The announcement of the Lumia 822 on Verizon is an important milestone for Nokia, it will be the first time a Nokia smartphone has been available on Verizon, and means the company will be launching Windows Phone 8 devices with three out of four of the US's biggest operators.
As with its other Lumia devices, Nokia is highlighting the distinctive design; and imaging, location and entertainment experiences as being key differentiating features. The location experience is divided into three pieces: Nokia City Lens (augmented reality, describes as heads-up display for life), Nokia Drive (voice guided, turn-by-turn navigation) and Nokia Transit (public transport directions).
Imaging highlights include the main 8 megapixel camera, with Carl Zeiss optics; the a 1.2 megapixel, Skype certified, front-facing camera; and the inclusion of new camera features such as Cinemagraph, Group Shot and panorama mode. Entertainment highlights are focused around the Nokia Music app, which provides free music streaming, with no advertisements or registration required.
Olivier Puech, President of Nokia Americas, said:
"Bringing the Nokia Lumia 822 to Verizon Wireless allows us to expand our award winning Lumia brand to even more customers here in the United States. With the Nokia Lumia 822, first-time smartphone buyers - and those ready to switch - will get high-quality performance on both their device and Verizon Wireless' incredibly fast 4G LTE network."
The Nokia Lumia 822 will be available in black and white. A grey model will also be available, in limited numbers, but can only be purchased online.
Differences between the Lumia 822 and the Lumia 820
In addition to the cellular connectivity differences, there are also a number of cosmetic differences between the the Nokia Lumia 810 and the Lumia 820. The devices are slightly difference in size (11.9 x 127.8 x 68.4mm versus 9.9 x 123.8 x 68.5mm) and weight (142g versus 160g).
The front-side edges are flatter (and sloped), the corners rounder, and the main casing element reaches around to the front side (similar to the Lumia 610), giving the Lumia 822 distinctive visual style difference from the Lumia 820. The front of the Lumia 822 is protected by Gorilla Glass, whereas on the Lumia 820 it is scratch resistant glass (non-branded). In addition the top, front face, of the device has a different layout, with the ear piece and front facing camera in different positions.
More importantly there are also other minor specification differences. The Lumia 822's front facing camera is 1.2 megapixels in resolution and has a wide angle lens, compared to the VGA front facing camera (0.3 megapixel) found in the Lumia 820. The Lumia 822 has extra on board memory (16GB versus 8GB) and a slightly higher capacity (1800 mAh), than the Lumia 820 (1650 mAh).
These differences will help distinguish the Lumia 822 from the Lumia 820, which is important for operators looking for exclusive devices. However, the differences can also be the result of varying operator requirements (e.g. front facing camera). Verizon will carry the Nokia Lumia 822, while AT&T will carry the Nokia Lumia 820, and T-Mobile USA will carry the 810.
Key hardware features
- 11.2 x 127.8 x 68.4mm in size, 92cc by volume, 142g in weight; monoblock touch form factor
- Two piece design, removeable back cover, hard plastic and Gorilla Glass 2.0 materilas
- LTE, CDMA, WCDMA and GSM connectivity: LTE (700), CDMA (800/1900), WCDMA (850/900/1900/2100), GSM (850/900/1800/1900).
- Processor: Dual-core 1.5GHz with GPU co-processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4), RAM: 1GB
- 4.3" AMOLED ClearBlack touchscreen; 480 x 800 pixels resolution
- 8 megapixel auto-focus camera (with LED flash); video capture at 1280 x 720p at 30 frames per second.
- 1.2 megapixel Front Facing Camera (1280 x 960), with wide angle lens
- GPS, Compass (magnetometer), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity and ambient light sensors
- microUSB (USB 2.0) for PC connectivity and charging
- 1800 mAh battery and support for Qi wireless charging (requires additional accessory purchase)
- 3.5mm audio out
- WiFi: WLAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 3.0; NFC
- 16GB mass memory and support for MicroSD memory cards
Key software features
- Runs Windows Phone 8
- Nokia Drive, Nokia City Lens, Nokia Transit, Nokia Music, and more
- Camera customisation including Cinemagraph and Group Shot