To buy or not to buy a 920; that is the question...

[kxcd]

Ok, excuse the long-ass sh@t but this post eventually does get around to talking about the Nokia Lumia 920. But first a little background:

I've had my Samsung Focus for just over a year. It's a hand me down from another employee (work phone) who left the company. I got his phone when he left. Anyway, I've actually loved the Windows Phone OS and show it off to most of my friends who ask about it. I've been eagerly awaiting the 7.8 update since the June announcement. The news yesterday of the update not arriving until 2013 was a pretty big disappointment. Seems to me MS is dragging their feet, hoping for more WP8 sales. But that's a different topic...

I learned recently that my phone is up for renewal/replacement. For the past couple of weeks I have been comparing the iPhone 5, the Nokia 920 and the HTC 8X. My daughter has the iPhone 5 and I have an iPad so I am somewhat familiar with IOS. For years I have alway wanted an iPhone. So many apps, music etc. Or at least I thought I did...

While checking out my Daughter's iPhone 5, I tried to simulate what I use my phone for. As I said, my WP is a work phone so I have shortcuts to my Inbox, shortcuts to email folders that I have to monitor constantly. Website shortcuts on my home screen, Skydrive etc. Also, things that I personally use it for. Some Facebook (yes I know...), Sports scores, blogs etc.

I think I've made up my mind that I DON'T want the iPhone 5. The main reason being, the icons to me are too small. The text is too small. You try to read emails and they are too small! I know I am getting old (recently hit the big 50) but truth be told, If I have to squint or hold the thing up to my eye, I'm not going to be happy with the phone. I went through this in the past with Blackberries and Palms. Granted, my Focus WP doesn't have the largest screen. But dammit, I need to be able to read what I need to read!

So after comparing the three phones and flip flopping back and for for a week, I decided on the Nokia Lumia 920. The HTC is nice but for some reason, I am leaning towards the Nokia.

Then I start reading in this forum and others about all the issues the 920 is having. Random reboots, battery life, dust under the camera lens, crappy daytime photos etc. DAMMIT! This sucks!

After reading about all of these issues, I was looking forward to the 7.8 update for my Focus to maybe take me through early next year until. Now it's not coming out until 2013 and I can't wait for it to "hopefully" arrive "sometime".

So, my dilemma is do I go ahead and get the 920 and HOPE the issues are fixed soon by software? Or are some issues hardware?

Anybody having good experiences with the 920? having no issues? Maybe it's just a bad initial batch of phones? Or is it truly the WP8 OS?

Arghhh...Thx...:smile:

 

[Reflexx]

I haven't had any issues with my Lumia 920.

From what I understand, the "issues" are happening on the 8X also. I believe that there may be some instability that occurs when certain apps are installed or run. For example, Words with Friends has been a nightmare for a lot of people. The BETA versions of Skype and Nokia Drive have also possibly contributed to some issues, including battery drain.

There is a firmware update expected in early 2013 for WP8. So the problems will likely be fixed.

I will say that I love my 920. I had a Samsung Focus (which I loved), and then an HTC Titan (which I had a love/hate relationship with).

What you're seeing with the 920's "problems" are likely due to the complete rewrite of the OS on top of the XP kernel. There will be a few hiccups. However, I think that you'll find that WP8 will end up being stronger and more robust than the WP7 you're used to.

 

[Hilazing]

HI,

I just posted a positive review of the Lumia 920 in the forum. Admittedly, I've only had it for a couple of days, but not a single issue so far (have I just jinxed myself??? )

At the end of the day, everyone's different, what fits one person wonn't necessarily fit another, and I've had great experiences with my last 2 phones (both Android) but both have had issues. I'm not naive enough to think it will all be smooth sailing with my Lumia, but I think it's worth it for what I think is the phone best suited to me at the moment.

 

[aubreyq]

I'm in a similar situation, but I've had the Focus since November 2010. The thing is, I'm not holding my breath for 7.8. I just don't think they'll push it down to 1st Gen devices. I was considering the new iPhone before it was revealed, but then WP8 got my attention as well as the 920. Then, like yourself, I started reading about what WP8 is missing, issues with the 920's camera and battery, etc and I'm like "Ugh!" To add insult to injury, there is hardly any stock of the 920, especially yellow.

