It's annoying how "pro" reviewers ignore the things that sets the Lumia 920 apart

[Frantics]

This will be a bit long, but I need to let it out.

If you read all the major "pro" reviews, they seem to be harping on the same issues over and over: the weight and the ecosystem. Well, first, it not as heavy and large as they make it to be and second, the apps and the ecosystem will surely improve time.

I knew about these apparent issues even before I committed to adopt the Lumia 920. But I coveted the Lumia 920 because of all the embedded, straight from the box features that you can't duplicate with any other current smartphone. Yet, these reviewers tend to ignore all of these compelling reasons why the Lumia 920 deserves a good look. And it's annoying reading all these lopsided reviews, complaining about what it doesn't have.

Correct me if I'm wrong about or missing some things, but these are the top 10 main reasons I chose to switch to the Lumia 920 and I can't find anywhere else (some of these are acknowledged but most are completely ignored by certain reviewers):

1. True offline turn-by turn navigation. So basically, without a data connection, this will still be a usable stand-alone GPS unit. So years from now, if I decide to move on to another phone and take away the sim card, I could still use the Lumia 920 as my GPS device. Granted, Nokia Drive is a battery hog, but my current 7 inch GPS unit won't even turn on without being plugged in.

2. The HD+ ClearBlack screen with polarizing filters that react to daylight. I've seen this in action and the screen seems to saturate itself before my eyes under direct daylight, making it viewable. I don't know how it works, but it's actually amazing how the screen compensates. Couple that with the higher than "retina display" pixel density and the PureMotion ultra smooth 60 hz refresh rate, the screen quality alone could be a reason to get this device.

3. An option to toggle the capacitive touchscreen sensitivity to "High" and use gloves to operate it. I live in the desert so this is not a must-have feature for me but winters here could get cold too and I could see how this is useful.

4. The virtually indestructible polycarbonate body and Gorilla Glass 2. Yes, I've seen the drop tests and the torture runs and I totally believe this phone could withstand a beating. I feel comfortable not having a case on this beast. The color is also not painted on but is actually mixed in with material itself so superficial scratches, dings and chips won't reveal any "underlying" material.

5. Free Nokia Music. Now this is an awesome service from Nokia. I only use it occasionally because I use other paid streaming services but for a free service this is fantastic. It has no ads, it has offline listening, unlimited skips and genre selections including the Billboard Top 100s. This is a hundred times better than the free music services from Pandora or Slacker.

6. Wireless charging and NFC. I was surprised how convenient wireless charging really is. I have a charging plate at home and a charging stand at work and since charging it is effortless, my battery is almost always topped up. No more fussing about with plugs. Pick up and go is surprisingly liberating. NFC I haven't fully explored yet except with the charging stand.

7. System Wide Audio Equalizer and Dolby Sound. It's great that these sound enhancements works across any app unlike the iPhone EQ that's limited to the native iPod player. I mostly prefer using the signature sounds of various headphones to EQ my music but having an available EQ to play with is always welcome. Dolby adds some digital reverb and processing but it's a nice, fun extra since you could always turn it off. Volume is a bit lower than an iPhone 5 though.

8. Low light photo prowess. This is a stunning innovation and sadly, this is only feature that these "pro" reviewers talk about mostly as a plus. It's almost miraculous how this phone turns the darkest scene into a clear photo. Admittedly, the camera app needs more tweaking options and some daylight photos need sharpening but this could be fixed via software.

9. Optical Stabilization via Floating f/2.0 Lens. This is revolutionary in a phone camera and this is one of its kind. Yes, I've seen all those incredible demos and damn, it really does make a difference.

10. Windows Phone 8. I was actually wondering if the Nokia Lumia 920 was an Android based phone instead, would I still get it? With all the hardware innovations, I probably would have, with reservations, BUT Windows Phone 8 just makes it more compelling and fresh. Instant info with Live Tiles is amazing. WP8 has the most organized, prettiest and the most personal home screen right now in my opinion. People and the Me Hubs are great in merging all your social networks. The Music and Video Hub is a quick section for finding your media content. And the Xbox Live integration with the mobile games (complete with achievements) is perfect for gamers. Skydrive integration and the free Microsoft Office are certainly cool must-haves for me now. I have to agree, WP8 still has annoying faults and missteps, but hopefully, over time, it will be polished more and more.


