Nokia (NOK) announced on Wednesday it’s adding another Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia device to the family in Q1 2013: the Lumia 620. Unlike the flagship Lumia 920 and mid-range Lumia 820, the Lumia 620 can be considered an entry-level device. The Lumia 620 has a 3.8-inch TFT screen with 800 x 480 resolution, 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card), 1,300mAh battery, five-megapixel rear cam with LED flash, VGA-resolution front cam, NFC and Bluetooth 3.0. With its interchangeable shells, users can mix and match with seven different colors. Nokia will launch the Lumia 620 in Asia first, then Europe and the Middle East for $249 without any subsidies. Nokia’s press release follow below.
Nokia introduces new Nokia Lumia 620
Nokia’s third and most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone offers youthful appeal
Espoo, Finland and Paris, France – Nokia today introduced the Nokia Lumia 620, the third and most affordable in its range of Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Alongside the flagship Nokia Lumia 920 and mid-range Nokia Lumia 820, the Nokia Lumia 620 offers a more fun, youthful appeal, and compact design.
The Nokia Lumia 620 uses a new dual-shot color technique to deliver a variety of striking color and texture effects. Dual-shot adds a second layer of colored, transparent or translucent polycarbonate on top of a base layer to produce secondary color blends and depth effects. With seven different exchangeable shells to choose from, people can adapt the look of their Nokia Lumia 620 to their own personal taste and style.
“We continue to execute on our strategy to reach new audiences and new markets,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Nokia Smart Devices. “With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8 software and signature experiences from Nokia, like Nokia lenses, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, the Nokia Lumia 620 is a highly competitive smartphone at this price point.”
Among the features shared with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 are exclusive camera lenses that transform the creative power of the Nokia Lumia 620’s five megapixel main camera and VGA front-facing camera. The Cinemagraph lens adds simple animations to still photographs, while Smart Shoot creates a single, perfect shot from multiple images, even removing unwanted objects from the picture.
The Nokia Lumia 620 also provides access to the world’s best maps and location experience, including Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and the exclusive Nokia City Lens. Nokia City Lens displays information about local surroundings overlaid onto buildings as seen through the camera viewfinder.
Making it easy to discover and enjoy new music, Nokia Music provides free streaming of ad-free tracks without registration or subscription and the ability to download playlists for listening offline.
With NFC support, the Nokia Lumia 620 can easily pair with NFC-enabled accessories like the JBL PlayUp Portable Speaker for Nokia. Open and secure NFC-connectivity makes it possible to share and receive content by tapping with compatible devices, or make secure payments using the Wallet application in Windows Phone 8.
Powered by Windows Phone 8, the Nokia Lumia 620 delivers a more personal smartphone experience. Adjustable Live Tiles update direct to the Start Screen. People Hub pulls together contact information from multiple address books and social networks into a single location, making it easy to stay in touch with friends and set up contact Groups and private Rooms for sharing. From the Me Tile people can check in to their location, post an update, set chat status, see what’s new and monitor notifications across Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Windows Phone 8 also includes Xbox Live, Microsoft Office, 7GB of online SkyDrive storage and faster, safer surfing with Internet Explorer 10.
These features and capabilities are enabled by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon(TM) S4 Plus processors.
“People can do more of the things they love when they choose a mobile device that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president of Qualcomm Europe. “The Snapdragon S4 Plus processor is the heart of the Nokia Lumia 620, making it possible to multi-task, stream in HD and share content at super-fast speeds.”
The Nokia Lumia 620 will be available in a range of colors* including, lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black. Estimated at USD 249, excluding taxes and subsidies, the Nokia Lumia 620 will begin selling in January 2013 in Asia, followed closely by Europe and the Middle East before expanding further.
* Availability of colored shells may vary by country.
