Non-curved screen & lifted bezel a dealbreaker?

[FrankieA]

Like most others on this forum, I've been crazy, crazy excited for the Lumia 900 ever since it was announced.

But today, I decided to check it out firsthand at an AT&T store. Before I did that, I wanted a comparison with the Lumia 800 - so I headed to my local Microsoft Store to give the Lumia 800 a spin.

Oh my god. That screen (albeit a small one), is to die for. The curved glass on the Lumia 800 combined with a bezel-less design, is simply amazing. Your fingers slide across the screen so smoothly. I don't even know how to explain this in words.

Anyway, after that (and even more excited), I headed over to the AT&T store to take the Lumia 900 for a spin...... and boy was I disappointed. The size is pretty good. The bigger screen size was swell. But that's when I realized the big difference between a flat screen and a curved one. And to salt the wound, the Lumia 900 also has a raised bezel. Blah. Now there's a weird cut off between the screen and the rest of the phone. It's almost as if the screen and body were made in two separate worlds, and then glued together after - whereas the Lumia 800 felt like the body was made together with the screen... unibody-like, if you will.

Thoughts? Is this a dealbreaker? I don't know. I'll probably still buy the Lumia 900 just because it looks so ******** sexy. But now I know that I'm missing out on some of the magic that is the Lumia 800.

 

[tissotti]

There no question in my mind that 800 looks way better. Yet to test 900 so i don't know how "bad" it will be.
900 alone has been praised for it's design around net, most North Americans wont probably care as they haven't held 800 or even seen it real life. Lumia 900 still looks damn nice as it's own. Might be more of a problem in EU and Asia where 800 is readily available everywhere.

 

[welsbloke]

I have the 800 and when I look at pictures of the 900 it looks identical. So is it possible one of them had the gel pack fitted? The gel pack on the 800 is such a good fit you would have to know about it to know it was fitted.

 

[JetLife87]

I was very disappointed to find out the Lumia 900 doesn't have the curved display. But the 900 doesn't have a PenTile display and also has LTE. That outweighs the curved display IMO.

 

[Winterfang]

I find the Curved display to problem actually. It scares me.

 

[falconeight#IM]

Its a major downer that it doesn't share the same screen build. I do like that it doesn't use the USB door though and better screen technology.

 

[Alteran195]

I will agree that the curved glass display on the 800 is awesome, but I don't mind the lip around the 900s screen, and even though I'm disappointed it didn't have the curved screen, it's definetly not a deal breaker.

 

[freestaterocker]

I'm kinda torn on his one... If the 800 had an ffc I wouldn't even care that the 900 exists.

 

[Alteran195]

I'm kinda torn on his one... If the 800 had an ffc I wouldn't even care that the 900 exists.

I wouldn't even care about the 900 if I could get the 800 subsidized.

 

[jmerrey]

The most disappointing thing for me, design-wise from 800 to 900, is the camera strip. I'm not sure why they didn't change the design slightly to avoid the awful scratches that will be on all devices that don't utilize a case or skin of some sort. They obviously know about it; if you look at any video from CES, you can see they have a clear strip covering that area. It seems to be an easy fix too. They could change the material, even make it gorilla glass like the front. Or, if they are in love with the metal look, they could have recessed it a small bit to avoid the day to day desk contact that is inevitable w/o a case.

 

[RiseAgainst94]

I agree about the camera strip, all you really need to do is cut out a screen protector that you are not using. I plan on buying a screen protector for both the front and back of the device and just cutting out a piece from the back protector to fit the band and throwing away the rest.
I want to be able to feel the matte finish on the back and to have the scratches reduced. I also want to get rid of the terribly fingerprint problem with the screen. I think after I do this the device will be set up quite nicely. No real physical disadvantages at that point if everything works well.

 

[freestaterocker]

I wouldn't even care about the 900 if I could get the 800 subsidized.

I'd have to buy either device outright. They're both exclusive to carriers other than the one in on contract with. Besides which I have a great plan and great service that it isn't worth giving up.

 

[jmerrey]

I agree about the camera strip, all you really need to do is cut out a screen protector that you are not using. I plan on buying a screen protector for both the front and back of the device and just cutting out a piece from the back protector to fit the band and throwing away the rest.
I want to be able to feel the matte finish on the back and to have the scratches reduced. I also want to get rid of the terribly fingerprint problem with the screen. I think after I do this the device will be set up quite nicely. No real physical disadvantages at that point if everything works well.

I'm going to attempt the same procedure. I just got back from the AT&T store and looked at a blue one, as well as a black, that the reps were using. Both had awful scratches on the plate. Both also were quite oily and fingerprint covered. The black was worse, but the blue looked pretty bad too.

 

[nascarnate326]

The lifted bezel is not a deal breaker but it is the most disappointing part of the phone IMO.

It was the first thing I noticed when I held my rep's phone.

I am going to put a piece clear tape on the chrome part until they make some kind of vinyl / cover for it.

 

[prosimian]

This phone's appeal to me is confusing. It's much bigger and heavier than I'd like, the front glass is slightly raised, it's tat'd up with logos, and it has that damn chrome piece around the camera. And yet, I still find the complete package attractive enough to put down $450 for it! Even in the face of all the HTC One X reviews around the web today.

This phone has that pull for me that the iPhone 4 had. I just want it, niggles be damned.

I do hope the Apollo Nokia phone(s) match or surpass what HTC has done with the One series, though. Make the One X 4.3" and put Windows Phone on it is really all I want!

 

[soxoh4]

It's not a deal breaker for me but it is a downer

When you see how Nokia designed the 800 [YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvnDunLJSPE[/YT] you'd really wonder why they didn't copy the screen curve exactly on the 900. Maybe the curve is pentile only? Maybe the extra size would have made a more pronounced curve which may have led to durability issues? In any case, it's a pity, I love that 800 form factor.

 

[blehblehbleh]

Thoughts? Is this a dealbreaker? I don't know. I'll probably still buy the Lumia 900 just because it looks so ******** sexy. But now I know that I'm missing out on some of the magic that is the Lumia 800.

Refer to the following thread:
word of advice, don't drop this thing

 

[krayziehustler]

Refer to the following thread:
word of advice, don't drop this thing

that right there, might be the reason the screen is non curved on the 900