So, I think, some of these reviewers may have not willingly explored everything the Lumia 920 has to offer. They seem to be trapped with their biased impression of the weight and the absence of their favorite apps. It's like they merely played around with their review units for a few hours and summarily dismissed it as "too heavy" (it's not) and "having no Instagram". There's a wealth of innovations this phone is offering but apparently, they can't explore and look beyond their initial judgements.

Oh , and yeah, I need to add this:

This device is simply beautiful. Gotta have it.



Correction: Apparently, Nokia Music still has the 6 skips per hour limit due to licensing. Still a great free service.

 

[PhilR8]

This wall of text reads like a press release.

 

[steeleblue]

Well, I've never had an iPhone (never wanted one) but I do have an iPad. In fact I'm on my third iPad. The reviewers who harp on the 'app Eco-system' do overdo it a bit. To me IOS is not much more than an OS designed to be an app launch pad. You need an app to most everything. I have been using smartphones since around 2003. All except my little Veer were WinMo phones. And I loved them. Mostly because they actually integrated the OS with true functionality.

Over the last year or so I thought a lot about getting an Android phone. Because I like the openness of the platform and I have to admit I became a 'flashacholic' with my old phones. But I finally decided to wait it out for the new Windows OS. And I'm quite glad I did. I haven't really installed a lot of apps (Netflix, my banking app, a couple of games and Nokia Drive). Why? Because the OS actually does the job I need most of the time without a lot of apps.

I suppose it depends on what one needs from their phone but for me the sheer number of apps is not nearly as important and the quality of those apps and that even pales in comparison to the functionality of the base OS. The only thing I would really like is access to a user file system. But with the way MS is going I guess I'll trade that for the rest of the OS.

In short, I think apps are overrated. As for the weight, I generally love small phones (that Veer being my fav of all times) but the weight and size of my 920 hasn't bothered me one bit. It feels good in my hand and doesn't weigh my purse down (and I carry a really small purse).

I know everyone is different but in a way I have to agree with the OP. That's why although I read all reviews I always go see for myself.

 

[JammyGitz]

They always do stupid stuff like boot times, I mean what possible use is that

 

[WPenvy]

I love Nokia music. I can't stop using it. And the screen in direct sunlight is ridiculous. I live in Florida so it's super welcomed here to have a readable screen

 

[Frantics]

Well, I've never had an iPhone (never wanted one) but I do have an iPad. In fact I'm on my third iPad. The reviewers who harp on the 'app Eco-system' do overdo it a bit. To me IOS is not much more than an OS designed to be an app launch pad. You need an app to most everything. I have been using smartphones since around 2003. All except my little Veer were WinMo phones. And I loved them. Mostly because they actually integrated the OS with true functionality.

Over the last year or so I thought a lot about getting an Android phone. Because I like the openness of the platform and I have to admit I became a 'flashacholic' with my old phones. But I finally decided to wait it out for the new Windows OS. And I'm quite glad I did. I haven't really installed a lot of apps (Netflix, my banking app, a couple of games and Nokia Drive). Why? Because the OS actually does the job I need most of the time without a lot of apps.

I suppose it depends on what one needs from their phone but for me the sheer number of apps is not nearly as important and the quality of those apps and that even pales in comparison to the functionality of the base OS. The only thing I would really like is access to a user file system. But with the way MS is going I guess I'll trade that for the rest of the OS.

In short, I think apps are overrated. As for the weight, I generally love small phones (that Veer being my fav of all times) but the weight and size of my 920 hasn't bothered me one bit. It feels good in my hand and doesn't weigh my purse down (and I carry a really small purse).

I know everyone is different but in a way I have to agree with the OP. That's why although I read all reviews I always go see for myself.

I agree, there's a lot of integration within the WP8 OS that I really enjoy a lot. Thinking about it, WP8 is almost like one big gigantic app with everything on it!

i'm an iOS guy from the very first iPhone and like you, own an iPad, so the WP8 missing app problem doesn't impact me much. I also have a few Android devices but I mostly stayed within Apple's ecosystem.

One thing I noticed since I switched to the Lumia 920, i have so many apps on my iOS devices I never even use. They're just hiding within a folder or in a corner. I notice their icons once in a while, thinking of the day I'll touch them again, but I never do because I find no reason to. It's mainly my fault they remain, but really, organizing apps in iOS is such a pain.

