T-Mobile US Nokia Lumia 925

First impressions of the T-Mobile US Nokia Lumia 925 (Gallery)

T-Mobile flagships: Nokia Lumia 925 and HTC One

This anniversary we saw the availability to acquirement and pre-order two new Nokia Lumia devices, the 925 on T-Mobile and the 1020 on AT&T. Given that I already own a Nokia 808 PureView, no best accept an AT&T account, and am a 10-year+ T-Mobile chump I went to a bounded T-Mobile abundance in New York and absolved out with a new Nokia Lumia 925.

Initial accouterments thoughts

I accept alone spent a day with the 925 so far and will absorb abundant added time with it as I assignment on a abounding analysis to column in a anniversary or two. I captivated the 925 at CTIA for a few annual and now that I accept my own in duke I am actual afflicted with the hardware. I would put it on the aforementioned aerial akin as the absurd HTC One, in agreement of accouterments design.

Like the HTC One, the in-hand feel is awesome. I like the metal anatomy with bendable white artificial back. Windows Phones accept consistently tended to accept rather low accouterments buttons that can be boxy to press, but Nokia anchored that with concrete buttons that are accessible to press.

The microSIM, microUSB, and headphone jack are all begin at the top while the basal and larboard ancillary are empty. The camera, power, and aggregate buttons are all on the appropriate side. The camera sticks out a bit on the back, but I don't see that as an affair back there is a bit of an bend aloft the camera lens cover.

The affectation looks abundant and I was able to analysis it in absolute 95+ amount sunlight in New York to see it was arresting and accessible in that condition. Nokia excels at accouterments and the 925 is one of their best absorbing accessories to date.

Initial software thoughts

The Lumia 925 launches with the Amber update, which brings some affair I adulation from MeeGo and Symbian. These Amber appearance accommodate an consistently present alarm back the awning is off, bifold tap to about-face on, cast to silence, abstracts faculty (helps you administer your abstracts limits),

The Nokia Smart Camera app is glossy and one of the things I can't delay to try more. I do attending advanced to the Pro Camera annual begin on the 1020 as well. There are added Nokia Lumia software elements like camera lenses, the HERE apartment of apps, and more.

There are a few T-Mobile apps loaded out of the box, but bethink with Windows Buzz you can consistently abolish them and not be ashore with them like you are on Android smartphones. I like the My Annual utility, but removed the NameID and T-Mobile TV apps appropriate away. It is additionally abundant to see WiFi Calling accurate on the Lumia 925.

Comparison to 920 and 928

The aftermost Lumia I endemic was the 920 and with the 925 you get bigger accouterments design, IMHO, a camera with an added lens, the Amber update, and a flagship Lumia on T-Mobile. I like the 928 accouterments bigger than the 920 too and while the 928 has a Xenon beam (I didn't see that abundant advantage with it on that device) the 925 has the added lens and Amber update.

The Amber amend is advancing to the 920 and 928 so all three are abundant choices on your adopted carrier. I alone acquisition the Lumia 925 accouterments to be the best of these three, with the barring of the 16GB centralized storage.

Can the Lumia 925 be my primary device?

I accept acquaint Tweets afresh advertence that a WP8 accessory couldn't be my primary device, mostly due to abridgement of connectivity with accessories like the Jawbone UP and Pebble. However, these are not absolutely aliment so I took my HTC One and iPhone 5 and compared all the apps and casework I use on them to what I accept installed on the Lumia 925.

While I do lose a exceptional Google acquaintance (Gmail, Hangouts, Google+) with the 925, the alone app I use frequently that I anticipate I will absolutely absence is the USAA coffer app. USAA was one of the aboriginal to abutment Windows Phone, but has back alone abutment so I can no best booty photos of checks and drop them. I can analysis my annual and do best things through Internet Explorer so analysis deposits will aloof accept to delay for my iPad.

The HTC One does action some abundant conveniences that are not on the Lumia 925, including an IR for alien control, adeptness to hire and watch movies, adeptness to adapt videos to share, and analysis out brawl amateur with MLB At Bat.

I biking absolutely a bit on Alaska Airlines and use my buzz to present my boarding pass. The Alaska Airlines association were quick to acknowledge to my Tweets that their adaptable website supports all the app functionality so I activated it out on a acknowledgment flight bygone and that aperture is now acquainted too.

Email, calendar, amusing arrangement apps, photo apps, utilities, and alike amateur that I use frequently are all accessible for the 925 so it looks like the 925 can be my primary accessory if I accord up Pebble connectivity. There is a rumor that an amend from Nokia will accredit Bluetooth LE abutment so I could possibly afresh affix my Pebble and Fitbit One and afresh be acceptable to go. I plan to accumulate my SIM in the 925 alone and see how it goes with Windows Phone.

Why didn't I accomplish the jump to the 1020?

I adulation what I see in the Nokia Lumia 1020, but candidly I rarely alike use my 808 PureView and am not abundant of a photo enthusiast to pay the exceptional amount and add an AT&T annual afresh ($85/month for a account I rarely acclimated before). I accept been annoyed with the HTC One so with the 925 alms added megapixels I am abiding it will serve me aloof fine.

If the 1020 had launched on T-Mobile I acceptable would accept purchased it. However, the 925 accouterments absolutely is appealing amazing and the antecedent amount of $50 is boxy to beat. BTW, I active up for the new T-Mobile JUMP! plan to see for myself if it is account accepting back I advancement my phones absolutely often. Given that it is alone a brace dollars added than allowance it additionally gives me accord of mind.

To be evaluated

I took a few photos and as I abundant in an beforehand column the Lumia 925 Nokia Smart Camera app is actual capable. So far I absolutely acquisition it a bit added automatic than the HTC One software that requires you to aboriginal abduction a Zoe and afresh go into the editor to add the effects. However, it doesn't attending to accept as abounding alteration options either. I plan to absorb a lot added time comparing these two flagship camera phones that are accessible to T-Mobile barter so break acquainted for added on the camera.

I am actual aghast in the 16GB centralized accumulator strategy, although I do accept that a antecedent amount of $50 is acutely attractive. My primary affair is capturing my daughter's basketball amateur and it may do abundant for one bold afore I upload the videos, but it won't be able to handle a tourney with assorted games.