Lumia 920

[Majic 7]

Got mine on Black Friday. Didn't even know about the BF deal until after I bought it. Saw this thread and checked my bill. $39.99, I can live with that, considering how much the HD7 cost me 2 years ago. So far pretty happy with it.

 

[zod96]

I am torn between the 920 and the 8X. Every review I have seen says overall the 920 is better but with one big flaw. Its twice as heavy as the 8x or any of cell phone for that matter. They say its like holding a brick in your hand. I can get either one but one thing I do no like is weight on a phone. I went to my local At&t store and they do not have any on demo. Are the 920's really that heavy?

 

[blurredvision]

I am torn between the 920 and the 8X. Every review I have seen says overall the 920 is better but with one big flaw. Its twice as heavy as the 8x or any of cell phone for that matter. They say its like holding a brick in your hand. I can get either one but one thing I do no like is weight on a phone. I went to my local At&t store and they do not have any on demo. Are the 920's really that heavy?

They're not heavy like a brick, just heavy compared to most other cell phones. If you've ever held an iPhone with an Otter Box, it's about like that.

 

[zod96]

OK what about apps for WP8 do they have

1. Pandora
2. Netflix
3. Can you play MKV files

 

[vi edit]

The bigger problem with the 920 isn't so much the weight, but the width in combination with the weight. It's also pretty slick (at least my matte one is). So trying to hold it one handed and using your thumb to flick through menus isn't the most ergonomic thing. The 8X is thinner, lighter and has a rubbery texture to the back that just adds to the ease of weilding it one handed.

If you are coming from a smaller device the 8x is going to be a comfortable fit. The 920 is a big phone.

 

[Majic 7]

I am torn between the 920 and the 8X. Every review I have seen says overall the 920 is better but with one big flaw. Its twice as heavy as the 8x or any of cell phone for that matter. They say its like holding a brick in your hand. I can get either one but one thing I do no like is weight on a phone. I went to my local At&t store and they do not have any on demo. Are the 920's really that heavy?

I really can't tell that much difference between it and the HD7 when comparing them. It does feel weighty in isolation but I think that is due more to the size than anything. Does feel different in a shirt pocket.

 

[vi edit]

OK what about apps for WP8 do they have

1. Pandora
2. Netflix
3. Can you play MKV files

1. No
2. Yes
3. Don't think so...needs to be mp4

 

[lkailburn]

The bigger problem with the 920 isn't so much the weight, but the width in combination with the weight. It's also pretty slick (at least my matte one is). So trying to hold it one handed and using your thumb to flick through menus isn't the most ergonomic thing. The 8X is thinner, lighter and has a rubbery texture to the back that just adds to the ease of weilding it one handed.

If you are coming from a smaller device the 8x is going to be a comfortable fit. The 920 is a big phone.

My analysis aswell with regards to physical

 

[zod96]

Aw dam no Pandora that is the one I really wanted. Is it supposed to come to WP8 or never...

 

[vi edit]

Aw dam no Pandora that is the one I really wanted. Is it supposed to come to WP8 or never...

According to MS...January'ish '13.

 

[zod96]

Are there any other apps like Pandora on WP8?

 

[vi edit]

If you get a Nokia phone you gain access to their "Nokia Music" app which is better than pandora in some ways, not as good in others. You can create custom stations but only up to three artists for styles and you can't "like" a track or ban it. So that's a downside.

Upshot is that you can offline cache 4 stations without burning data/battery life. That's nice for us on limited data plans/connectivity options.

Slacker is an alternative to Pandora, but I am not happy at all with it's build in the WP8 environment. It needs some major overhaul.

 

[Deeko]

Are there any other apps like Pandora on WP8?

Nokia Music, Slacker, Last.FM, and the built in Xbox Music. I've had a Zune Pass for years so I've always used the built in music system with SmartDJ mixes - its awesome, well worth the subscription rate in my opinion.

Regarding the 920 vs the 8x, I have both right now to try to figure out which I like better. As vi edit said, the size and feel of the 8x are spectacular - it really feels great in the hand, and one handed operation is a lot easier on the 8x. Also, the beats audio amp isn't a gimmick - it really does sound better through headphones.

That said, everything else about the 920 is superior. The camera is better, it has twice the storage space, the screen has deeper blacks and looks better (IMO anyway, this one is subjective), and it has the Nokia apps, which are quite good. What it comes down to is if you can handle the width of the 920 - not the weight, its really just a matter of being comfortable holding it - you should get it. Otherwise, the 8x is still a great device.