With WP8, i have the apps I really need and since most are integrated within the homescreen, I get the most out of them all the time via Tiles.

And going back to these reviewers, I think they know some of the power they wield over the regular consumer. I mean, obviously, we are tech fans so we find and read everything we can about our devices. But regular people mostly don't have the time or inclination to do that. They probably just rely on reviews to dictate their choice. If reviewers skip on the things that made us get this device in the first place, then it's a huge disservice to the consumer.

I hope, as with anything else, great word-of-mouth will help counteract some of the "incomplete" reviews.

 

[jkercado]

I agree with the original poster 100%. I had to steal the original post and put it in Google+!

 

[si49]

Does Nokia Music have unlimited skips? I got a message telling me only 6 per hour when I used it the other day.

 

[Frantics]

Does Nokia Music have unlimited skips? I got a message telling me only 6 per hour when I used it the other day.

Oops! Just tested it and unfortunately, it does! Six skips an hour.

Well, that kinda ruins my whole post. :-(

 

[The Dude66]

This will be a bit long, but I need to let it out.

If you read all the major "pro" reviews, they seem to be harping on the same issues over and over: the weight and the ecosystem. Well, first, it not as heavy and large as they make it to be and second, the apps and the ecosystem will surely improve time.

I knew about these apparent issues even before I committed to adopt the Lumia 920. But I coveted the Lumia 920 because of all the embedded, straight from the box features that you can't duplicate with any other current smartphone. Yet, these reviewers tend to ignore all of these compelling reasons why the Lumia 920 deserves a good look. And it's annoying reading all these lopsided reviews, complaining about what it doesn't have.

Correct me if I'm wrong about or missing some things, but these are the top 10 main reasons I chose to switch to the Lumia 920 and I can't find anywhere else (some of these are acknowledged but most are completely ignored by certain reviewers):

1. True offline turn-by turn navigation. So basically, without a data connection, this will still be a usable stand-alone GPS unit. So years from now, if I decide to move on to another phone and take away the sim card, I could still use the Lumia 920 as my GPS device. Granted, Nokia Drive is a battery hog, but my current 7 inch GPS unit won't even turn on without being plugged in.

2. The HD+ ClearBlack screen with polarizing filters that react to daylight. I've seen this in action and the screen seems to saturate itself before my eyes under direct daylight, making it viewable. I don't know how it works, but it's actually amazing how the screen compensates. Couple that with the higher than "retina display" pixel density and the PureMotion ultra smooth 60 hz refresh rate, the screen quality alone could be a reason to get this device.

3. An option to toggle the capacitive touchscreen sensitivity to "High" and use gloves to operate it. I live in the desert so this is not a must-have feature for me but winters here could get cold too and I could see how this is useful.

4. The virtually indestructible polycarbonate body and Gorilla Glass 2. Yes, I've seen the drop tests and the torture runs and I totally believe this phone could withstand a beating. I feel comfortable not having a case on this beast. The color is also not painted on but is actually mixed in with material itself so superficial scratches, dings and chips won't reveal any "underlying" material.

5. Free Nokia Music. Now this is an awesome service from Nokia. I only use it occasionally because I use other paid streaming services but for a free service this is fantastic. It has no ads, it has offline listening, unlimited skips and genre selections including the Billboard Top 100s. This is a hundred times better than the free music services from Pandora or Slacker.

6. Wireless charging and NFC. I was surprised how convenient wireless charging really is. I have a charging plate at home and a charging stand at work and since charging it is effortless, my battery is almost always topped up. No more fussing about with plugs. Pick up and go is surprisingly liberating. NFC I haven't fully explored yet except with the charging stand.

7. System Wide Audio Equalizer and Dolby Sound. It's great that these sound enhancements works across any app unlike the iPhone EQ that's limited to the native iPod player. I mostly prefer using the signature sounds of various headphones to EQ my music but having an available EQ to play with is always welcome. Dolby adds some digital reverb and processing but it's a nice, fun extra since you could always turn it off. Volume is a bit lower than an iPhone 5 though.

8. Low light photo prowess. This is a stunning innovation and sadly, this is only feature that these "pro" reviewers talk about mostly as a plus. It's almost miraculous how this phone turns the darkest scene into a clear photo. Admittedly, the camera app needs more tweaking options and some daylight photos need sharpening but this could be fixed via software.

