Nokia unveiled two new smartphones on September 5 running on Microsoft's Windows software, as the ailing company sought to close the gap on rivals like Apple and Samsung. The new phones, including the flagship device Lumia 920, include several innovative features that are designed to lure customers back to Nokia from phones that operate on Google's Android operating system as well as the iPhone.
"We've taken several steps in the last 18 months and today we're ready to take the next step," said Jo Harlow, Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices, at a New York press conference.
"The Lumia 920 is a smartphone experience so immersive that you'll never want to put it down." The Finnish company has seen its position as the world's top cellphone maker eclipsed in recent years and announced a smartphone partnership with Microsoft in 2011 as part of a corporate restructuring.
The Lumia 920 includes features wireless charging, an enhanced 8 megapixel camera with floating lens technology that captures five to 10 times the amount of light of regular smartphone cameras, built-in navigation from Nokia Maps as well as an augmented reality app that shows the names of business on the camera screen.
The phone has a 4.5-inch curved glass display and dual-core Qualcomm S4 Snapdragon processor. Smartphone companies view the upcoming holiday period as crucial. Samsung unveiled its latest Windows 8 phone last week while Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 5 next week. HTC and Motorola also have launch events planned.