Here’s the most important thing about Nokia’s new Lumia 900: it’s $100, which is half the cost of an iPhone, and that’s going to get a lot of attention from people looking to save a chunk of money.
Here’s the second most important thing: it runs on Windows, which, despite Microsoft’s persistent ubiquity, is a pretty new and as yet teensy platform compared to Android and Apple’s iOS.
So is the phone good enough to be a bargain at that price despite that platform? The phone hits the street April 8th but the reviews are starting to come in.
Joshua Topolsky at The Verge wanted to like the phone but was frustrated by limitations of the Windows platform:
Of course, there are users out there that will embrace this phone. It is generally easy and pleasant to use, and the low price point, coupled with the beautiful hardware and solid LTE service could be persuasive. But for me and most of the people I know, there’s still something missing here, and until Microsoft and Nokia figure out what that is, Windows Phone will continue to struggle upstream.
It’s only $100, or zero dollars if you’re a new AT&T subscriber, which you might be. Either way, it’s paltry cover fee to enter the Nokia LTE Windows Phone beauty pageant. It’s so quick and elegant. Sure, the apps could be better, and there are occasional imaging inaccuracies and overblown colors. Let them overblow. You’re holding a pixel feat.
Walt Mossberg wasn’t impressed by the browser or the battery. His final verdict:
If you’re looking for a $100, high-end smartphone, or are a Windows Phone fan who has been waiting for better hardware, the Lumia 900 is worth considering. But the phone had just too many drawbacks in my tests to best its chief competitors.
Engadget says yeah, it has flaws but there’s something really great here:
Filter out the marketing noise and focus on its superb performance as a reliable point-and-shoot and now you’ve got a winner. Toss in those considerable network speeds and default access to Internet Sharing and, suddenly, it’s a shining star. Sprinkle all of that with an attractive polycarbonate case, a saturated and legible display and the magic eraser of its $99 on two-year contract pricing and, ipso facto, you’ve got a no-brainer purchase staring you in the face.
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