The highly acclaimed Nokia Lumia 900 and massive HTC Titan II, which use AT&T’s speedy 4G LTE network, both go on sale across the U.S. on April 8. But will consumers care?
Although Windows Phone is showing signs of life abroad, Microsoft’s smartphone OS has failed to grab the attention of the U.S. market, where iOS and Android currently dominate. We have hypothesized that at least part of the reason for Windows Phone’s lack of success stateside are the devices themselves. While Windows Phone doesn’t necessarily require as much memory or the powerful SoCs (system on a chip) used in some high-end Android-based devices and the iPhone, the relatively paltry specifications of many current Windows Phones seem poor when compared to these competing devices.
The situation is about to change, however. Two of Microsoft’s device partners are poised to launch devices this coming Easter weekend that redefine the high-end of the Windows Phone product stack. The widely praised Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II are both set to arrive riding on AT&T’s new, high speed 4G LTE network on April 8.
The Nokia Lumia 900
The Nokia Lumia 900 ($99 w/ 2-year contract) has been lauded for its sleek design aesthetic, quality 4.3″ ClearBlack AMOLED screen, and one-piece polycarbonate body, which gives the phone a solid feel in the hand. The phone also sports an 8MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a relatively fast 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. Sales of Nokia’s Lumia branded Windows Phones have been brisk abroad. In fact, in a single quarter Nokia has already become the leading manufacturer of Windows Phones. It’s hoped that the arrival of the Lumia 900 in the U.S. will bolster’s Nokia position and help the Finnish manufacturer muscles its way back into the minds of American smartphone buyers.
While not quite as widely discussed, the HTC Titan II outshines the Lumia 900 in a number of ways. Firstly, the Titan II ($199 w/ 2-year contract) has a relatively large 4.7” screen, yet the device weighs only 5.18oz to the Lumia 900’s 5.6oz. The Titan II is also outfitted with a slightly faster 1.5GHz Snapdragon SoC and a class-leading 16MP camera.
The HTC Titan II
The real differentiating factor of these devices though is support for AT&T’s 4G LTE network. While AT&T’s LTE coverage is not as wide as Verizon’s, in the markets that AT&T does cover, performance is mostly exemplary. I have personally tested AT&T’s LTE network in New York, Las Vegas, Austin, and San Francisco, and have achieved speeds in excess of 30Mbit (downstream) / 13Mbit (upstream). Those speeds are better than many home users’ wired broadband connections.
Microsoft finally has a couple of Windows Phones that stand out in the crowded smartphone market. Whether or not they resonate with consumers remains to be seen, but the buzz surrounding the Nokia Lumia 900, in addition to its affordability, is sure to attract some attention. The HTC Titan II’s large screen and 16MP camera should also entice smartphone buyers as they compare phone specs and features while shopping.
