Merely days after announcing its highly anticipated Windows Phone the Lumia 928, Nokia has come back and given the smartphone world another blow (in both good and bad ways) in the new Lumia 925. The phone isn’t substantially different from the previous 920, 928 flagships but finally brings a sleeker, slimmer body.

Design

This is the first phone in the Lumia line-up to be made of aluminium. This is not a full metal body since the back is still made of polycarbonate plastic but nonetheless gives the phone a fresher look. The phone is also notably slimmer (at 8.4mm) and lighter (139 grams) compared to the 10.7mm and 185 grams of the Lumia 920.

The design also puts it in the same league as the HTC One and iPhone 5 since those too are made of premium quality materials.

Display

The Lumia 925 packs a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ display (same as the Lumia 920) with resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels. That’s large enough for most people but is still a far cry from the 5 and 5.5 inch flagships of Samsung, HTC and LG.

It’s an AMOLED ClearBlack panel so the blacks must be pretty good. Protection is done by Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Pixel density is 334ppi.

Camera

And here’s the star of the show. No, it doesn’t bring anything exactly new to the mix but is still one of the very best in the market right now. The Lumia 925 features an 8.7 megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and f/2.0 aperture.

There’s also a dual LED Flash at the back unlike the Xenon one found in the Lumia 928. Just like pretty much every other flagship, it is also capable of shooting 1080p Full HD videos.

Nokia has added the Smart Camera app in the phone though which adds modes such as Action Shot, Motion Focus, Burst Mode and Best Shot along with some editing. And there’s a 1.3mp front-facing camera too.

Software, Hardware and connectivity

The phone again doesn’t bring anything substantially different here. First of all, it features the exact same software, i.e. Windows Phone 8 as others along with some ‘special’ Nokia apps. Under the hood, it features the same dual-core 1.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 processor with 1GB RAM and Adreno 225 GPU.

It also offers the same rich connectivity as its predecessor. To start off, it uses micro-sim for data. Then there’s Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, Wifi Hotspot, 4G LTE, GPS and NFC. The phone features a non-removable 2000mAh battery. There’s wireless charging too but it’s enabled via an additional accessory so it won’t exactly be used by many. The Lumia 925 will be available in Silver and Grey.

Comparison with Lumia 928 and 920

As written several times earlier, the phone is virtually the same package as the earlier Lumia 920 and 928, except for the design and lack of Xenon Flash. But the design itself is a huge plus since the weight and thickness of the Lumia 920 made it a big no for a lot of people.

In the end, here’s the specs roundup:

• Processor: 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon
• Operating system: Windows Phone 8
• Display: 4.5″ AMOLED WXGA (1280×768), 2.25 D sculpted Gorilla 2 Glass, ClearBlack, High Brightness Mode, Sunlight Readability, Super Sensitive Touch for glove and nail usage
• Main camera: PureView 8.7 MP with Optical Image Stabilization, Autofocus, short pulse high power dual LED flash, most advanced lens technology, 1080p HD video at 30fps with Optical Image Stabilization. Includes Nokia Smart Camera mode.
• Front facing camera: 1.2 MP wide angle
• Memory: 1GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory; 7 GB free SkyDrive cloud storage
• Battery: 2000 mAh battery, Wireless Charging supported via an accessory cover

Pricing and availability

The phone will be available in June this year for $610 (around Rs. 65000). That puts it in the same line as every phone else in the market including the Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

There will be two questions to answer then before buying this phone: How much do you really want a Nokia & Windows Phone and can you live with a phone with a dire lack of some important apps and features. If yes, then this is the phone to get and if not, then you can find pretty much any phone you want in the market for the same price.

Nokia has announced its Asha 501 smartphone to debut the Asha Platform, claimed by Nokia to offer innovative user interface, a faster and seamless mobile operating system for low-to-mid level smartphones.

Asha 501 comes with solid build and colours at an affordable price. It supports single SIM or easy-swap Dual SIM features.

Design

Nokia says that its Asha 501 offers high-end design and build-quality accessible to more people through this affordable phone. Nokia Asha 501 comes in just two parts: a durable, removable casing and the scratch-resistant glass display, which features a three-inch, capacitive touchscreen and a single ‘back’ button.