9. Optical Stabilization via Floating f/2.0 Lens. This is revolutionary in a phone camera and this is one of its kind. Yes, I've seen all those incredible demos and damn, it really does make a difference.

10. Windows Phone 8. I was actually wondering if the Nokia Lumia 920 was an Android based phone instead, would I still get it? With all the hardware innovations, I probably would have, with reservations, BUT Windows Phone 8 just makes it more compelling and fresh. Instant info with Live Tiles is amazing. WP8 has the most organized, prettiest and the most personal home screen right now in my opinion. People and the Me Hubs are great in merging all your social networks. The Music and Video Hub is a quick section for finding your media content. And the Xbox Live integration with the mobile games (complete with achievements) is perfect for gamers. Skydrive integration and the free Microsoft Office are certainly cool must-haves for me now. I have to agree, WP8 still has annoying faults and missteps, but hopefully, over time, it will be polished more and more.


So, I think, some of these reviewers may have not willingly explored everything the Lumia 920 has to offer. They seem to be trapped with their biased impression of the weight and the absence of their favorite apps. It's like they merely played around with their review units for a few hours and summarily dismissed it as "too heavy" (it's not) and "having no Instagram". There's a wealth of innovations this phone is offering but apparently, they can't explore and look beyond their initial judgements.

Oh , and yeah, I need to add this:

This device is simply beautiful. Gotta have it.

 

[michail71]

One reviewer I saw gave it a really positive review but then dropped a bomb in the conclusion by saying it would fail because it isn't an android phone and lacks the openness of that platform.

 

[henilp89]

the real problem is that they dont spend ENOUGH time with WP to find those great third party apps.. in every single review i saw.. they didnt even set up their home screen.. it was almost like the default tiles it comes with.. that makes it look very ugly n boring.. they dont sing in to their facebook either so you dont see those really nice tile animation flipping.. showing updates.. thats why i dont even read/watch their review anymore.. they dont even bother to spend some good amount of time to customize their home screen.. its sad

 

[sabotagebx]

please do not call this phone virtually indestructible because it is not and not even close. the screen will break just like on any other phone and just as easy if you drop it, its all luck of the draw when you drop it.

 

[karmamule]

I think the OP hit the nail on the head. The 920 has a set of strong advantages that many reviewers either minimize or ignore in going for the "easy" observations of "OMG HEAVY" and "OMG NO APPS".

In general it seems gadget reviews have been declining in quality over the last few years because all the sites are 1: in a race to post their reviews the first, and sacrifice depth of analysis in that chase and 2: looking for a clever/controversial tag line or bit of content to act as link bait and drive page hits for their site.

I also agree that apps are often overrated. It's not about sheer volume, but just finding the key few apps that do what you want. Having said that, I do feel the pain of not having one of those key apps once you do get "hooked" on it: Spotify I'm looking at you!!! (However now that Xbox Music has been updated a few times so it actually works fairly well on my 920 and Surface, I'm getting used to life without it, and they may find themselves one customer less if they don't put it out for WP8 soon)

In any case, no phone has ever made me this happy overall, and I've owned more than a few. ::::cough:::::

Excellent post OP!

 

[Reflexx]

Imagine if we wrote a bunch of reviews comparing the newest Android phones and iPhones to the old Nokia 8801. That thing was THE phone to have back in the day when The Matrix made its form factor popular.



My review of the iPhone and all new Android handsets compared to the standard setting Nokia 8801:


The iPhone and newest Android phones are lacking compared to the Nokia 8801.

The 8801 has vastly superior call quality and reception. We found that in areas where the iPhone5 and all the top Android handsets were losing signal, the 8801 was able to not only retain a signal, but the signal it had was strong.

When it comes to style, the Nokia 8801 also bested the iPhone5 and all the newest Android handsets. The 8801's slide out cover not only protected the keypad from wear, but it also gave the phone a smooth and clean appearance.

Now let's talk about weight. The iPhone and all the Android handsets are HUGE compared to the 8801. I can't imagine having to carry them day to day. The 8801 is the perfect weight, and it's no wonder that Neo was able to fly when using it. If he had the iPhone or the new Android handsets he surely would have been grounded due to the excessive weight.

The End

 

[Frantics]

Imagine if we wrote a bunch of reviews comparing the newest Android phones and iPhones to the old Nokia 8801. That thing was THE phone to have back in the day when The Matrix made its form factor popular.

