easier for right handed people since they can use their index finger, but then you also mention that left hand users can use their thumb. Why not let right hand users also use their thumb and let left hand users use their index finger? (Not being stereotypical about "lefties" and "righties", since I'm ambidextrous).

Sensors - aside from the ambient light sensor and the indirect reference to the proximity sensor (and the laser for the auto focus), what other sensors does your design have? Accelerometer? Flux Gate Magnetometer? Gyroscope? Barometer?

LED notification - nice addition, might be timely for Windows 10. I think it would be better if the LED was small but bright, rather than "big" but diffuse - that way it would resemble aircraft strobe lights.

Color options - no much comment from me here; I'll get the blackest, darkest design available.

Screen - no much comment on the screen, as long as it is germ-resistant, silver-ion infused, oleophobic, Gorilla Glass, near-"retina-display" resolution, clear-black capable.

Microphones - which is better, four omnidirectional microphones or four directional microphones, with regards to capturing 3D sound for videos? Also not sure about having a microphone placed in the middle of the second front facing speaker - prone to audio feedback loops?

Dual 4G support - hmmm, might be taxing on the battery, even if it is 3,000mAh.

Might add more, but there are what I've got so far after one-pass reading.

BTW, there's a poll on which logo would look best on newer devices - you may want to check the results out (still on going).
 

Zachary Boddy

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Nice ideas here - the wall of text was personally quite enjoyable to read since it is descriptive, but it might impose more load than an average piece of text would on a person's imagination and reading skills. Nonetheless, your text was written in such a way that one could almost see the phone floating in some mental space, with each detail coming into sight as described.:wink:

That sensor that activates the glance screen is the proximity sensor - the idea of having two or more proximity sensors may have interesting implications or uses, such as triangulation for 3D motion sensing.

I'm not a fan of removable back covers, but I must admit that that would make replacing the battery a lot easier... but it could also make the phone build less "solid". Having more than two materials for the body may also compromise "solidness" - maybe pure aluminum or pure polycarbonate would be better?

What's a triflash? Is Xenon flash an option?

MicroSD card slot - nice to have this option as a lot of users seems to look for it, but relying on the SD card too much causes instability issues. At least the 32GB internal storage should offset the need for and SD Card slot. How about 64GB or 128GB internal storage?

Camera - is the lens cover also oleophobic Gorilla Glass? What is the wavelength of the laser for the auto-focus?

Charging port placement - not sure if I agree with it being placed on top since that makes it easier for something (e.g. a walking person's hand) to snag the cable and send the phone flying.

Button placement - I prefer the traditional right-side placement. You mentioned that it is easier for right handed people since they can use their index finger, but then you also mention that left hand users can use their thumb. Why not let right hand users also use their thumb and let left hand users use their index finger? (Not being stereotypical about "lefties" and "righties", since I'm ambidextrous).

Sensors - aside from the ambient light sensor and the indirect reference to the proximity sensor (and the laser for the auto focus), what other sensors does your design have? Accelerometer? Flux Gate Magnetometer? Gyroscope? Barometer?

LED notification - nice addition, might be timely for Windows 10. I think it would be better if the LED was small but bright, rather than "big" but diffuse - that way it would resemble aircraft strobe lights.

Color options - no much comment from me here; I'll get the blackest, darkest design available.

Screen - no much comment on the screen, as long as it is germ-resistant, silver-ion infused, oleophobic, Gorilla Glass, near-"retina-display" resolution, clear-black capable.

Microphones - which is better, four omnidirectional microphones or four directional microphones, with regards to capturing 3D sound for videos? Also not sure about having a microphone placed in the middle of the second front facing speaker - prone to audio feedback loops?

Dual 4G support - hmmm, might be taxing on the battery, even if it is 3,000mAh.

Might add more, but there are what I've got so far after one-pass reading.

BTW, there's a poll on which logo would look best on newer devices - you may want to check the results out (still on going).
Thank you for your feed back. Yes, proximity sensors. For the life of me I couldn't remember the name of them and it was very much frustrating me. I love the Glance Screen but it's endlessly frustrating to take your phone out of your pocket expecting to already see your notifications and time up there and it just doesn't respond because the sensor didn't catch the motion. I've used the Moto X which has a proximity in every corner and it's response is always immediate.