Asha weighs only 98 grams and comes in six colours.

User Interface

Asha platform is said to make things easier for people to access anything they like with a simple swipe and a choice of two main screens: Home and Fastlane. Home is a traditional, icon-based view for launching individual apps or accessing a specific feature, like the dialler or phone settings. The new Fastlane view was inspired by how people really use their phone. Recently accessed contacts, social networks and apps, unique to each person, are stored and presented in Fastlane. It provides a record of how the phone is used, giving people a glimpse of their past, present and future activity, and helping them multi-task by providing easy access to their favorite features.

Asha Platform

Nokia has this tendency of introducing various mobile operating platform, but not sticking to anyone. Asha platform is hoped to be more usual for the firm and should become a primary platform for Asha series of phones.

The new Asha platform provides developers with an open, standards-based environment for creating quality apps for consumers. Developers can create apps for the Nokia Asha 501 that will be compatible with future Asha platform-based devices.

Nokia gives developers the chance to make more money through the global reach of Nokia Store and tools like Nokia In-App Payment and Nokia Advertising Exchange (NAX), as well as Nokia’s unparalleled operator billing network.

Nokia said that Asha already offers some popular applications including CNN, eBuddy, ESPN, Facebook, Foursquare, Line, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Pictelligent, The Weather Channel, Twitter, WeChat, World of Red Bull and games from Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Indiagames, Namco-Bandai and Reliance Games. WhatsApp and other key partners continue to explore new Asha.

48 Days of Battery

Nokia Asha 501 is claimed to offer whooping 48 days of battery stand-by – when using a single SIM.

Specs of Nokia Asha 501

• Dimensions:  99.2 x 58 x 12.1 mm; 98 grams
• Camera: 3.2 MP
• Single SIM standby time: up to 48 days**
• Dual SIM standby time: up to 26 days**
• Talk time: up to 17 hours
• Additional memory of 4GB (card included in box), expandable up to 32GB
• Forty free EA Games worth €75 downloadable from Nokia Store
• Available colours: Bright Red, Bright Green, Cyan, Yellow, White and Black

Availability and Price

Nokia Asha 501 is expected to start shipping in June 2013 at around Rs. 10,000 or around.

Nokia unveiled the latest device in its Asha family, designed to offer consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in Single-or Easy Swap Dual-SIM variants, features a Nokia design and smart imaging that sets it apart from the crowd.

It supports Wi-Fi to help people enjoy more of the Internet for less and is the world’s first phone to have a dedicated WhatsApp button.

The Nokia Asha 210 has a QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated WhatsApp button for fast access to instant messaging. To celebrate the Nokia and WhatsApp partnership, WhatsApp is offering their service for free on all Nokia Asha 210 devices with the WhatsApp button for their lifespan. Combined with Facebook, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 210 is designed to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their friends and family.

The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options

People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia’s innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.

• Social phonebook integration with the ability to launch WhatsApp direct from contact cards in the Phonebook
• Preloaded YouTube launcher for direct video streaming
• Chat screen notifications that keep users up-to-date on new conversations
• Single-SIM and Dual-SIM models featuring Nokia’s exclusive Easy Swap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
• WiFi On/Off control button
• Nokia’s renowned long battery life: up to 46 days with Single-SIM and up to 24 days with Dual-SIM

The Nokia Asha 210 is available in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 210 is around 72 USD and it is expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2013.

Nokia has announced the availability of two new additions to its Lumia series, augmenting its range of Windows Phone 8 devices in Pakistan across price points to attract younger and hyper social audience.

Nokia Lumia 720 offers a powerful camera as well as an integrated entertainment and social experience of WP8. Nokia Lumia 520 is a highly immersive and affordable smartphone that provides rich selection of innovations for a more fun and exciting smartphone experience.

Speaking about the new devices, Arif Shafique, country general manager, Nokia Pakistan & Afgahnistan said, “The WP8 momentum is building and Nokia is charging ahead with the Lumia series. The availability of Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 in Pakistan market reflects our commitment to build a winning ecosystem that will enrich people’s mobile experience and help them connect with each other at newer price points. The two new smart devices will further invigorate brand Nokia amongst the new generation of smartphone purchasers.”

