The single most important upcoming & rumoured device.... the "flagship".
The community appears to be split between those long suffering for an up to date "flagship" device, and those who are quick to comment, "here come the tears about flagships". Have empathy for those of us longing for the "flagship", for it is our "white whale".
For many of us, one or more of the following conditions apply:
- Love at first sight with the Lumia 920, couldn't get it due to carrier exclusivity. Waited out the speculated 6 month exclusivity to no avail, settled for ATIV S or other device.
- Lumia 925 is announced with limited release (e.g. not in Canada at all).
- Lumia 1020 is announced - excited for the camera, but mixed feelings about the S4 processor, fearing lack of "future proofing". Limited availabilty, although better availability than the 920 (e.g. 2 of 3 Canadian carriers, unlocked at MS store - but only in dull black).
- Lumia 1520 is announced - wow! S800, camera almost as good as L1020, best in class display = "this is what I've been waiting for!" or "a little too big for me". Product immediately crippled by carrier exclusivity, neutered by AT&T for our American friends, and extremely limited availability (e.g. not available in Canada). Can't see and handle one in person, so weary about blindly ordering one online from 3rd party reseller.
- Lumia Icon / 930 is announced - specs are leading edge, but physical design is love it or hate it, again with the extremely limited availability (again, not in Canada, etc).
So, many of us have been waiting since Fall 2012 to get a beautiful PureView flagship device. I love the AMOLED display of my ATIV S, but as a photography enthusiast, the camera on it leaves me constantly yearning for Nokia's camera tech. If I could have purchased a 920 at launch like I wanted... I wouldn't be making this thread.
So for the 2012 WP8 adopters who were hoping to upgrade in fall 2014, but now have to wait until fall 2015 with Windows 10, can the long awaited "flagship" live up to expectations, or at this point, is it a no-win scenario for Microsoft Mobile?
While there have been many threads for concepts, dream devices, or specs; rather than typing out the typical list of top of the line specs that we've all seen, let's talk about the potential "heart breakers" that will cause the "flagship" to not live up to expectations.
For me:
Design:
The physical design should be one of beauty, not a cookie-cutter cell phone that looks like iPhone, Galaxy, HTC One, LG G-series, etc. All those phones pretty much look the same. I am a huge fan of Nokia's fabula design language. It really looks like a work of art, and helps give Windows Phone a refreshing and unique identity.
In a nut shell, I would love to see the design as a thinner Lumia 920 with larger display & a little less bezel (not bezel-less, because we need a bezel).
Found this in bing image search, this is the right direction:
I love it!
If the design were Lumia 930 / 830 style, or worse (really rounded like iPhone, etc) it would be a bitter pill to swallow, but if the camera is amazing, I'll take it. Secondary preference: Lumia 1520 / 925 body style.
Display:
Really hoping for AMOLED. The community is probably split down the middle between LCD and AMOLED, but I always say, put an ATIV S side by side with a 920, and the ATIV S display looks excellent, especially with WP8 black theme.
Would love if part of erasing the bad blood with Samsung results in Microsoft Mobile using Samsung's best AMOLED displays.
LCD isn't a deal breaker for me, but I'd be disappointed if it were not the very best LCD display on the market (like the 1520 at the time). To me, glance screen makes the most sense with an AMOLED display. Displaying the entire LCD even at low brightness really isn't a good idea for battery life.
If the display were less than 5" in size, it would be a potential deal breaker.
Camera:
I can't imagine being disappointed with the camera, but as a bonus, I would love to see the Nokia imaging team really work some magic and help show us the benefit of being in-house at Microsoft.
Hoping that we move back down toward f2.0 or f2.2 as the 930 / 1520 don't offer as good of low light performance as the 920 / 925.
The camera is the single most important feature for me. It was the camera of the Lumia 920 (along with it's design and WP8 software) that made me fall in love with Windows Phone. Ultimately, if I don't like the design of the phone or the display technology, if the camera is the best in the world and the ex-Nokia imaging team retains it's crown, I'm still getting the flagship.
HAAC Microphones:
I desperately hope that Microsoft Mobile continues use of Nokia's HAAC microphones for excellent quality audio recordings to go with our videos.
Availability:
The single most important factor, and the ultimate heart breaker. This must finally be the device that is offered on all carriers worldwide. If it is not available on all carriers, then please also offer it unlocked from the Microsoft store in all colours (not only black). If I want an iPhone, Galaxy, or Blackberry (ok, maybe not anymore) I can get it from every carrier. Oh, you want a Windows Phone - sorry that you can't get one.
Without a doubt, Windows Phone has suffered from carrier exclusivity. I know that I'm not the only one who has desperately wanted to "shut up and give Nokia (and now Microsoft) my money", but simply can't, because of carrier or country exclusivity and they wouldn't directly sell us a device.
It's safe to say that the general specs will be nothing to worry about (s810, it'll have a large battery, etc). What are some of the more unique features and characteristics that you expect with the long awaited flagship? Do we expect too much of this device? What about the final product may not make it worth the wait? Have you moved on, and Microsoft will now have to win you back?