Next: materials. I have the Lumia 830 which has a removable back. The way the back is secured makes the phone feel incredibly solid, just like a unibody. It's not like a cheap Galaxy S5. It also ensures that the majority of people are pleased because there's both removable battery and microSD card support. And then the reason I chose aluminum frame and polycarbonate back is mostly because of feel and marketing. If it's all polycarbonate, people will undoubtedly complain about "cheap" materials. If you use all metal, it's "slippery" or "cold and hard." Using a metal frame and a high quality plastic back gives the phone warmth, an expensive feeling, and the frame provides a rigidity that pure plastic could never provide. Also, it looks quite dashing.

A tri-flash is an array of three LED lights arrayed one above the other, all of them a slightly different tone then the other to provide increased range, strength and natural coloring. Xenon wouldn't really be an option for THIS phone, as this would be a commercially available phone and most people wouldn't find a use for a xenon flash. It would only serve to drain the battery. Now a special edition of this phone focused around the camera (like the 1020 was to the 920) would greatly benefit from a xenon flash.

I for one have to have microSD support to buy a phone. It's not a necessary feature for everyone but this is another "removable battery" deal where we want to please as many people as possible. It's about appeal, and cheap storage you can quickly change out. There could be 64GB models available but most people don't really use that much and wouldn't agree with paying extra for more storage they wouldn't use. Having microSD card support means they buy the cheaper model and if they do eventually need extra storage they can just buy a relatively cheap SD card.

The camera would also be covered in Gorilla Glass 4 to provide extra strength. However it wouldn't quite be like the 1020 or 830 where the logos, LED flash AND camera are all placed within a black circle of glass (it looks great but would take up too much space on this phone). The wavelength for the laser would be similar to that of the LG G4. I say this not because I want Microsoft to 'copy' but because LG has already tested this and it works great. There's no reason to be different for the sake of being different. One of the issues that people have with Windows Phones (in the past at least) is comparatively slow camera processing and focus.

I understand what you're saying about the port placement but I still firmly believe it would do better up top. Also I'd like to add that the charging port would be surrounded by a dark strip just like on the 830, and so would the headphone jack (or the headphone jack would be a slight chamfered ridge of darker aluminum).

The talk about how people would use it with different hands was more justification to support my reasoning. You see, a lot of people (that I know) complain about how cramped the side of the device is, or how the placement of so many buttons on the side makes it impossible to use clamps for GPS usage or such. It also helps to break up the design just that tiny bit more. It also means we can better position the buttons on each side.

The 940 would have all the basic features on an flagship phone. Dual-band acWi-Fi...Bluetooth 4.1...NFC...GPS...it would have all the sensors necessary in any flagship...in addition to FM Radio (lots of phones omit this sensor).

I agree with you, small but bright. However, not TOO small. Maybe a little smaller than that on the Galaxy S6 or S5.

The screen will be the finest Microsoft has ever released. ClearBlack QHD AMOLED? FAR sharper than 'retina' and far better contrast. Microsoft will have to work to get the brightness and colors right but if they do it'll be a beautiful display. It'll be covered in the finest glass available (besides 'Sapphire' which is still too expensive).

Four omnidirectional HAAC mics would be better. This has been proven by the 1020, 1520 and 930, which all offer some of the best audio recording on any phone.

I'm not certain about the mic placement, I was thinking about placing the mic in the center of the backlit home button but thought that the haptic feedback could cause distortion and possible damage, and that it would break up the home button and make it feel less 'smooth.' I think placing the mic in the center of the front facing speaker works. If you're on speaker phone, maybe it would only use the top front facing speaker so you don't get their sound played back at them, or maybe the mic switches to the mics up back. I'm sure there's a way to do it without any issues as HTC has done it three phones in a row now. And that's not including their lower end phones. ALSO the 940 would have another mic to deal with ambient noise to improve clarity and reduce background noise. Standard flagship feature.

The dual 4G SIM support is a possible. 4G is becoming far more common worldwide and more and more people want 4G. However, Dual SIM is still a MUST for plenty of people. You don't HAVE to use the Dual SIM, but if you need it it's there. Plus, I don't think there'd be battery drain unless you were somehow using both at the same time.
 

gpobernardo

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The delay in the response of the sensor could be device-specific - Glance screen always immediately shows up whenever I take my L1020 out of its case.

Material: Alright, I'll take your word for it - I was basing my experience on the L535 which is definitely more affordable than the L830, and then comparing the L535 with the L1020.

