Almost a year after Nokia announced that it will align with Microsoft and use the software giant’s Windows Phone platform on its future mobile devices, we see the arrival of the Nokia Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 to Malaysia.
Still a few weeks away from the local launch, Nokia has invited us for a sneak preview of the device. While we finish up our review of the Lumia twins – as we would like to call them – take a look at our hands-on video giving you an overview both the Lumia 710 and Lumia 800.
Nokia is still tight-lipped on a launch date but have mentioned that it will happen after the Chinese New Year holidays. We have a hunch that the launch is going to happen within the first half of February. No word on operator tie-up but Nokia says it is possible.
Pricing for the two devices is a big secret as well at the moment but if Singapore’s pricing – where both devices are already on sale – can be used as an indication, we’re looking at the premium Lumia 800 to be priced around RM1,900 to RM1,700 and the Lumia 710 to be selling for below the RM1,000 mark. Of course these are our estimates at the moment, we’ll have to wait for a few weeks more to know how much the two devices will cost.
So what are our thoughts on Nokia’s first attempts at making Windows Phone devices? In one word – positive. We will go into more detail in our review but it appears that Nokia and Microsoft have the right mix to bring Nokia back as a desirable brand for the masses in Malaysia. At the same time Nokia’s hardware expertise combined with the fresh innovation of Windows Phone give the relatively unknown mobile OS a much needed awareness boost in the country. Definitely worth a look.
Bonus: In the video, we also talk about the possibility of the Nokia Lumia 900 coming to Malaysia as well.
