When Nokia came out with the Lumia 1520, we were treated to a new side of Windows Phone. All of a sudden, Microsoft's smartphone OS had come of age; it was using the best available hardware specs and a wave of big-name apps had finally arrived in the Windows Phone Store. Even so, we were concerned that the 1520's 6-inch screen size and AT&T exclusivity in the US would limit its appeal.

Last week Nokia announced the Lumia Icon, a new Windows Phone with nearly identical specs in a smaller, 5-inch frame. Finally, the perfect device for Microsoft to take on its high-end Android and iOS competition, right? Well, almost -- the Icon is a Verizon exclusive, arriving tomorrow for $200 on-contract (or $550 with no strings attached). Meanwhile, the other three major US networks don't offer anything comparable yet (outside of AT&T's 1520, anyway). That said, the Icon is still worth a look if you've already decided on Big Red.

Nokia Lumia Icon review: a big step forward for Windows Phone

When Nokia came out with the Lumia 1520, we were treated to a new side of Windows Phone. All of a sudden, Microsoft's smartphone OS had come of age; it was using the best available hardware specs and a wave of big-name apps had finally arrived in the Windows Phone Store. Even so, we were concerned that the 1520's 6-inch screen size and AT&T exclusivity in the US would limit its appeal.

Last week Nokia announced the Lumia Icon, a new Windows Phone with nearly identical specs in a smaller, 5-inch frame. Finally, the perfect device for Microsoft to take on its high-end Android and iOS competition, right? Well, almost -- the Icon is a Verizon exclusive, arriving tomorrow for $200 on-contract (or $550 with no strings attached). Meanwhile, the other three major US networks don't offer anything comparable yet (outside of AT&T's 1520, anyway). That said, the Icon is still worth a look if you've already decided on Big Red.
Nokia Lumia Icon review

Windows Phone has grown up a lot lately. The Lumia Icon is the platform's new poster child, offering specs that would make even the most discerning of power users drool. That includes Nokia's 20-megapixel PureView camera, a 5-inch 1080p display, top-of-the-line quad-core Snapdragon processor, 32GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM and a 2,420mAh battery, to name just a few specs. You can check out the full list below, but for now, you get the idea.

All told, it's hard to find fault with the specs, but the hardware itself is potentially... polarizing. With its square shape, sharp corners and flat sides, it's as if Nokia took the Lumia 928 and changed the material from glossy polycarbonate to aluminum on the perimeters and matte polycarbonate on the back. Nokia used this same combination of materials on the Lumia 925, but that phone had a less severe design, one marked by gentle curves. What's more, the non-removable back here bulges out slightly from the rest of the chassis. The idea was for the camera to sit flush with the device, but even so, a flat back would have made for a more streamlined look. Finally, at 5.86 ounces the Icon is a little heavy -- heavier than the 4.5-inch Lumia 1020, anyway. That said, it's still significantly lighter than the 6-inch 1520, which means it's also more comfortable to carry around.

Source : Engadget.com

Failing to react to market tendencies has been an Achilles' heel of sorts for Sony in the past. Joining the dual-core and to quad-core parties late over the past two years has caused the once mighty smartphone maker to slide down in ranks and came dangerously close to the role of an also-run.
It appears that the Japanese giant may have finally learned its lesson though, and this time around they are among the first to jump onto the 5" 1080p bandwagon. But the Xperia Z is more than just a pretty face - with a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and a glass-covered back, this is also a properly powered and properly built flagship powerhouse.
As usual, we start with a quick rundown of the Sony Xperia Z hardware.

Sony Xperia Z at a glance

• General: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, tri/penta-band UMTS/HSPA, optional 100 Mbps LTE
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm, 146 g
• Display: 5" 16M-color 1080p (1080 x 1920 pixels) capacitive touchscreen TFT with Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
• CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait
• GPU: Adreno 320
• Chipset: Qualcomm APQ8064
• RAM: 2GB
• OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Memory: 16GB storage, microSD card slot
• Camera: 13 megapixel auto-focus camera with face detection; Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps with HDR, LED flash, 2.2MP front-facing camera
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL and USB host, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC
• Misc: IP57 certified - dust-sealed and water proof up to 1 meter and 30 minutes; Shatter proof and scratch-resistant glass for the front and the back panel

The specs sheet seems to leave no boxes unchecked and even the most demanding of geeks will struggle to find something wrong with it. The Sony Xperia Z is less than half a millimeter wider than, say, the Samsung Galaxy S III, yet it packs a larger battery, a screen of more than twice the resolution and a chipset fully capable of handling all those pixels.

And if that's not enough for you, the Sony is willing to throw in dust and water resistance on the Z, so you don't have to worry about a spilled glass of wine ruining your evening. There's also a new 13MP camera and HDR 1080p video recording which the cameraphone enthusiasts can look forward to. It seems then, that with the latest Sony flagship it comes down to a question of not whether it is better than other smartphones on the market, but by how much.

As long as everything works as promised, the Sony Xperia Z has all the necessary ingredients to lay a proper claim to the smartphone throne. Let's find out how it all comes together at first glance.

Source : GSMArena