Hopefully the L1030 or 1040 would have Xenon flash, if ever these phones come into existence.

I'm not aware of the wavelength of the laser of the LG G4, but if it is similar to what some DSLRs use for auto-focus, slightly visible lasers can be disruptive.

BTW, FM Radio isn't really a "sensor"-based feature.

When would you be able to share with us diagram or rendering of your concept phone?:wink:
 

Zachary Boddy

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The delay in the response of the sensor could be device-specific - Glance screen always immediately shows up whenever I take my L1020 out of its case.

Material: Alright, I'll take your word for it - I was basing my experience on the L535 which is definitely more affordable than the L830, and then comparing the L535 with the L1020.

Hopefully the L1030 or 1040 would have Xenon flash, if ever these phones come into existence.

I'm not aware of the wavelength of the laser of the LG G4, but if it is similar to what some DSLRs use for auto-focus, slightly visible lasers can be disruptive.

BTW, FM Radio isn't really a "sensor"-based feature.

When would you be able to share with us diagram or rendering of your concept phone?:wink:

The 830 normally does, but it's not an always, especially at night. However the Moto X is very consistent and immediate even in very dark settings.
I really think a combination of metal and plastic works. We provide premium materials which is all the rage now, and still give the traditional colorful Lumia feeling. Also, we don't look like an iPhone or Galaxy S6. We stand out, and the aluminum stands in contrast to the polycarbonate, further catching the eye. Trust me, my neon green Lumia 830 with a nearly black aluminum frame catches a lot of eyes when I pull it out of my pocket and it catches nearly the same when it's all black.
I'm sure a 1020 successor would have xenon flash. By the way, I actually hope the 1020 successor is called something like Lumia 940 C, while a 1520 successor would be 940 XL.
From what I know of the LG G4, its laser autofocus provides a much quicker focus, and helps speed the entire process up. That's really what I was after.
No, FM isn't a 'sensor' but it's still a useful feature that not a lot of phones have.
I wish I could but I don't really have the software OR hardware and I'm not grrrrreat at drawing, haha.
 

gpobernardo

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No, FM isn't a 'sensor' but it's still a useful feature that not a lot of phones have.

In this sentence, we're saying the same thing; but in your previous post you mentioned that the FM radio is a sensor (post #4). I do agree that it is a useful feature. :smile:

Hmm, how about making both the dual-color/dual-material and the mono-color/mono-material variants available? :cool:

Hmmm, I think it would be better if the L1020 successor inherits the 10xx family prefix for better recognition.... though the L920 and the L1020 have been often referred to as basically being the same phone only with a few differences - then again, it's those differences that make a certain family of phones different from another, e.g. the 830 from the 930.
 

Zachary Boddy

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In this sentence, we're saying the same thing; but in your previous post you mentioned that the FM radio is a sensor (post #4). I do agree that it is a useful feature. :smile:

Hmm, how about making both the dual-color/dual-material and the mono-color/mono-material variants available? :cool:

Hmmm, I think it would be better if the L1020 successor inherits the 10xx family prefix for better recognition.... though the L920 and the L1020 have been often referred to as basically being the same phone only with a few differences - then again, it's those differences that make a certain family of phones different from another, e.g. the 830 from the 930.

I agree partially, but I think the entire flagship family would benefit more if they shared the 'flagship' moniker. Three flagship devices that all share similar 'flagship' specs but differ in a few key ways.
940: The main consumer device.
940 XL: The 5.7inch variant of the 940 (and possibly with an upgraded processor)
940 C: The camera orientated variant of the 940.
 

gpobernardo

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Or, or, or... since they are flagship phones, why not be more exclusive and have four digits starting with 1xxx, where the tablets would start with 2xxx?

But now that you mention it, it's starting to become a viable idea, too. Wonder what the others have to say about this. :cool:
 

Zachary Boddy

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Or, or, or... since they are flagship phones, why not be more exclusive and have four digits starting with 1xxx, where the tablets would start with 2xxx?

