Windows Phones are slowly but steadily picking up the pace of the market. Agreed, nobody’s betting on the Windows Phone OS as yet. People are still getting hang of what Windows phones really offer.
We haven’t titled this piece Top 5 because they are hardly any Windows Phones to choose from. But even in that case you might want to know what kind of phones this OS, which rivals straight off with Android and iOS has on offer, won’t you?
Ok, lets cut to the chase. Here are our pick of Windows phones:
Nokia Lumia 800: Undoubtedly, the big daddy of all Windows Phones. It is not only the most popular Windows Phone out there; it is undoubtedly the most popular and most exciting Windows Phone out there. It is created for reviving Nokia’s sagging fortunes and bringing Windows Phone OS on offer.
It has exciting specs on offer, which include a 3.7-inch ClearBlack display, an 8-megapixel camera, a 1.4 GHz processor and a 1450 mAh battery. But, the star of the handset is undoubtedly the Windows Phone OS 7.5 – Mango OS, which has the much-advertized totally revamped UI.
Aside from a deluge of Windows apps, Nokia has its own local scout functionality that comes into play with Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and 3G. But, it has just 16 GB memory on board.
We recently reviewed the Lumia 800 and it did turn out to be good. It recently got a price cut and is now available at Rs. 23,790.
Samsung Omnia W: Besides Nokia, Samsung is also one of Microsoft’s premium partners in the Windows OS. Samsung has a large range of phones out there and has bet on not two but three OS to woo the consumer – Bada, Android and Windows.
Its Windows offering, the Omnia W was the first commercial Windows phone India had a look at.
It has a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, a 1.4-GHz processor and a 1500 mAh battery. It too has Windows 7.5 – Mango OS on board. Just 8 GB memory on board is a tad bit disappointing though. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G. It is currently priced around at Rs. 15,200, which sounds like a good price tag.
Read our full review of the Omnia W for more details.
HTC Radar: HTC has also stepped up its and offered a Windows Phone for India, which is akin to its global offering – the HTC Titan.
HTC Radar: HTC has also stepped up its and offered a Windows Phone for India, which is akin to its global offering – the HTC Titan.
The Radar comes with a 3.8-inch S-LCD touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, a 1 GHz processor and 1520 mAh battery. It comes loaded with Windows 7.5-Mango OS and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G as connectivity options. As is the trend with Windows phones, it offers only 8 GB storage.
It is priced around Rs. 24,000.
Nokia Lumia 710
: The younger sibling of the Nokia Lumia 800 is also a phone worth noticing. Besides Windows Phone 7.5 – Mango OS, it offers a 3.7-inch ClearBlack display, 8 GB storage, Wi-Fi and 3G along with a 5-megapixel camera, a 1.4-GHz processor and a 1300 mAh battery.It is priced around 15,000 and we daresay it seems more value for money than the Lumia 800. We’ll be posting a review soon.
Dell Venue Pro – Dell Venue Pro is a less known but worth noticing touch and type Windows smartphone. Unlike other Windows Phones, it also has a 32 GB MicroSD slot besides a slide out QWERTY keyboard.
It has a bigger and better display at 4.1-inches with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G as connectivity options. A 5-megapixel camera, 1 GHz processor and a 1400 mAh battery. The only downside is it comes with Windows 7 OS and not 7.5. It is priced around Rs. 15,000.