With the new Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320, Nokia has finally moved Microsoft’s Windows Phone into the next-broad smartphone category: phablets.
Yes, Windows Phone has now moved into the age of high-end phablets, that is tablets with screens so large that they’re too large to simply be considered a smartphone and too small to be considered a full-fledged tablet.
The new high-end Nokia Lumia 1520 features a 6-inch full-HD display that could possibly be seen by space aliens pacing Mercury. Ok, it’s not that big, but its certainly the largest Windows Phone ever made. Internals include a rear-facing 20 Megapixel camera that boasts the same PureView imaging technology that debuted in the Nokia Lumia 920 last year. Its this technology that allows Nokia’s high-end smartphones to capture stable video and decent pictures in really low-lighting situations.
The Nokia Lumia 1520 isn’t just the largest Windows Phone ever made, it’s also the fastest. The device is powered by a 2.2 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. That’s the same processor that many of Android’s current flagship devices run on.
While the device only comes with 16GB of internal storage, users can add more storage using the MicroSD card slot included in the device.
Nokia says that users should expect to get around 10.8 hours of video playback and talk time of 24 hours on a 4G network. Unfortunately, there’s no wireless charging built into the Lumia 1520, however users can add a wireless charging cover to get that functionality if its on their must-haves list.
Nokia says that users should expect the Lumia 1520 to arrive in stores in the United States sometime this quarter on AT&T. The device will cost users $749.99 without a two-year service agreement. At this point how AT&T plans to price the Lumia 1520 remains a mystery.
Someday, your tablet will be a pretty big phone.
Nokia is also debuting a low-cost Windows Phone meant to bolster the company’s low-end portfolio. Dubbed the Nokia Lumia 1320, the device features a slightly last generation processor topped with a 6-inch 720p display wrapped in Gorilla Glass. While its $339 price tag could certainly attract users, Nokia says that the device will launch in Asian markets next year, followed by India and Europe. It appears that Nokia doesn’t have any plans to launch the device in the United States.