But now that you mention it, it's starting to become a viable idea, too. Wonder what the others have to say about this. :cool:
Four digits is too many numbers for the average consumer. Most people know about phones because it's everywhere (iPhone or Galaxy S) or because they heard about it somewhere. For a tablet, four digits work because people shop for tablets differently than they shop for phones. If people see a commercial for the Microsoft Lumia 1030...look how long that name is. It's worse than HTC One M9. Do you see what I mean? I think phones should be kept to three digits, for simplicity's sake. Go the 640esque route, where there's the 640, and the 640 XL, instead of the 640 and the 1330.
And while I'm talking about the 640 XL, it can also be about consistency. They've already used the XL moniker, why not continue down that road? Instead of making a different model for a different variant, use monikers to differentiate them.
 

gpobernardo

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Four digits is too many numbers for the average consumer. Most people know about phones because it's everywhere (iPhone or Galaxy S) or because they heard about it somewhere. For a tablet, four digits work because people shop for tablets differently than they shop for phones. If people see a commercial for the Microsoft Lumia 1030...look how long that name is. It's worse than HTC One M9. Do you see what I mean? I think phones should be kept to three digits, for simplicity's sake. Go the 640esque route, where there's the 640, and the 640 XL, instead of the 640 and the 1330.
And while I'm talking about the 640 XL, it can also be about consistency. They've already used the XL moniker, why not continue down that road? Instead of making a different model for a different variant, use monikers to differentiate them.

Hmmm, not sure how an additional digit would be too much as an additional. Four digits have been in the market for a while already: recall the Nokia 3210, 8210, 8250, 5510, then there's the Panasonic GD90. Microsoft can drop the "Microsoft" entirely and just stick with "Lumia" followed by three or four digits (since we don't call iPhones "Apple iPhone 5s", or the HTC One M9 as "High Tech Computer Corporation One M9").

From research, the average person can retain at most seven items in working memory, that's why most phone digits and license plates have around seven characters in them (in addition to the country code and area code for phone numbers) so going from three to four digits should not be too much for the average consumer - unless the "average" has moved down a few notches.

I know what you mean, but some people want "exclusivity". Take a Toyota Camry for example, there's a 2.5L variant, a 3.0L variant and a 3.5L variant. The 3.5L variant is definitely more expensive and faster, but it looks exactly like the 2.5L variant and they look the same - this sort of downgrades the exclusivity of owning a certain type of Camry since a "lower-spec-ed" Camry to the untrained eye. It's like:

3.5L Camry: "Hey, I've got more horses under my hood."
2.5L Camry: "So what? We're both a Camry; I'm as good as you are as far as other people are concerned."

The "monikers" could lead to potential confusion, too. There's already some confusion going on among some users differentiating the dual SIM and non-dual SIM variants of the same phone, what more would having the same "base name" for three different phones cause?

Also, consider pricing. Having the same base name "Lumia 940" may make the consumer feel that they are all the same phone regardless of whatever letters follow it. The "Lumia 940 C" would definitely be more expensive than the "plain" "Lumia 940", but to the average consumer they're the same thing so why would he or she buy a more expensive version of the same thing? Sure the "C" may have a camera, but having the same "Lumia 940" reduces the contrast between these two phones. But if they were called by a different base name, then the sale potentials are at par - the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 1020 have been referred to as being the same phone, but the L1020 earned it's own identity because it was named differently from the 920.

That's from my side. Differentiation.

But shouldn't we be talking about just one type of the Lumia 940 here as in the original post?:cool:
 

Zachary Boddy

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Hmmm, not sure how an additional digit would be too much as an additional. Four digits have been in the market for a while already: recall the Nokia 3210, 8210, 8250, 5510, then there's the Panasonic GD90. Microsoft can drop the "Microsoft" entirely and just stick with "Lumia" followed by three or four digits (since we don't call iPhones "Apple iPhone 5s", or the HTC One M9 as "High Tech Computer Corporation One M9").

From research, the average person can retain at most seven items in working memory, that's why most phone digits and license plates have around seven characters in them (in addition to the country code and area code for phone numbers) so going from three to four digits should not be too much for the average consumer - unless the "average" has moved down a few notches.

I know what you mean, but some people want "exclusivity". Take a Toyota Camry for example, there's a 2.5L variant, a 3.0L variant and a 3.5L variant. The 3.5L variant is definitely more expensive and faster, but it looks exactly like the 2.5L variant and they look the same - this sort of downgrades the exclusivity of owning a certain type of Camry since a "lower-spec-ed" Camry to the untrained eye. It's like:

3.5L Camry: "Hey, I've got more horses under my hood."
2.5L Camry: "So what? We're both a Camry; I'm as good as you are as far as other people are concerned."

