Nokia answers some questions about the Lumia 925 design and hardware

Nokia Lumia 925

With Nokia's announcement today of the new Lumia 925, many questions have been asked by you lot regarding pattern choices, hardware specifications and the future of Nokia's Lumia efforts.

During the 24-hour interval, we spoke with Kevin Shields (Management Overhead, Nokia) and Stefan Pannenbecker (SVP Product Design, at Nokia) who were kind enough to take some of inquiries about today's product reveal.

Want some answers to your most asked questions? So head past the break...

Why no microSD?

One of the most frequent questions we received was why at that place is no microSD on the Lumia 925? Shields and Pannenbecker both stated that here, device design was the main concern and adding a microSD card, while preferable for usability, both takes away from the catamenia of the device and adds complications. Some of the difficulties include size restrictions and having to "move things around" to adjust the additional storage, creating a cascading chain upshot, if you will. To be blunter, you only have so much space to work with when making a thinner phone with a big bombardment and PureView photographic camera.

Another consideration was the sheer difficulty in adding a "slot" for a microSD door. While there is one for the microSIM card, we were told this was no piece of cake feat for Nokia when making the slide out door. Adding a microSD slot would but compound the problem.

If all of this sounds like Nokia putting design ahead of sheer specs, you would exist right. It's clear that Nokia places a high value on design, menses and the overall appeal of the device every bit opposed to simply shoving as much as they tin can into the phone. We empathise some consumers may recoil at such "course over function" arguments, only and so again we'd argue that it is Nokia'southward attention to pattern that has won over many loyal fans.

Why metallic, why now?

Nokia Lumia 925

Nokia choosing to brand the Lumia 925 at present with aluminum may enhance a few eyebrows. First, we should betoken out that Nokia doesn't consider this to exist "the next 920" but rather, every bit Kevin Shields says "another expression of information technology". While the Lumia 920 came in some bold, bright colors, the Lumia 925 is "less audacious, more subtle, engaging".

Though we really like the Lumia 920, others opined about its size and weight—a somewhat legitimate complaint if y'all like sparse and light devices. The 925 is the reply to that question and while information technology does remove some things e.yard. wireless charging, the tradeoff is a more svelte design that can entreatment to a wider base. The 925 is the 920 for those who want a lighter phone; it's not meant to replace the 920 just entreatment to a unlike user base.

Every bit to why now, Shields notes that with the current technology and ability to blueprint it correct was the leading gene the 925 coming at this time. Indeed, when Vodafone'due south Patrick Chomet took the stage today he noted he saw blueprint plans for the 925 back in September.

microUSB on top and not the bottom—what'due south the bargain?

On the Lumia 900 the USB charging port was on top. On the Lumia 920, it moved to the bottom. At present on the 925 it'south back on top—why?

Every bit information technology turns out, putting the microUSB on the bottom is also some other engineering challenge. Nokia worked real hard to get information technology on the bottom for the 920, just with wireless charging become more popular, they institute the preference for having in that position has become less of a priority.

Another consideration: putting the microUSB on the bottom evidently has a negative effect on indicate reception, at to the lowest degree that what Nokia is claiming from their tests.

LCD versus AMOLED

Another change with the Lumia 928 and 925 is the utilise of the non-Pentile AMOLED display. While Nokia will go along to work with LCD where appropriate, the AMOLED display allowed them to get that extra thinness on the 925, something that would non accept mattered much on the 920 considering it's size is due to other things (polycarbonate, wireless charging and overall design).

Nokia sees AMOLED as just some other tool to employ when appropriate. And yes, this is however a PureMotion Hard disk display with the high refresh rate and ClearBlack brandish.

At that place are no speaker holes on the wireless charging dorsum cover!?

Nokia Lumia 925 cover speaker

Indeed, there aren't. No, Nokia did not forget to add them. Instead, they have created a "channel" within the plastic to help direct the sound out through the bottom of the device. They did this for audio-visual reasons and we'll just accept to take their discussion (for now) that this won't negatively affect audio performance.

Of course we'll examination this every bit soon equally nosotros get our review unit it, just it sounds similar Nokia did not omit anything here. Pun intended.

Other ways to brand it thinner?

The Lumia 925 users 2.25D Gorilla Glass whereas the Lumia 920 used 2.5D. The higher the number, the more curved the glass is at the end but also it's thicker. The 925 has thinner glass on board basically due to it existence a smidge less curvy. Combine it with an AMOLED brandish and you lot get a 8.5mm thin Windows Phone.

Why does the Lumia 925 have plastic on the back instead of being all aluminum?

Nokia Lumia 925

Nokia could have made an all-aluminum telephone, afterward all it's viable. Just there were specific reasons for not doing information technology that way—some functional, some design choices.

For pattern, they could accept colored the metal, simply they felt that it was "besides 1980'south looking" and it was decided against. The polycarbonate dorsum, on the other hand, allows some colour variation along with a warmer feel where you concur it.

Also, NFC would have had some interference with an all metal dorsum and although they could have made just the NFC-expanse polycarbonate, such a design change creates a different expect.

Finally, the colors of white, black and grey were chosen to friction match the metal. As mentioned before, information technology'due south a less audacious design than the Lumia 920''s "here I am!" xanthous. That's because Nokia here is trying to appeal to a different audience, some of whom want a more than subtle phone.

So will Nokia just practice metal phones in the future, or…?

No, the Lumia 925 is deigned to look a certain mode and make advisable tradeoffs to entreatment to a certain audience. The design team will use materials where they see appropriate, so assuming bright polycarb designs will notwithstanding exist used while on occasion, aluminum or other materials may be used to achieve a "different expression" of a telephone.

Five lenses versus six

The Lumia 925 has an added sixth lens to help improve daylight functioning. From what could discern, this was in response to some criticism of the 920's somewhat soft daylight operation. In that sense, yeah, the Lumia 925 has a amend physical camera than the 920 though it remains to be seen how that translates into bodily performance (for that, nosotros have device reviews). For now, it's worthy to note that Nokia appears to be attempting to continue push boundaries (six lenses accept not been done before in a telephone photographic camera) and mind to feedback from users.

Conclusion

We promise that clears up some questions for yous. We realize that some don't come across the 925 as a worthy Lumia 920 upgrade, which is a good affair. It's not. It'southward meant for a different audience and while information technology makes some sacrifices e.g. some versions only accept 16GB of storage (while others take 32GB) or no built-in wireless charging, it does permit the 920 type hardware to entreatment to a unlike audience (or T-Mobile users a shot at some premium hardware).

Will this be the last story of the 9xx series? Of course not. And Nokia was quite blunt about "more to come" this summer for the Lumia hardware and if that sounds like EOS, yous'd be correct.

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