Not Just Nokia Lumia Have Windows

5 Impressive Windows Phone Powered Smartphones

Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile OS has gained a lot of mileage in the last couple of weeks, courtesy Nokia unveiling its Lumia 800 smartphone. While the Lumia 800 is an impressive device, That’s not the beginning and the end of mobile phones based on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform. There are a couple of other Windows Phone powered smartphones just out in the market or waiting to get launched, which also deserve attention.

Here we take a look at five such Windows Phone powered smartphones that aren't the Nokia Lumia 800.



1. HTC Radar

So far HTC has impressed with its Windows Phone smartphones. The HTC Radar looks set to join that club with impressive specs and performance. The Radar has a 3.8-in SLCD display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels and a 5MP autofocus camera. The Radar runs on a 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU and offers 8GB of internal memory.

Price: Rs. 23,990

Availability: Available in India right now.

Why You Should Care: The Radar's 3.8-in SLCD display sounds like a very good proposition. The Radar is also DLNA compatible which is a great feature to have if you have multiple DLNA-compatible gadgets in your home.

2. Samsung Omnia W

Currently, the Samsung Omnia W is the only Windows Phone smartphone from the Korean handset manufacturer to get an official release in India. The Omnia W sports a 3.7-in Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels and a 5MP autofocus camera. The Omnia W is powered by a 1.4GHz processor and comes with 8GB of internal storage.

Price: Rs. 19,990

Availability: Available in India right now.

Why You Should Care: The Omnia W's 3.7-in Super AMOLED display hits all the sweet spots in terms of size and display quality. At 1.4GHz, the Omnia W's processor is also one of the most powerful you will find on a phone priced below 20K.

3. Samsung Focus

While the Samsung Focus was released a year back in the U.S. and was never officially released in India, it's surprisingly popular on eBay India. The Focus has a 4-in Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels. It runs on a 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor and an Adreno 200 GPU and has 8GB of internal memory. Imaging is taken care of by a 5MP autofocus camera. While the Focus was originally launched with Windows Phone 7, a 7.5 (Mango) update has been made available for it.

Price: New unlocked models are listed from Rs. 14,800 to Rs. 20,770 on eBay India.

Availability: Not officially launched but available on eBay India

Why You Should Care: At that price, the question is: why shouldn't you? If you look past the fact that the Focus is a year-old phone, you will realize that it represents excellent value for money in terms of specs (4-in AMOLED display, 1GHz processor et.al).

4. HTC Titan
The HTC Titan is certainly a Titan when it comes to specs among Windows Phone smartphones. It sports a massive 4.7-in SLCD display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels and an 8MP autofocus camera. The Titan is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor and an Adreno 205 GPU and has 16GB of internal memory.

Price: Rs. 40,000 (approx. excluding shipping charges) from the U.S.

Availability: No word yet on India launch. Launched in the U.S. in October.

Why You Should Care: If you're a fan of the big numbers, then the HTC Titan will interest you. Everything from its screen size to internal memory to processor speed to battery capacity is the highest among Windows smartphones. Also, there aren't too many 8MP cameras on phones out there.

5. Nokia Lumia 710

With all the hype surrounding the Lumia 800, it's easy to forget that the Nokia Lumia 710 is also about to hit the market. Its specs make it appear to be an ideal candidate for a sub-20K Windows Phone. The Lumia 710 has a 3.7-in display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels and a 5MP autofocus camera. It runs on a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor and an Adreno 205 GPU and has 8GB of internal memory.

Price: Expect it be around Rs. 19,000

Availability: Launched in India but no concrete date on when it will hit stores.

Why You Should Care: There is of course the hype surrounding Nokia's first Windows phones, so you probably already do. Nokia understands the mid-range market as well as the best of them, so the Lumia 710 already looks like a good VFM product. It's not miserly in terms of specs either as the 3.7-in display and the 1.4GHz processor proves.