The "monikers" could lead to potential confusion, too. There's already some confusion going on among some users differentiating the dual SIM and non-dual SIM variants of the same phone, what more would having the same "base name" for three different phones cause?

Also, consider pricing. Having the same base name "Lumia 940" may make the consumer feel that they are all the same phone regardless of whatever letters follow it. The "Lumia 940 C" would definitely be more expensive than the "plain" "Lumia 940", but to the average consumer they're the same thing so why would he or she buy a more expensive version of the same thing? Sure the "C" may have a camera, but having the same "Lumia 940" reduces the contrast between these two phones. But if they were called by a different base name, then the sale potentials are at par - the Lumia 920 and the Lumia 1020 have been referred to as being the same phone, but the L1020 earned it's own identity because it was named differently from the 920.

That's from my side. Differentiation.

But shouldn't we be talking about just one type of the Lumia 940 here as in the original post?:cool:

I still maintain that they should share the same model name and tote different monikers. I understand what you mean by the difference in price but it's the same thing with iPhones and Galaxies. You have the iPhone 6 one year, then the iPhone 6s the year after. The 6s will undoubtedly be more expensive and more advanced, yet it'll look exactly the same (if Apple follows their tendencies) and have a similar name. Yet people will have no issue paying for the 6s. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge only differ in two ways. The S6 Edge has the curved screen and slightly larger battery. Yet it's far more expensive AND people are paying for it in the thousands.
About Microsoft dropping their name...wouldn't work. Lumia isn't well known enough. Especially as a Microsoft brand. People who do know of the Lumia brand think 'Nokia' not Microsoft.
Maybe we should, haha.
 

Yazen

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The delay in the response of the sensor could be device-specific - Glance screen always immediately shows up whenever I take my L1020 out of its case.

Material: Alright, I'll take your word for it - I was basing my experience on the L535 which is definitely more affordable than the L830, and then comparing the L535 with the L1020.

Hopefully the L1030 or 1040 would have Xenon flash, if ever these phones come into existence.

I'm not aware of the wavelength of the laser of the LG G4, but if it is similar to what some DSLRs use for auto-focus, slightly visible lasers can be disruptive.

BTW, FM Radio isn't really a "sensor"-based feature.

When would you be able to share with us diagram or rendering of your concept phone?:wink:

Not sure the Glance delays are due to the proximity sensor. Must be the display technologies, because the L1520 has a noticeable delay when flushing the glance screen..
 

gpobernardo

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Not sure the Glance delays are due to the proximity sensor. Must be the display technologies, because the L1520 has a noticeable delay when flushing the glance screen..

It is a possibility - a logical one, actually. But I don't have an L1520 with me to compare it side-by-side with an L1020. Hopefully someone can test this for us.:cool:
 

Zachary Boddy

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Not sure the Glance delays are due to the proximity sensor. Must be the display technologies, because the L1520 has a noticeable delay when flushing the glance screen..

It could be a combination of both, but it doesn't make sense (in my head) for the 1020 to have a faster response time in regards to the Glance screen. A higher resolution could explain the delay with the 1520, but the 830 has a slightly lower resolution and still has the delay. And both devices are more powerful.
Additionally, the Moto X is immediate, and has four proximity sensors.
 

Yazen

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It could be a combination of both, but it doesn't make sense (in my head) for the 1020 to have a faster response time in regards to the Glance screen. A higher resolution could explain the delay with the 1520, but the 830 has a slightly lower resolution and still has the delay. And both devices are more powerful.
Additionally, the Moto X is immediate, and has four proximity sensors.

1020 and Moto X are AMOLED, 1520 and 830 are LCD xD
 

Zachary Boddy

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AMOLED has a significantly faster response time, but I do not know exactly how Glance works.

Thank you, I thought it seemed logical but wanted to know if you had technical knowledge backing your reasoning.
Glance works by using the proximity sensors to detect motion in front of the screen. That's why four sensors would increase response time and reliability. In a dark setting the proximity sensors struggle to detect motion more than usual, and if you accidentally cover the sensor or particularly bright glare disrupts it, the Glance screen may not turn on or may be delayed. Four sensors--one placed in each corner--would ensure that if you're covering one three more are there to detect motion, and so on. Four sensors has greater chance of detecting motion in dark situations as well. Even if an AMOLED has a faster response time, it can't adapt to those other situations. At least, this is my reasoning.
 

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