I was fortunate to get my hands on a Nokia Lumia 800 which will take over as my primary handset starting today. As it is customary with all our reviews I decided to start by sharing my first impressions with the device.I have been a great fan of Nokia smartphones all through Symbian and was one of the few who were extremely excited when Nokia chose to use Windows Phone from Microsoft instead of Android.
Why Windows Phone you wonder? Well I asked myself the same question. Google has some great services but I use a Windows PC and Microsoft Office for my day to day use. While I did try working on Google Docs and even dabbled with a Chromebook, Windows keeps calling me back.
I even took a step into the 'dark side' know as the iPhone, but the allure of wanting to own other Apple products once I purchased an iPhone quickly made me realize a Windows Phone is the best for me.
I stuck through Nokia as they struggled to compete with iOS and Android and was frustrated as applications which made their way to these platforms somehow took way too long to reach Symbian.
I am not saying Windows Phone has a great selection of apps but it has the important ones and that's good enough for me.
You may not end up with the thinnest device in the Lumia 800 but you surely have amazing workmanship and construction.
The Lumia 800 features a beautiful ClearBlack display embossed into a polycarbonate unibody housing. The display has a curved pillow like design which is easy to touch and scroll through. The power button is placed conveniently on the right side next to the volume rocker and camera key, which I found useful when locking the display.
The device features a microSIM, following the footsteps of the iPhone and some of the modern phones. The SIM slot is released when you pop open the microUSB slot which is also protected. The lack of open ports on the Lumia 800 gives it a feeling of wholeness.
Nokia decided to include a protective cover along with the device which cleverly molds itseld with the device making it almost impossible to see. The ports and buttons are easily accessible through this cover which adds a layer of protection to an already robust smartphone.
The Polycarbonate body protects the housing from scratches while the Corning Gorilla Glass does the same for it's vivid display.
The 8 megapixel camera features Carl Zeiss optics which is another feature which draws users to Nokia. It has a dual LED flash which helps with low light photos, which may not be the best to replace a point and shoot, but useful in an emergency. The camera is also capable of capturing 720p video @ 30 frames-per-seconds.
The Nokia Lumia 800 brings the best from Nokia in the form of a Windows Phone. It's the first born from the Nokia Microsoft partnership and will be remembered for being a huge game changer in the mobile industry.