Sometimes I'm like "screw it, I'll just get an iPhone 5", but I hate the fact that there is no BACK button on the iPhone. I know some apps have it, but there is no BACK for the OS itself. I just prefer the tile-based OS on Windows Phone 1000 times more than iOS or (yuck) Android. I cannot think of a better Start screen than Windows Phone.

So, I'm still leaning towards the 920 but I think I'll get it when the WP8 and 920 issues are patched. If, when that happens, I know of another phone that is coming out, then I might go with that new phone if I like it, LOL!

 

[chris2go]

So far my experience with my 920 is decent, I had to do 2 hard resets last week because it wouldn't turn on. It could have been fixed with recent patches but I am still observing it.

As far as battery issue, most if it I notice is due to cellular data switching from Edge/3G/4G/LTE (coverage thingy). I use a Rogers 920 Canada so not sure about those dust issues, never had them. I get at least 12-15 hours bettery life. I fully charge it at night then turn off cell data during my sleep beside my bed for alarm. I wake up and still have 100% of battery, I'm a heavy browser user.

Camera is fantastic but like most people said it could be sharper, I know Nokia will deal with this.

Heavy, no it's heavier than my HD7 but I like to know that it's in my pocket or on my lap. It's lighter than my 3GS not a big deal, just the black matte is a bit slippery. Audio quality is excellent for me.

As far as an early adopter, I knew I had to deal with issues here and there like with any other new tech gadgets out there.

Overall, I am a satisfied user (so far ).

 

[stmav]

If you read the forums, you'll see that there are many people that are very happy with their 920's. And people that aren't having problems will tend to not post, or post less than those that do. The whole squeaky wheel thing. This isn't to say that the 920 is perfect.How many phones are perfect on release.

Bottom line, you need to decide if it fits your needs and if you can live with what you've read. Why would you base it on the opinions of a bunch of people on the internet you don't even know? :wink:

 

[dkp23]

cool question

 

[ALpHa.Q.RoUgH]

If i was you I would wait.

 

[05Paris]

I've had my L920 since Nov 9th and have had zero issues, period. I came from the L900 with the 7.xx os and loved it. If the L920 with Windows Phone 8 had not been released I would have been completely satisfied with the L900. After researching what the Windows Phone 8 brings to the table and how it applies to your needs and wants compared to the competition only you can make the decision but at least you can make an informed decision now.

As for the issues some have experienced...every phone I have ever heard of has had "issues" of some kind and yes even the iPhone. Those "issues" would not deter me from getting the Nokia L920 especially at the great promo pricing available either in the company stores, retail stores like WalMart or on the internet websites plus phone access with AT&T. And the integration with Windows Pro 8 made it a no brainer for me. And for good measure I even ordered one for the wife.

 

[MerlotC]

I had my trusty Focus for almost 2years and enjoyed it but I really love my new red 920...I say go for it!

 

[wamsille]

The Lumia 920 could be better, but it and Windows Phone 8 could have been much worse. You can't tell if the people sharing their assessments on the 920 are young professionals, recent college grads, high school students or tech novices that couldn't figure out how to get the camera turned on without hitting the power button first.

Note, the remark was not to devalue someone's opinion but in practice a high school or college student might not have the same needs or operate a smartphone the same way an executive for a Fortune 500 would.

If you are familiar with Windows 7.x you will be right at home with Windows 8. I'm frustrated that Drive and Skype are in beta but there are other apps out there to fill the void. Some would suggest the alternatives are better, as in the case of Navigon versus Nokia Drive. Hopefully the time it takes Nokia to implement the recommended changes to Drive and release it to the market won't be equal to that of the wait for 7.8 on legacy devices. Then of course there is going to be a correction for the lack of sharpness in photos taken with the Lumia 920.

 

[Kebero]

My wife and I have had our 920's since launch day (well, hers arrived via USPS on the Tuesday after, since I ordered her one in cyan), and neither of us have had any issues whatsoever. It's been 100% smooth sailing with our phones. I think you should go for it.

