There Are The Three Features About Nokia Lumia 920

Windows Phone might not offer the sprawling landscape of device choices that Android does, but when Microsoft rebooted the platform with version 8 a few weeks ago, it did so on the back of some very prominent hardware. Samsung's ATIV S offering, unveiled at IFA 2012 in Berlin but since delayed, looks to bring the powerhouse specs of the Galaxy S line -and presumably some of Samsung's massive marketing effort- to Microsoft's platform. The Windows Phone 8X's bright colors, Beats audio, and best-in-class front-facing camera are capturing lots of attention for the Taiwanese-based HTC as well. Even China's Huawei is getting in on the action with its vibrant Ascend W1.

But despite the bulk of Samsung, the clever branding of HTC, and the novelty factor of Huawei, the real star of the Windows Phone show continues to be Microsoft's now-veteran partner, Nokia. That's not just because the two are locked in what the cynical might call a "death embrace," either: while the refocused Nokia is entirely dependent on Microsoft's platform for its survival, it hasn't played the part of a leech. Rather, the relationship has been much more symbiotic, with Nokia adding real value to the Windows Phone platform in the form of custom apps, carefully crafted hardware, and enhanced functionality.

One of the most touted differentiators, in the case of the Nokia Lumia 920, is its camera. Fitted with an optically-stabilized 8.7MP BSI sensor behind a Carl Zeiss ƒ/2.0 lens, Nokia's flagship Windows Phone device features the premium -though controversial- "PureView" branding, despite lacking the more advanced optics of the 41-megapixel 808 PureView. The camera module adds thickness and weight to the device in exchange for delivering what's supposed to be a best-in-class shooting experience on a Windows Phone.

And it delivered. As we mention in our full review of the Lumia 920, the camera is indeed an excellent one, blowing the 8X out of the water in a low-light performance faceoff. It's safe to say the Lumia 920 features the best camera available on a modern Windows Phone.

The problem is, we don't live in a world dominated by Windows Phone– far from it. The Lumia 920 has to contend not just with competition on its own platform, but with the excellent shooters on devices like the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III/Galaxy Note II. Nokia's camera brings a lot of heat to that fight on the hardware side; its low-light performance is excellent, and its optical image stabilization is one-of-a-kind. But it's lacking on the software front in some crucial ways.