Nokia's new Lumia 920 smartphone and Google's LG-branded Nexus 4 may be the most hyped alternatives to Apple's iPhone the industry has seen in some time. Both devices represent the future for their respective companies, are the flagship smartphones for their contrasting operating systems, Windows Phone 8 and Android, and are poised to do battle.
Not only are the phones very closely matched when it comes to specs and features, but as Phones Review reports, the Nokia Lumia 920 may be available as early as Nov. 11, a release date that would put it in direct competition with the LG Nexus 4, which arrives in stores on Nov. 13.
Nokia's Lumia 920 and LG's Nexus 4 are incredibly evenly matched. At the end of the day, much of end purchase decision will likely come down to brand-loyalty and/or preference for a certain OS over the other. On paper though, this is how the two smartphones stack up against one another.
LG Nexus 4
The LG Nexus 4 smartphone features a quad-core processor, "which means its super fast," says Google. The phone's display is a "crisp" 4.7-inches (320 ppi) "that's perfect for looking at photos and watching YouTube." The phone offers wireless charging, so, you just have to set the phone down on a power mat to recharge the Nexus 4's battery.
"While Nexus 4 is incredibly powerful under the hood, it also features the latest version of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2-the simplest and smartest version of Android yet," the company said in its statement.
"Starting with the camera, we've reinvented the photo experience with Photo Sphere, which lets you capture images that are literally larger than life. Snap shots up, down and in every direction to create stunning 360-degree immersive experiences that you can share on Google+ with friends and family-or you can add your Photo Sphere to Google Maps for the world to see."
"Android 4.2 brings other great goodies like Gesture Typing, which lets you glide your finger over the letters you want to type on the keyboard-it makes typing fast, fun and a whole lot simpler. Android 4.2 also adds support for wireless display so you can wirelessly watch movies, YouTube videos and play games right on your Miracast-compatible HDTV."
Price/models
8GB for $299; 16GB for $349; available unlocked and without a contract on Nov. 13 on the Google Play store in the U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Canada. The 16GB version will also be available through T-Mobile for $199, with a 2-year contract.
LG Nexus 4 Vs. Nokia Lumia 920
Design
If you're a fan of colorful handsets, the Nokia Lumia 920 easily wins this category based on its vibrant selection alone. The 920 is one of the more uniquely designed smartphones, made of a mixture of glass, ceramic, and plastic, Nokia has created a phone that at 185g "feels and looks solid," says Business Insider.
LG's Nexus 4 is strikingly lighter at just 140g, and opts for a more professional approach to the its design, choosing a sleek, subtle exterior over flash. It's certainly nothing new in the looks department, seemingly coalescing several handset designs from numerous companies, but if you don't want to walk into a meeting with a bright red phone in tow, LG is wagering you'll choose the Nexus 4 over the Lumia 920.
Features
The Lumia 920 and Nexus 4 are two of the more progressive smartphones on the market with a number of features that place them at the forefront of companies pushing the tech envelope. Both devices make use of NFC - Near Field Communication - allowing for wireless payments, high-speed data transfer, as well as wireless charging. Both handsets will feature two highly capable cameras, although the Lumia 920 certainly has more unique camera technologies that could tip the scales in its favor.
Processing
The Lumia 920 comes with a Qualcomm S4 dual core Snapdragon processor, which could be disappointing for many, as most standard models of new smartphones now run on quad core. You can thank Windows 8 for this one. The OS still has no solution for offering quad core support, which hinders the performance of the Lumia 920 significantly, according to Business Insider.
The Nexus 4G features a similar Qualcomm S4 processor, but actually has with four cores - see, it's in the name.
Screen
The Nokia Lumia 920 features a 4.5-inch screen with a high pixel density (332ppi). The LG nexus 4 features a larger 4.7-inch screen with a slightly smaller pixel density level (318ppi), but when you consider that larger screen, the difference is almost unnoticeable.
Nokia Lumia 920 specs
General
2G Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network: LTE 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600
LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 1700 / 2100 - Nokia Lumia 920 for AT&T
SIM: Micro-SIM
Body
Dimensions: 130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm, 99 cc (5.13 x 2.79 x 0.42 in)
Weight: 185 g (6.53 oz)
Display
Type: IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size: 768 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 inches (~332 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch: Yes
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 2
- PureMotion HD+ display
Sound
Loudspeaker: Yes
3.5mm jack: Yes
Memory
Card slot: No
Internal: 32 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
Data
GPRS: Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE: Up to 236.8 kbps
Speed: HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL
WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth: Yes, v3.1 with A2DP, EDR
NFC: Yes
USB: Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support
Camera
Primary: 8.7 MP (8 MP effective, 3264 x 2448 pixels), Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash
Features: PureView technology, geo-tagging, touch focus,
Video: Yes, 1080p@30fps
Secondary: Yes, 1.3MP
Features
OS: Microsoft Windows Phone 8
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon
CPU: Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait
GPU: Adreno 225
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Messaging: SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser: HTML5
Radio: No
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Java: No
Colors: Black, Gray, Red, Yellow, White
Battery
Standard battery, Li-Ion 2000 mAh (BP-4GW)
Stand-by: Up to 400 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G)
Talk time: Up to 17 h (2G) / Up to 10 h (3G)
Music play: Up to 67 h