Today is Nokia World 2013, and just as expected, it's turning out to be a biggie for Nokia, Microsoft and the Windows Phone platform as a whole. Nokia today is taking the wraps off of several new pieces of hardware and is also sharing some big app-related news, so let's dive right in and find out what the Finnish firm has to share.
First up is the Nokia Lumia 1520, a device that's poked its head out Bigfoot-style in several leaks lately. The Lumia 1520 takes full advantage of the features introduced with Windows Phone 8 Update 3, sporting a 6-inch 1080p ClearBlack LCD display as well as a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. The high-end spec list doesn't stop there, as the back of the Lumia 1520 houses a 20-megapixel PureView camera with Zeiss optics, a dual-LED flash, oversampling tech and optical image stabilization for both photos and 1080p video.
Diving inside of the Lumia 1520 reveals 32GB of built-in storage that be supplemented with a microSD card up to 64GB in size. Also buried inside of the 1520's 8.7mm frame is 2GB RAM, NFC, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, four microphones and a 3400mAh integrated battery with built-in wireless charging.
On the software side of things, the Nokia Lumia 1520 will come preloaded with the latest version of Windows Phone 8. It'll also come packing some new applications, such as the Nokia Camera app that combines popular imaging modes, video and features from Nokia's Pro Cam and Smart Cam apps and rolls them all into one spot. Meanwhile, the included Nokia Storyteller app will gather pictures on the 1520 with HERE location information and put together a user's "picture journey" on a map.
Nokia says that the Lumia 1520 will be available for $749 beginning in Q4 2013 in black, white, yellow and glossy red color options. The handset will support both 42Mbps HSPA+ and 150Mbps LTE connectivity, with the international model packing LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, and 20 while the U.S.-specific variant will support LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 7 and 17.
Also announced today is the Nokia Lumia 1320. Just like the Lumia 1520, the Lumia 1320 sports a 6-inch display, though it steps down its resolution to 720p. The rear camera on the Lumia 1320 is of the 5-megapixel variety, and there's also a second 0.3-megapixel shooter on the handset's face. Rounding out the Lumia 1320's spec sheet is a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 8GB storage, microSD card slot, 1GB RAM, 4G LTE connectivity and a 3400mAh battery. Expect the Lumia 1320 to begin rolling out in China and Vietnam in Q1 2014, with launches in other countries to follow.
Rounding out Nokia's handset announcements is a trio of new Asha phones. The Finnish firm today officially introduced the Asha 500, Asha 502 and Asha 503. Here's a quick rundown of what makes each model tick:
More images of all of Nokia's new phones can be found in the gallery below. The company also introduced us to its new Lumia 2520 tablet and revealed some big Windows Phone app news today, so if the words "Nokia tablet" or "Instagram" make your ears perk up, you'll want to check out our others posts here and here for more details.
UPDATE: AT&T has announced that it will be the exclusive U.S. carrier of the Nokia Lumia 1520 and that it also plans to offer the Lumia 2520. No pricing or availability details were given for either device. Images of the AT&T-branded Lumia 1520 can be found in the gallery below.
UPDATE 2: Nokia has also confirmed that it plans to bring "many of the new features and imaging innovations" included with the Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320 to its other Windows Phone 8 devices. A new update dubbed "Lumia Black" will combine those goodies along with Microsoft's latest Windows Phone update. The Lumia Black update is slated to begin rolling out in early 2014.