With a focus on younger and connected audience, the two devices are not only high on innovation but come with a stunning and eye catching design that is sure to make heads turn. Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 are based on the core components of design-inspiration, colour, craft, simplicity and material – that bring together gorgeous design and great functionality to reveal devices that are truly spectacular.

Nokia Lumia 720:

Nokia Lumia 720 comes with unibody design and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus mobile processor optimized for the Windows Phone 8 experience.

The highly responsive curved 4.3” Clear Black Display with super sensitive touch brings an innovative lamination process for wider viewing angles, and enhanced clarity in bright conditions thanks to software enhancements.

Providing a rich entertainment experience, Nokia Lumia 720 also comes with the option to add wireless charging with a snap-on wireless charging cover. The sleek and stylish Nokia Lumia 720 delivers a high-end camera performance at a mid-range price point.

Along with powerful hardware and Nokia digital camera lenses including Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot and Glam Me, the Nokia Lumia 720 makes it easy to capture and share stunning pictures. Nokia Lumia 720 is available in 5 eye catching colours yellow, red, cyan, white, and black.

Here are specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8
• 4.3 inch ClearBlack display
• Super-sensitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• 9mm thick
• Weight: 128g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM and 8GB expandable memory
• 6.7MP with Carl Zeiss lens, f/1.9 aperture & LED Flash
• 720p HD video recording
• 1.3mp front camera
• Bluetooth 36.0, microUSB 2.0, NFC, GPS
• 2000 mAh battery
• Wireless charging

Nokia Lumia 520:

The Nokia Lumia 520 is Nokia’s most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone, delivering rich selection of innovations taken from the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820. Powered by Windows Phone 8, this fun and colorful addition to the Nokia Lumia family contains many of the features as its high end siblings including the same digital camera lenses, as well as a four inch super sensitive touchscreen for a highly immersive smartphone experience.

Digital camera lenses transform the 5-megapixel autofocus camera on the Nokia Lumia 520 into a fun way to capture pictures and share memories. Cinemagraph adds motion to still images that can then be shared with friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. Nokia Lumia 520 is available in yellow, red, cyan, white, and black and with changeable shells.

Lumia 520 Specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS
• 4 inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
• Scratch-resistant and supersensitive display
• 9.9mm thick
• Weight: 124g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM
• 5mp rear-facing camera with 720p video recording (no secondary camera)
• Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, GPS, Wifi
• 1430 mAh battery
• Available in White/Black, Cyan, Red and Yellow colours

Nokia has announced the availability of two new additions to its Lumia series, augmenting its range of Windows Phone 8 devices in Pakistan across price points to attract younger and hyper social audience.

Nokia Lumia 720 offers a powerful camera as well as an integrated entertainment and social experience of WP8. Nokia Lumia 520 is a highly immersive and affordable smartphone that provides rich selection of innovations for a more fun and exciting smartphone experience.

Speaking about the new devices, Arif Shafique, country general manager, Nokia Pakistan & Afgahnistan said, “The WP8 momentum is building and Nokia is charging ahead with the Lumia series. The availability of Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 in Pakistan market reflects our commitment to build a winning ecosystem that will enrich people’s mobile experience and help them connect with each other at newer price points. The two new smart devices will further invigorate brand Nokia amongst the new generation of smartphone purchasers.”

With a focus on younger and connected audience, the two devices are not only high on innovation but come with a stunning and eye catching design that is sure to make heads turn. Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 are based on the core components of design-inspiration, colour, craft, simplicity and material – that bring together gorgeous design and great functionality to reveal devices that are truly spectacular.

Nokia Lumia 720:

Nokia Lumia 720 comes with unibody design and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus mobile processor optimized for the Windows Phone 8 experience.

The highly responsive curved 4.3” Clear Black Display with super sensitive touch brings an innovative lamination process for wider viewing angles, and enhanced clarity in bright conditions thanks to software enhancements.

Providing a rich entertainment experience, Nokia Lumia 720 also comes with the option to add wireless charging with a snap-on wireless charging cover. The sleek and stylish Nokia Lumia 720 delivers a high-end camera performance at a mid-range price point.

Along with powerful hardware and Nokia digital camera lenses including Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot and Glam Me, the Nokia Lumia 720 makes it easy to capture and share stunning pictures. Nokia Lumia 720 is available in 5 eye catching colours yellow, red, cyan, white, and black.

Here are specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8
• 4.3 inch ClearBlack display
• Super-sensitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• 9mm thick
• Weight: 128g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM and 8GB expandable memory
• 6.7MP with Carl Zeiss lens, f/1.9 aperture & LED Flash
• 720p HD video recording
• 1.3mp front camera
• Bluetooth 36.0, microUSB 2.0, NFC, GPS
• 2000 mAh battery
• Wireless charging

Nokia Lumia 520:

The Nokia Lumia 520 is Nokia’s most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone, delivering rich selection of innovations taken from the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820. Powered by Windows Phone 8, this fun and colorful addition to the Nokia Lumia family contains many of the features as its high end siblings including the same digital camera lenses, as well as a four inch super sensitive touchscreen for a highly immersive smartphone experience.

Digital camera lenses transform the 5-megapixel autofocus camera on the Nokia Lumia 520 into a fun way to capture pictures and share memories. Cinemagraph adds motion to still images that can then be shared with friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. Nokia Lumia 520 is available in yellow, red, cyan, white, and black and with changeable shells.

Lumia 520 Specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS
• 4 inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
• Scratch-resistant and supersensitive display
• 9.9mm thick
• Weight: 124g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM
• 5mp rear-facing camera with 720p video recording (no secondary camera)
• Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, GPS, Wifi
• 1430 mAh battery
• Available in White/Black, Cyan, Red and Yellow colours

Last month Nokia officially launched 3 new Lumia smartphones 920,820 & 620 in Pakistan. During the launch, Nokia had also introduced some great accessories for the Lumia lineup and today we are going to present a brief review of JBL PlayUp, a portable NFC enabled wireless speaker.

What’s inside the Box?

• JBL Play-Up MD-51W
• Nokia BL-5J battery
• USB Cable and Charger
• Audio cable
• Pouch & Manuals

Design:

JBL PlayUp is the successor to Nokia Play 360 Bluetooth speaker, which was introduced last year. PlayUp is a cylindrical, top-shooting speaker having plastic body with a rubberized finish. The rubber material feels premium but its fingerprint and smudge magnet, and there is no easy way to remove them – especially if you have got the black version.

PlayUp comes in white, black, yellow and cyan variants just like the Lumia devices.

PlayUp weighs 760 grams and it has dimensions of 128 x 118 x 118 mm.

On the top we have the speaker protected by a metallic grill and JBL Logo in the center. The top also contains volume rocker keys with battery indicator, which turns red when battery is low and green when battery is full.

At the front, on top we have Nokia logo with an NFC indicator, this is where you have to tap an NFC enabled device to make an instant connection. Actually you don’t even need to tap it, just keep your phone close to it and the devices will pair itself automatically.

JBL PlayUp is optimized for Nokia Lumia devices, but you can also use any other NFC enabled device with it. You can always connect via Bluetooth if your phone doesn’t offer NFC functionality. This way you can connect it to your PC, Laptop, Tablet or any other device. But if your phone or any other player lacks Bluetooth you can also connect using a standard 3.5mm audio wire, which is hidden under the battery compartment cover.

On the front bottom there is the Bluetooth button, which has a light circle that glows blue if paired and white if there is no Bluetooth connection.

At the back, there is a 3.5mm audio, a microUSB port for charging, and a power button to switch it on or off.

Along the side there is a hole, which serves as a woofer as well as an air duct.

On the bottom there is the battery compartment, PlayUp uses Nokia BL-5J battery, which can be easily replaced and can be charged via USB port. The audio wire is also hidden in the bottom cover.

Performance:

The JBL PlayUp has a maximum output of 89 dB, considering the size of this speaker the sound is very loud and clear. With the 360 degree all-around design, it produces enough sound to fill a medium sized room with no problems, it also has a bass reflex chamber that helps make sure the deep tones are richer.

The battery gives almost 10 hours of playback and the Bluetooth range is about 10 meter.

