Why is the Icon so big and heavy?

[DrWMJ]

OK, I have a quick question.
I am loving my Icon, particularly the ability to take great photos. The WP OS is simple and beautiful, and I enjoy having the integration with the social media so readily built in.
So what I hear is that the OS does not take that much battery power to run. The screen is beautiful with lots of pixels (and a somewhat pinkish hue in low brightness settings), and I can understand that the display alone will take a great deal of energy to function.
However, there are lots of other smartphones in the market with similar displays, that are much thinner and lighter, which I interpret to mean that they have physically smaller and lighter batteries.
Why then, is the Icon so big and heavy; the battery? The camera? Particularly high durability parts? A combination?
Just curious.

 

[Indistinguishable]

OK, I have a quick question.
I am loving my Icon, particularly the ability to take great photos. The WP OS is simple and beautiful, and I enjoy having the integration with the social media so readily built in.
So what I hear is that the OS does not take that much battery power to run. The screen is beautiful with lots of pixels (and a somewhat pinkish hue in low brightness settings), and I can understand that the display alone will take a great deal of energy to function.
However, there are lots of other smartphones in the market with similar displays, that are much thinner and lighter, which I interpret to mean that they have physically smaller and lighter batteries.
Why then, is the Icon so big and heavy; the battery? The camera? Particularly high durability parts? A combination?
Just curious.

I think you answered your own question.

 

[nx_2000]

You can see exactly what's inside the phone here: Nokia Lumia Icon Teardown Pictures | ThePocketTech

 

[jt09xlt]

I don't really see it as heavy at all. I see it as sturdy and built with substance. If you want something light, get a plastic Samsung phone.

 

[Sean Stanley]

I don't really see it as heavy at all. I see it as sturdy and built with substance. If you want something light, get a plastic Samsung phone.

Ditto. I don't find it heavy at all. I find it solid. Nothing worse than a light plastic phone.

This really reminds me of a larger Zune HD, which is great. That too was a solid (industrial) device.

 

[california86]

Why then, is the Icon so big and heavy?

Do you even lift, bro? :winktongue:

"Heavy" is subjective. In my opinion, it's the perfect weight.

 

[savagelizards]

OK, I have a quick question.
I am loving my Icon, particularly the ability to take great photos. The WP OS is simple and beautiful, and I enjoy having the integration with the social media so readily built in.
So what I hear is that the OS does not take that much battery power to run. The screen is beautiful with lots of pixels (and a somewhat pinkish hue in low brightness settings), and I can understand that the display alone will take a great deal of energy to function.
However, there are lots of other smartphones in the market with similar displays, that are much thinner and lighter, which I interpret to mean that they have physically smaller and lighter batteries.
Why then, is the Icon so big and heavy; the battery? The camera? Particularly high durability parts? A combination?
Just curious.

I gotta tell you, I don't think the phone is big or heavy.

After waiting months for this phone, the moment I finally held it in my hand I was surprised at just how small it was. It was almost the exact same size and weight as my Razr Maxx. The only thing bigger was the screen, but it wasn't as big in my hand as it was in my imagination. When they say it's a 5" screen, that sounds really big, and it is nice, but not oversized by any means. As for the weight, it doesn't feel heavy. It does feel well-built, but that's it.

If they told me now that it was going to weigh another 30 grams to give me a better battery, I would gladly take it. This phone is not too big or too heavy - at least for me.

 

[Roach26]

Why are you so weak? Go get a iPhone or galaxy if you want a lightweight phone and stop complaining...

 

[cbreze]

Solid, not heavy at all. Maybe its a personal preference, but light and plasticky is a real turn off imo.

 

[Robinsonmac]

It's slightly narrower, a millimeter taller, thinner & lighter than the 928.

 

[Garrymp]

I don't really see it as heavy at all. I see it as sturdy and built with substance. If you want something light, get a plastic Samsung phone.

Really, can't people feel quality when they hold it in there hand. There is nothing cheesy about this phone.

 

[mtalinm]

It's slightly narrower, a millimeter taller, thinner & lighter than the 928.

You're right on (only) one of four counts (thinner, if a tenth of a millimeter means anything): Nokia Lumia Icon vs Nokia Lumia 928 - Phone specs comparison

it's wider than my 928 with a case on it.

 

[TheJoester09]

Most of the bulk comes from a combination of the camera and the built-in wireless charging.

 

[Robinsonmac]

You're right on (only) one of four counts (thinner, if a tenth of a millimeter means anything): Nokia Lumia Icon vs Nokia Lumia 928 - Phone specs comparison

it's wider than my 928 with a case on it.

​
I stand corrected, I was thinking of the Experia Z phones & how the Icon compares to them when I wrote that reply as I just posted a comparison about them on another thread. Nokia's site has the Icon at 9.8mm though.

 

[maverick786us]

OK, I have a quick question.
I am loving my Icon, particularly the ability to take great photos. The WP OS is simple and beautiful, and I enjoy having the integration with the social media so readily built in.
So what I hear is that the OS does not take that much battery power to run. The screen is beautiful with lots of pixels (and a somewhat pinkish hue in low brightness settings), and I can understand that the display alone will take a great deal of energy to function.
However, there are lots of other smartphones in the market with similar displays, that are much thinner and lighter, which I interpret to mean that they have physically smaller and lighter batteries.
Why then, is the Icon so big and heavy; the battery? The camera? Particularly high durability parts? A combination?
Just curious.

It is lighter than Lumia 920. Despite having bigger screen, aluminium frame, bigger battery and bigger camera sensor

 

[berty6294]

Ditto. I don't find it heavy at all. I find it solid. Nothing worse than a light plastic phone.

This really reminds me of a larger Zune HD, which is great. That too was a solid (industrial) device.

The Zune HD is incredibly sturdy and durable, but also the absolute lightest device I have ever held!

 

[raycpl]

I thought we all went through this discourse with the L920
its not heavy.... its quality!!! LOL

 

[psiu_glen]

Going between a 520 and my 928 makes the 928 feel like a brick!

 

[jlzimmerman]

I don't think it's heavy at all. To me it's perfectly balanced, and its weight and UI let me know that I didn't buy a toy.

 

[falconrap]

Every time I pick up a Samsung Galaxy or Note, I am surprised at how cheap and toy like it feels. My 822 is built solid, and it shows. The hands on with the Icon makes me think my 822 isn't in the same league, which is impressive enough. The Icon feels like a real phone, meant to last...it just feels premium. This kind of reminds me when my wife switch to her 8330 Curve to one of the newer 9000 series curves back in 2010. The 8330 was a solid phone with heft. You could tell it was built well. The newer one was light and felt very cheaply made. It felt like picking up one of those cheap Fischer Price play phones you get for your kids.

Why people can complain about weight when we are talking about a few quarters difference between that and the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 is ridiculously light and feels cheap compared to the 4. Lighter isn't always better, unless you like it being easier to launch your phone at of your hand when you pull it out of your pocket quickly.