4 ms·

I don't have a smartphone, so I'm not the target market here. But to me, it looks like a yellow iPhone running Windows. What have they "out designed Apple" on

I don't have a smartphone, so I'm not the target market here. But to me, it looks like a yellow iPhone running Windows. What have they "out designed Apple" on? Are there subtle smartphone features I'm missing out on?

potatolicious 14y ago
The Lumia phones really need to be held in the hand to appreciate the design. There are a few salient points: - The colors are fantastic, the palette is incredibly vibrant without being gaudy. - Despite the bright colors, the material feels high-quality and not plasticky, which is the fate that usually befalls brightly colored consumer electronics. The texture of the colored bits is really, really good - better than anything HTC or Samsung is fielding, IMO. - The curvature of the device feels very natural in the hand, moreso than IMO most phones - particularly Motorola phones that feels very front-heavy and too-thin. - The glass front feels like glass, unlike, say, Samsung's phones. My Galaxy Nexus's glass feels very distinctly plasticky, almost like a thin film has been deposited on top (and I suppose it might actually be just that). - There's a comfortable heft to it that subtly reminds you that it's supposed to be an upmarket device, similar to iPhone, and dissimilar to Samsung's flagship phones, which feel too light to be taken seriously.
- Su-Shee 14y ago
  Couldn't agree more. I already own an N9, which is a beautiful, tasteful piece of hardware in itself - no plastic-y feel at all and I have a Galaxy Nexus, too. Really, no comparison. On top, I find the metro UI design very elegant and convincing, I'm actually considering a Lumia. Can't wait to try one in my hands.
- CountHackulus 14y ago
  Not to mention the excellent build quality. I've dropped my N900 from my car once and onto the ground many times. It's got a single small scratch in the bezel to show for it, and it's the same story for my friend's N810. Nokia really knows how to build solid hardware.
majormajor 14y ago
Personally the thing that kills me about the iPhone 4 design is the seams on that metal on the side. I even didn't believe the leak at first because I thought it was a clear step backward for Apple. The Lumia's have a few things going for them: A really sturdy unibody shell that's much more scratch/dent resistant than the Androids I had before, without the shatteriness of the iPhone 4 back (and minor scratches don't hurt the color, it's not just a surface finish). The curve is much more pleasant in hand than the iPhone or most other Androids I've tried. The back of the case is extremely clean, without the logos or fine print of an iPhone. And the 800 and apparently 920 have a curved glass front which is really slick (I hate that the 900 missed out on this). The press-to-focus/press-all-the-way-to-shoot dedicated camera button is really really nice too. The side-center sleep/power button location is also a nice subtle touch. Pick it up with my right hand, and it's right under my thumb. Pick it up with my left hand and its right under my middle finger. Easy to press to turn the screen on or off. I didn't think it would matter (and it looked weird at first) but it really is nicer than reaching up to the top of the device to shut off/lock the screen on my old Evo. But in a world where well over half the people I know with iPhones have them in bulky or just plain ugly cases... how much does hardware design really matter? Everyone has an iPhone like everyone else, and then they put it in a usually-boring case. Heck, even on here, a ton of the people saying it looks nice are saying "but it doesn't have the apps" or such... which of course gets nice and circular!
- bluthru 14y ago
  >Personally the thing that kills me about the iPhone 4 design is the seams on that metal on the side. I don't understand this thinking at all. The seams have a functional purpose to separate antennas. I view the iPhone seems the same way I view a car door seam: it has to be there, and because it has to be there I don't perceive it as ugly.

potatolicious 14y ago

The Lumia phones really need to be held in the hand to appreciate the design. There are a few salient points: - The colors are fantastic, the palette is incredibly vibrant without being gaudy. - Despite the bright colors, the material feels high-quality and not plasticky, which is the fate that usually befalls brightly colored consumer electronics. The texture of the colored bits is really, really good - better than anything HTC or Samsung is fielding, IMO. - The curvature of the device feels very natural in the hand, moreso than IMO most phones - particularly Motorola phones that feels very front-heavy and too-thin. - The glass front feels like glass, unlike, say, Samsung's phones. My Galaxy Nexus's glass feels very distinctly plasticky, almost like a thin film has been deposited on top (and I suppose it might actually be just that). - There's a comfortable heft to it that subtly reminds you that it's supposed to be an upmarket device, similar to iPhone, and dissimilar to Samsung's flagship phones, which feel too light to be taken seriously.

Su-Shee 14y ago
Couldn't agree more. I already own an N9, which is a beautiful, tasteful piece of hardware in itself - no plastic-y feel at all and I have a Galaxy Nexus, too. Really, no comparison. On top, I find the metro UI design very elegant and convincing, I'm actually considering a Lumia. Can't wait to try one in my hands.
CountHackulus 14y ago
Not to mention the excellent build quality. I've dropped my N900 from my car once and onto the ground many times. It's got a single small scratch in the bezel to show for it, and it's the same story for my friend's N810. Nokia really knows how to build solid hardware.

majormajor 14y ago

Personally the thing that kills me about the iPhone 4 design is the seams on that metal on the side. I even didn't believe the leak at first because I thought it was a clear step backward for Apple. The Lumia's have a few things going for them: A really sturdy unibody shell that's much more scratch/dent resistant than the Androids I had before, without the shatteriness of the iPhone 4 back (and minor scratches don't hurt the color, it's not just a surface finish). The curve is much more pleasant in hand than the iPhone or most other Androids I've tried. The back of the case is extremely clean, without the logos or fine print of an iPhone. And the 800 and apparently 920 have a curved glass front which is really slick (I hate that the 900 missed out on this). The press-to-focus/press-all-the-way-to-shoot dedicated camera button is really really nice too. The side-center sleep/power button location is also a nice subtle touch. Pick it up with my right hand, and it's right under my thumb. Pick it up with my left hand and its right under my middle finger. Easy to press to turn the screen on or off. I didn't think it would matter (and it looked weird at first) but it really is nicer than reaching up to the top of the device to shut off/lock the screen on my old Evo. But in a world where well over half the people I know with iPhones have them in bulky or just plain ugly cases... how much does hardware design really matter? Everyone has an iPhone like everyone else, and then they put it in a usually-boring case. Heck, even on here, a ton of the people saying it looks nice are saying "but it doesn't have the apps" or such... which of course gets nice and circular!

bluthru 14y ago
>Personally the thing that kills me about the iPhone 4 design is the seams on that metal on the side. I don't understand this thinking at all. The seams have a functional purpose to separate antennas. I view the iPhone seems the same way I view a car door seam: it has to be there, and because it has to be there I don't perceive it as ugly.