View attachment 23833

My review of the iPhone and all new Android handsets compared to the standard setting Nokia 8801:


The iPhone and newest Android phones are lacking compared to the Nokia 8801.

The 8801 has vastly superior call quality and reception. We found that in areas where the iPhone5 and all the top Android handsets were losing signal, the 8801 was able to not only retain a signal, but the signal it had was strong.

When it comes to style, the Nokia 8801 also bested the iPhone5 and all the newest Android handsets. The 8801's slide out cover not only protected the keypad from wear, but it also gave the phone a smooth and clean appearance.

Now let's talk about weight. The iPhone and all the Android handsets are HUGE compared to the 8801. I can't imagine having to carry them day to day. The 8801 is the perfect weight, and it's no wonder that Neo was able to fly when using it. If he had the iPhone or the new Android handsets he surely would have been grounded due to the excessive weight.

The End

That'll be hilarious!

" The stainless steel beauty that is the Nokia 8801 is a sight to behold. Although some concessions will be made with the storage space versus the iPhone 5's minimum 16GB, the 8801 still packs a whopping 64MB, more than enough space to store your address book! Small price to pay for elegance and chic svelteness." - The Verge

 

[Connie Litrenta]

I agree on everything. I've had every Phone OS out there and I was looking forward to WP8 before it even came out. Now mind you, I've had literally tons of phones both entry and flagship devices (usually these) and there have been many that I really liked and had a lot of fun with, most recently the Galaxy S3. I went out to look at this Lumia 920 and immediately bought it and I have been playing with it non-stop ever since. I am total captivated with the entire OS, from the Live Tiles to the great integration with the Windows 8 desktop (OneNote, Live Outlook, Xbox Music, etc.). NO other phone has given me as much enjoyment as this one has in the 7 days I've had it. It is not just one thing but every facet of the device. There is nothing that annoys me or irritates me about it. The size and/or shape is perfect for me. There are certainly things I might tweak or improve on but nothing major. I'm sure others will still follow their precious iOS and iPhone but for my money, this is now the best thing out there and I look forward to everything to come in the future for WP8 and the Nokia Lumia line. The Lumia is now my iPhone. As long as Nokia continues to step up their game, I will stick with Lumia. :amaze:

P.S. And for all those iPhone lovers who get all teary eyed over the all the apps, I don't need nearly that many. Almost everything I used previously is available for WP8 and what they don't have, I can find suitable replacements for. There are just so many useful apps any one person can use.

 

[pjs37]

Well I do think the key app thing is important; MS sees it as an issue and seems to me to be working really hard at getting those developers on board not only with Windows Phone 8 but Windows 8 in general.

The reviews most of them are pretty predictable and usually go exactly the same if they are from a popular site or "reviewer":
1) Its missing <insert random apps they didn't bother to actually check but heard about> which are must haves for many people
2) It weighs about 7000ibs more then the glorious iPhone 5 which is really an awesome and thin phone which the Lumia should be embarressed to be around since its so fat and heavy and feels like a literal lead brick in your pocket/hand/purse/bag/desk/horse saddle
3) The OS is not perfect and is missing key things like Turn-by-turn directions (Though apparently this thing called Nokia Drive exists but all we know is that its no Apple Maps which is PERFECTLY FINE! ITS THE BEST MAP APP EVER!); The ability for me to talk to my phone and have interesting conversations about how I love it; and other important and necessary features like a dedicated clock app that is so awesome a train station stole its design to use on their clock
4) Did we mention just how heavy this thing is? I mean really I broke my arm trying to lift the box.
5) A good showing by MS and Nokia but it isn't enough to win over any die hard iOS or Android users because their world is perfect and everything its just too little too late.

I mean I know I was being mostly sarcastic but seriously it feels like Apple wrote a review guide for the 920 and sent it to tech reviewers with a free iPhone 5 and a note that said "If you ever want to know anything about an iGadget again you better use this standard" they ALL say the same thing.

 

[Frantics]

LOL. Too funny!

But that's pretty much how they go.

The most positive review I've seen is the one from TechnoBuffalo.

 

[Padmasali]

When i made my mind to buy Lumia 920 to replace owned SGS 3... i watched and read more and more review from web.... and i wonder what i can do without google play in my SGS 3... cause, when i buy that phone 1st thing i did to download apps from google play... Lumia 920 is looking feature rich out of box...