 

[dagamer34]

If the price of the Lumia 920 and 16GB HTC 8X were reversed, then it might be an honest discussion, but when you can find the Lumia 920 for $49.99 or free on contract whereas the 16GB 8X is still $199.99, it's simply no contest. You get a better camera, more storage, 15:9 aspect ratio (no black bars on older apps), wireless charging, free wireless charging plate, and access to exclusive Nokia Windows Phone apps and to top it all off, it's significantly cheaper too and the only thing you have to worry about is it weighing 50 grams more than your average smartphone.

If you are basing your decision on value, the 920 wins by a landslide.

 

[Deeko]

The 920 certainly has better features, there's really no questioning that. However, a lot of people (myself included) don't like big phones, and the 920 is massive in all dimensions. The price certainly sways the discussion, but that aside, for some, the size/build of the HTC could outweigh the features.

 

[rockyct]

According to MS...January'ish '13.

That sounds about right, but the cool thing is that it comes with a year of the ad-free service:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3571916/microsoft-pandora-windows-phone-8-announced

 

[slugg]

Actually buying the phone outright is damn near impossible! Why does AT&T advertise a no-commitment price, but then not a single store will sell it to you? When trying to buy the phone, each store had its own set of excuses. One said a phone had to be 6 months old before you could buy it outright. Another said 90 days. Another said you can buy it without a contract as long as you already had a contract (wtf?). Another almost let me buy it, but then they wouldn't give me the charging plate.

I called AT&T and they assured me that I was able to buy the phone outright and still get the plate, even though I don't have an account with them. So I gave up looking locally, tried to order over the phone, but then there was another set of excuses. I called 3 times and the excuses were: you need an account with AT&T, you need to sign a contract to get the phone, or you need to order a plan and cancel it within 14 days without ever activating the line. So it was a massive pain in the ass AND I'd have a credit inquiry just to buy a $450 phone outright. Ridiculous!

In the end, I got my friend with an AT&T account to order one for me. That was way too hard. I don't understand why a company would avertise one thing and not actually offer it.

 

[Deeko]

Yea it sounds like they were just making up excuses. Supposedly the phone is in short supply, so they were probably just coming up with reasons to save inventory for contract customers...annoying.

 

[dagamer34]

Yea it sounds like they were just making up excuses. Supposedly the phone is in short supply, so they were probably just coming up with reasons to save inventory for contract customers...annoying.

Ditto. Short supply is making employees act like idiots. Luckily I got mine without an employee putting me through that crap. Next time though, order straight from Amazon.

 

[blurredvision]

It doesn't do them much good to do a one-off sale. If they have just a couple of phones in stock, they'd rather wait for somebody to sign a contract so they can make $2000 off the phone over 2 years instead of just making $100 off somebody that day.

Sucks for the consumer, makes absolute sense for the company.

 

[slugg]

It doesn't do them much good to do a one-off sale. If they have just a couple of phones in stock, they'd rather wait for somebody to sign a contract so they can make $2000 off the phone over 2 years instead of just making $100 off somebody that day.

Sucks for the consumer, makes absolute sense for the company.

I understand that. I just feel that it's unethical. It's pretty much bait-and-switch.

 

[Slick5150]

Are there any other apps like Pandora on WP8?

You can use Pandora on WP7/8. There are several really good apps that work w/ Pandora, the best (IMO) being Metroradio. Logs you into your Pandora acct, has a nice interface, etc...

That said, the official Pandora app is supposed to drop in January and does include a year of ad-free listening exclusively for WP8 users.

 

[slugg]

Are there any other apps like Pandora on WP8?

There's the built-in Xbox Music, too. I know you get some level of functionality similar to Pandora for free. The nice thing is that it's totally and beautifully integrated with the rest of the phone. I'm going to go ahead an pay for the premium service, but that's just me. Premium let's you download things directly to your music library, just as if you bought them, as long as you keep your subscription. Totally worth it if you download more than 100 songs a year (I download way more than that). Plus, since it's unlimited, you can delete stuff off the device an just download it again later if space becomes a concern, like going on a vacation and taking hundreds of pics and videos.

So basically, you do get a good alternative to Pandora out of the box, but you should also look into the Xbox Music Pass subscription.

 

[vi edit]

If I could frankenphone the WP8 devices....

Gimme the colors of the 8S
SD Slot of the 8S
Format, body & weight of the 8X
Rear Camera hardware of the 920
Front Camera of the 8X
Video capture & processing of the 920
Image processing of the 8X
Screen tech of the 920
Sound processing of the 8X
Button layout, button material and action of the 920
32 Gig standard storage of the 920
And offer it on Verizon & AT & T
= WIN

The 8X is an incredible phone and probably actually a nicer device to live with on a day to day basis. But it's gimped with 16GB of non-expandable storage and the button layout and "action" is not as nice as the 920. Otherwise the weight difference and overall pockatability and use is much better overall than the 920. I also think that in many situations with adequate lighting the 8X shooting and processing is better for most people.

 

[Jeff7181]

How's battery life on the 920?