The community appears to be split between those long suffering for an up to date "flagship" device, and those who are quick to comment, "here come the tears about flagships". Have empathy for those of us longing for the "flagship", for it is our "white whale".
For many of us, one or more of the following conditions apply:
- Love at first sight with the Lumia 920, couldn't get it due to carrier exclusivity. Waited out the speculated 6 month exclusivity to no avail, settled for ATIV S or other device.
- Lumia 925 is announced with limited release (e.g. not in Canada at all).
- Lumia 1020 is announced - excited for the camera, but mixed feelings about the S4 processor, fearing lack of "future proofing". Limited availabilty, although better availability than the 920 (e.g. 2 of 3 Canadian carriers, unlocked at MS store - but only in dull black).
- Lumia 1520 is announced - wow! S800, camera almost as good as L1020, best in class display = "this is what I've been waiting for!" or "a little too big for me". Product immediately crippled by carrier exclusivity, neutered by AT&T for our American friends, and extremely limited availability (e.g. not available in Canada). Can't see and handle one in person, so weary about blindly ordering one online from 3rd party reseller.
- Lumia Icon / 930 is announced - specs are leading edge, but physical design is love it or hate it, again with the extremely limited availability (again, not in Canada, etc).
So, many of us have been waiting since Fall 2012 to get a beautiful PureView flagship device. I love the AMOLED display of my ATIV S, but as a photography enthusiast, the camera on it leaves me constantly yearning for Nokia's camera tech. If I could have purchased a 920 at launch like I wanted... I wouldn't be making this thread.
So for the 2012 WP8 adopters who were hoping to upgrade in fall 2014, but now have to wait until fall 2015 with Windows 10, can the long awaited "flagship" live up to expectations, or at this point, is it a no-win scenario for Microsoft Mobile?
While there have been many threads for concepts, dream devices, or specs; rather than typing out the typical list of top of the line specs that we've all seen, let's talk about the potential "heart breakers" that will cause the "flagship" to not live up to expectations.
For me:
Design:
The physical design should be one of beauty, not a cookie-cutter cell phone that looks like iPhone, Galaxy, HTC One, LG G-series, etc. All those phones pretty much look the same. I am a huge fan of Nokia's fabula design language. It really looks like a work of art, and helps give Windows Phone a refreshing and unique identity.
In a nut shell, I would love to see the design as a thinner Lumia 920 with larger display & a little less bezel (not bezel-less, because we need a bezel).
Found this in bing image search, this is the right direction:
I love it!
If the design were Lumia 930 / 830 style, or worse (really rounded like iPhone, etc) it would be a bitter pill to swallow, but if the camera is amazing, I'll take it. Secondary preference: Lumia 1520 / 925 body style.
Display:
Really hoping for AMOLED. The community is probably split down the middle between LCD and AMOLED, but I always say, put an ATIV S side by side with a 920, and the ATIV S display looks excellent, especially with WP8 black theme.
Would love if part of erasing the bad blood with Samsung results in Microsoft Mobile using Samsung's best AMOLED displays.
LCD isn't a deal breaker for me, but I'd be disappointed if it were not the very best LCD display on the market (like the 1520 at the time). To me, glance screen makes the most sense with an AMOLED display. Displaying the entire LCD even at low brightness really isn't a good idea for battery life.
If the display were less than 5" in size, it would be a potential deal breaker.
Camera:
I can't imagine being disappointed with the camera, but as a bonus, I would love to see the Nokia imaging team really work some magic and help show us the benefit of being in-house at Microsoft.
Hoping that we move back down toward f2.0 or f2.2 as the 930 / 1520 don't offer as good of low light performance as the 920 / 925.
The camera is the single most important feature for me. It was the camera of the Lumia 920 (along with it's design and WP8 software) that made me fall in love with Windows Phone. Ultimately, if I don't like the design of the phone or the display technology, if the camera is the best in the world and the ex-Nokia imaging team retains it's crown, I'm still getting the flagship.
HAAC Microphones:
I desperately hope that Microsoft Mobile continues use of Nokia's HAAC microphones for excellent quality audio recordings to go with our videos.
Availability:
The single most important factor, and the ultimate heart breaker. This must finally be the device that is offered on all carriers worldwide. If it is not available on all carriers, then please also offer it unlocked from the Microsoft store in all colours (not only black). If I want an iPhone, Galaxy, or Blackberry (ok, maybe not anymore) I can get it from every carrier. Oh, you want a Windows Phone - sorry that you can't get one.
Without a doubt, Windows Phone has suffered from carrier exclusivity. I know that I'm not the only one who has desperately wanted to "shut up and give Nokia (and now Microsoft) my money", but simply can't, because of carrier or country exclusivity and they wouldn't directly sell us a device.
It's safe to say that the general specs will be nothing to worry about (s810, it'll have a large battery, etc). What are some of the more unique features and characteristics that you expect with the long awaited flagship? Do we expect too much of this device? What about the final product may not make it worth the wait? Have you moved on, and Microsoft will now have to win you back?
Last edited: