Nokia Lumia 800

“There's a lot riding on the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Finns put a lot of work into it - well, they worked for a long time anyway. The final result manages to impress, but also brings some disappointment. There's not much we can say about the OS - here all Windows Phone handsets are evenly matched. But with its three proprietary apps, Nokia manages to put the Lumia 800 in a class of its own. Nokia Drive, the most valuable of the three, may not please Symbian fans, but it's designed entirely in the spirit of Windows Phone - simple to use, with clean, readable labels that are free of distractions (all positives when talking about SatNav apps). The camera has plenty of potential too - as it is, it's one of the best shooters in the Windows Phone world and has the potential to get even better with a software update that clears up some of its issues (like the overly eager continuous autofocus). The curvy polycarbonate shell and Gorilla Glass with smooth, beveled edges give a huge boost to the Lumia 800's desirability too. The display is pretty great too, though the somewhat low brightness levels were kind of a disappointment. Still, it's better than most WP phones out there. During this review, we were constantly bringing up the Nokia N9 - and with good reason. It shares in the great features of the Lumia 800 and does better than it in some respects. But with a niche OS and intentionally high price tag, mainstream acceptance will probably always remain out of its reach.”

“So it’s a solid phone, and an exemplar of how Windows Phone OS is supposed to look and act. Unfortunately, the Lumia 800 may be a “too little, too late” player in the fast-paced smartphone game — the phone hasn’t actually landed stateside yet. It’s currently only available across the pond. The handset should arrive in the U.S., reportedly as an LTE model, at some point in 2012.But seeing as this is a decidedly 2011 phone, it will seem obsolete when the calendar turns and the new wave of 2012 smartphones arrives.”

“And so it begins, Nokia's partnership with Microsoft has reached fruition and the first taste is in our hands. Bearing in mind how quickly Nokia got this to market, the custom Nokia Apps they pulled out of the bag and the reformatting of MeeGo hardware to fit a Windows Phone platform, we can do little but commend. The Nokia Lumia 800 sports a beautiful screen, slick design and promising OS only made more attractive by the inclusion of Nokia Maps, Drive and Music. While it does have its weak points, with the AMOLED delivering a blue hue when viewed at an angle and lackluster noise handling in the images, not to mention less than stellar battery life, we still find it very easy to recommend Nokia's new flagship as the pros outweigh the cons ten to one.”

“The Nokia Lumia 800 is far from perfect, but those niggles are just that, niggles.In future models we would like to see a front facing camera, NFC and we'd love a dock. We'd also like an improvement to the Micro USB flap to something more becoming of such a lovely device.However, get past those quibbles and the Nokia Lumia 800 is a lovely phone. It's a phone that will evoke fond memories, a phone that makes using your phone fun, and a phone that you will be keen to show off again and again.That’s mostly down to the screen, which is stunning. But it is also down to Window Phone 7, which seems to shine more here than it does on other Windows Phone 7-powered handsets.Get this and you will be deemed an agitator and not someone with just another iDevice or a big screened Android smartphone.”