 

[steeleblue]

I've had my 920 since the 11th. The first thing I did was the battery down to 10% or so, recharge overnight, do the same again. This recalibrates the battery meter. Sometimes it's not the battery but the meter that's wrong. I've been using smartphones since 2003 and find if I do this every 3-4 months it works well.

My phone has had no freezes, battery life is actually very good (I get several calls a day, some texts, a bit of games, 3 email accounts set to pull every 15 mins, Bluetooth, wifi, on all the time, and all location services on all the time). I'm easily getting 12+ hours every day (I put it on the charger every night and it's usually at 30-40% then). I have no squeaks, rattles, scratches, etc.

My son got his 920 the same day and he has had one freeze. His battery life isn't as good as mine but he uses it more, especially for games on his lunch hour but he too gets a full day.

Maybe we're just lucky but remember, people posting here are the folks with problems. Most people don't go to forums at all.

I just read that 7.8 would be out in 'early 2013' which could mean anything. I feel I must point out though that having the same platform as the people you communicate most with is nice (FaceTime for IOS, Family Room for WinPhone 8, etc.). And then there's integration with your computers, if you run Windows a 920 will certainly work well and help coordinate your life, same thing if you use Macs an iPhone might be best. Just depends....

If I were you and I wanted to try the 920 I certainly would. You should have the return period to try it out and see if its for you. Or you could wait it out for a couple of months and see how things shake out.

 

[stueyboy]

Well I would urge you to get one. I got my first one on Saturday of last week, having had a Luimia 800 for a year so I kind of know what to expect. I lasted until Tuesday when I returned the phone and got a replacement. The reason? From about Saturday evening to Tuesday morning it must have either frozen up on me, rebooted or just plain spazzed out about 50 times on me. Waking up to find it had frozen in the night and hadn't charged up enough. Needed at least a soft reset every time to get it back. Did a hard reset 3 times and then phoned Nokia on Tuesday morning and told a button reset would work. It froze on me again while I was setting up from that reset so that was the last straw and off to Phones 4 U I went for a replacement.

The second one is a different story entirely. No reboots or freezes since Tuesday lunchtime and it's not been rebooted at all since. No stability problems, battery lasts easily 24 hours (it is settling in at the moment and fluctuates usage estimates quite a lot at the moment). I couldn't even take pictures with the first one without it freezing so I am now very much liking the phone and what it can do. So I would say, if you like the look of it, go for it as it seems that there are a few dud ones out there and I was unlucky. It's an awesome phone and I'm a cynical Scotsman, so it takes a lot for me to be impressed. My wife has an iphone5 and it's nice but same old UI (but 11% thinner of course)

Get one and enjoy (hopefully)

 

[kxcd]

Thanks for all the replies.

Hopefully if I decide to get the 920, the new WP8 features will outweigh any minor issues (if any) that the phone experiences.

I remember having several Blackberry phones over the years and the battery would last sometimes only a 1/2 day. The phone would be dead before I got home from work. They would also lock up and I would do battery pulls almost daily. With this Focus and WP 7.5, I have virtually no issues ever. Can't remember ever doing a battery pull really. The phone is just on 24-7 and works without issue. Would be nice if WP8 ended up being the same!

Now if they would only make one in green

 

[steeleblue]

Thanks for all the replies.

Hopefully if I decide to get the 920, the new WP8 features will outweigh any minor issues (if any) that the phone experiences.

I remember having several Blackberry phones over the years and the battery would last sometimes only a 1/2 day. The phone would be dead before I got home from work. They would also lock up and I would do battery pulls almost daily. With this Focus and WP 7.5, I have virtually no issues ever. Can't remember ever doing a battery pull really. The phone is just on 24-7 and works without issue. Would be nice if WP8 ended up being the same!

Now if they would only make one in green

Good luck with your decision whatever it is. I love my 920 but it may not be for everyone. My only suggestion is to calibrate the battery meter when you first get it. Run it down to 5-10%, fully recharge overnight, repeat. Unless you get a defective unit this will help ensure your meter displays the actual battery level.

Have fun!