New Delhi: Nokia, along with Microsoft, is all set to unveil its much-awaited smartphones - Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 - on Wednesday, in what may be its last major shot at winning back a market lost to Apple, Samsung and Google.
If reports are to be believed, Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 will feature wireless charging. "Nokia Lumia 920 wireless charging support will be provided via an inductive method — lining the device up to the contacts on a charging pad, adding "it will support the Qi wireless power standard — making it compatible with other wireless charging products," said the Verge, a tech blog, in its report.
According to various reports, Nokia's Lumia 920 will have 32GB of device storage, 1GB of RAM, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and a 4.5-inch HD display.
But besides these confirmed features, there is one rumoured aspect of the Lumia 920 - a PureView camera. The Verge confirmed the same saying the Lumia 920 "will indeed brand its Lumia 920 camera as PureView, but that the camera will be an 8-megapixel one — not the 41-megapixel one found on the company's 808 PureView handset." The phone will also have a 1.3-megapixel front camera.
Nokia that once dominated the cellphone market will showcase the device in New York on Wednesday morning and demo it for industry insiders about the same time in Helsinki.
The Lumia 920 and smaller Lumia 820 will run on the latest Windows Phone operating software - Windows Phone 8 - which Microsoft hopes will rival Apple's iOS and Google's Android to become a third mobile platform. Microsoft's new phone software is similar to the Windows 8 desktop and tablet software to be released on October 26, making it easier for developers to write apps for both, and Microsoft hopes this will boost the platform's popularity.
Leaked pictures of the two models show a similar look to Nokia's previous Windows phones, but analysts say these alone will not be enough to turn the corner.
Microsoft and Nokia hope the new Lumia will become a potent weapon in an escalating global mobile industry war.
If the new phones do not appeal to consumers, it could spell the end for loss-making Nokia and deal a serious blow to Microsoft's attempts to regain its footing in the market.
The stakes are high for both Nokia and Microsoft.
The Finnish handset maker has logged more than 3 billion euros ($3.8 billion) in operating losses in the past 18 months, forcing it to cut 10,000 jobs and pursue asset sales. Its share of the global smartphone market has plunged to less than 10 percent from 50 percent during its heyday, before the iPhone was launched in 2007.
Windows phones have only captured 3.7 per cent of the global smartphone market, according to Strategy Analytics. Android phones have 68 per cent, while Apple has 17 per cent.
For Microsoft, successful Lumia sales could convince more handset makers and carriers to support its Windows Phone 8 software, which promises faster performance and a customisable start screen.
Last week Samsung became the first to announce a smartphone running Windows Phone 8, at the IFA trade show in Berlin. But it was not able to provide the model to visitors at the show.
Google's Motorola Mobility intends to show off its latest smartphone on Wednesday, Amazon.com Inc will unwrap new Kindle Fire tablets the day after, and Apple is expected to unveil the latest version of its seminal iPhone on September 12. Samsung Electronics says it will sell its own Windows phone as early as next month.
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