The NFC tap thing is not as fast as we expected and it takes almost 2 seconds to pair up and play the sound, also when you power off the speakers the volume level automatically reverts to the lowest and next time you have to use the volume rocker to set it to a higher level.

PlayUp does not have a microphone built-in, so you can’t receive calls over the speaker. If you are playing music and someone calls, the speakers will mute the music and after you finish the call the music will start playing again.

Pricing and availability:

JBL PlayUp is available at selected outlets all over Pakistan for a price of Rs. 17,500. It comes in Black, White, Yellow and Cyan colors with 12 months Nokia warranty.

Final words:

JBL PlayUp is a great portable speaker, with no messy wires. The sound quality is very nice as compared to its size and battery gives a solid 10 hours playback.

JBL has a good track record when it comes to its audio equipment and the brand is famous all over the world, though it’s a little costly – but if you have just bought a Lumia device and looking for some cool accessories, JBL PlayUp is worth a try.

Apart from the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 720, the Finnish giants also showcased two very affordable feature phones, the 105 and 301. The latter of these is a dual-sim phone.

Nokia 301

The more high-end of the two Symbians was the Nokia 301. It is also targeted at developing markets and will have optional dual-sim functionality. Here are the specs:

• 2.4 inch display with resolution of 240 x 320 pixels
• 12.5mm thick
• weight: 102g
• dual and single sim versions
• 3mp rear camera
• flashlight
• microSD card slot, bluetooth, 3G
• 1110 mAh battery

The Nokia 301 will also come with a few new (for its class) camera features including panaroma mode. It will be available in Q2 this year for just about $85 or around Rs.11,000.

Nokia 105

The Nokia 105 is one of the cheapest phones by Nokia ever. Costing just about $20 or around Rs. 2,000-2,300, it is dust and splash resistant and has a flashlight. A Radio, colour display, alarm and several nifty features can also be found in the Nokia 105. It comes in cyan and black versions and will be available in Q1 this year.

The Lumia 720 is to Lumia 820 what the Lumia 520 is to Lumia 620. Both are, in truth, the cheaper versions of the latter devices. The Lumia 720 is the most-expensive and feature-rich phone announced by Nokia at the MWC. It runs on Windows Phone 8 (as clear by the ‘Lumia’ name) and has a 4.3 inch display. Here are the full specs:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8
• 4.3 inch ClearBlack display
• Super-sensitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• 9mm thick
• Weight: 128g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM and 8GB expandable memory
• 6.7MP with Carl Zeiss lens, f/1.9 aperture & LED Flash
• 720p HD video recording
• 1.3mp front camera
• Bluetooth 36.0, microUSB 2.0, NFC, GPS
• 2000 mAh battery
• Wireless charging

The phone will be available in Q2 for about $330 or about Rs. 37000. That might sound quite a lot but is still less than the Lumia 820 that costs about Rs. 44000. As expected, it will also come loaded with features exclusive to Nokia’s Windows Phones only including the ones found on the flagship Lumia 920.

Nokia knows what most people want: Windows Phone on the cheap. For the past few months, this is what they’ve been trying to do and that’s exactly what was done with the Lumia 620. A cheap smartphone and an OS which has virtually no lags is a killer combo.

The great news is that Nokia has taken that to even higher (or lower) levels with the Lumia 520. The new Windows Phone runs on the latest version and has a bigger 4 inch display compared to the 3.8 inch screen of the Lumia 620.

Here are the specifications of the phone:

• Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS
• 4 inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
• Scratch-resistant and supersensitive display
• 9.9mm thick
• Weight: 124g
• 1Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor
• 512MB RAM
• 5mp rear-facing camera with 720p video recording (no secondary camera)
• Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, GPS, Wifi
• 1430 mAh battery
• Available in White/Black, Cyan, Red and Yellow colours

What’s great about this phone is that it has got a lot of features from the high-end Lumia phones like the Lumia 920, such as super-sensitive display which is usable with gloves or nails too, Cinemagraph, Nokia Here, Nokia Music and more. It will be released in Q2 of 2013 for just about $183 or a bit more or less than Rs. 22K here in Pakistan.

Lumia 620 vs Lumia 520

I think that instead of high-end devices like the Lumia 920, low-end phones like the Lumia 620 and 520 might help Nokia regain its lost crown more.