Nokia Lumia 925 preview: First look

First impressions

There's little doubt that the Lumia 925 is the best smartphone to come out of the Nokia R&D center yet. It may lack the refined seamless design of the Lumia 920, but its much slimmer waistline certainly has the high-end vibe, which is all too crucial for a product in this price range. The far lower weight also improves portability, making the latest Nokia flagship less of a burden than its predecessor.

Nokia Lumia 920

If you have already fallen for the live tiles of the Microsoft platform, the Nokia Lumia 925 is certainly going to become the phone to get. In fact we can't help but wonder why this wasn't the flagship that Nokia released last Fall. All the technology was available back then (save maybe for the new 6-element lens) and a slim waistline would have enabled the Finns to compete with the very best on the market.

Nokia Lumia 925

Now however, others have moved to quad-core Kraits, 13 megapixel cameras and 1080p screens - hardware that is yet to be supported by Windows Phone. The limitations of the Microsoft platform might prove costly for the Nokia Lumia 925, which while packing the best specs in its own camp, looks decidedly inferior compared to the latest crop of Android powerhouses.

Then again, improving on an already solid shooter might be enough to make the Nokia Lumia 925 relevant. Windows Phone 8 matures quickly and as its Store gets filled with more and more apps, it's becoming a viable alternative to many users, who wouldn't have even considered it back when the Lumia 920 was released. And if you are still sitting on a fence, then the best OIS-enabled camera on the market, coupled with a great AMOLED screen might be more than enough to nudge you in the direction of the latest Finnish flagship.