Nokia (NOK) has seen limited interest in its early Windows Phones, but not nearly enough to prevent three consecutive quarterly losses that topped $1 billion each. 2012 is a year of transition for Microsoft’s (MSFT) software platforms, however, and Microsoft previewed its next-generation Windows Phone 8 platform back in June. Nokia is Microsoft’s premier Windows Phone partner, and now we finally get to see what the Finnish vendor has in store for its new line of Lumia smartphones. Recent leaks suggest the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 will be among the handsets Nokia unveils today, but who knows what else might be in store? Our live coverage of Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 press conference, which is scheduled to begin at around 10:00 a.m. Eastern, follows below.
UPDATE: Sorry, guys — the site crashed midway through our coverage of Nokia’s event due to ridiculous traffic volume. We apologize for the inconvenience and recommend you check out our hands-on post with the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820.
10:38AM:We’re trying to bring the web into the story as well. Windows Phone 8 is very personal, and here’s a look at Internet Explorer… in settings you can choose what button you want on the UI
10:35AM:Top of phone is the people he likes, apps he likes, and now the other stuff he likes.
10:34AM:He’s grabbing a CNN app and getting the tile to pin to the home screen. He’s resized it and made it extra large so he can see the top headlines.
10:33AM:There are over 100,000 Windows Phone apps, and a lot of the announced made in June related to core technology. The app platform becomes easier.
10:32AM:The people hub aggregates everything together, including texts, Facebook posts and messages.
10:31AM:He’s on to the People hub now
10:30AM:New start screen experience with new tiles and the ability to customize it so it “suits me.”
10:29AM:We’re intending for Windows Phone 8 to delivery the most personal experience that anyone can get on a smartphone.
10:29AM:I’m going to spend 15 minutes talking about Windows Phone 8 and the Lumia 920
10:28AM:Joe Belfiore is coming on stage from Microsoft.
10:28AM:Now, let’s talk about Windows Phone 8
10:26AM:Virgin Atlantic and The Coffee Beanery are partnering to start offering wireless charging.
10:26AM:Nokia’s using the Qi standard for charging so many other charging pads will work.
10:25AM:Wireless charging so you don’t ever have to plug your phone in…
10:24AM:Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, which provides up to 30 percent more battery than quad-core alternatives.
10:24AM:A nice 2,000mAh battery is built in…
10:24AM:The display detects sunlight and adjusts the levels on the display automatically with smart polarizers and brightness.
10:23AM:“When you scroll through a webpage the text is super sharp.”
10:22AM:Pure Motion is the best smartphone display innovation from Nokia. It’s better than HD resolution. It has a fast refresh rate and the clarity is so incredible video pops off the screen. 4.5-inch curved glass display.
10:22AM:“We set out to deliver the best viewing experience on any smartphone display. Welcome to Pureview HD+”
10:21AM:I’d write about Nokia’s City Lens but…
10:19AM:Nokia: We have the strongest maps experience.
10:19AM:There’s even a daily commute feature that’s similar to what Google is offering.
10:18AM:We’re bringing together Nokia’s location applications to create an integrated suite of location based services, and we also get offline maps, and voice guided turn by turn directions as well.
10:17AM:Navigation.
10:17AM:The Nokia Lumia 920 has the best smartphone camera for taking pictures and video for everyday use and we wanted to help people find places to use it.
10:16AM:Nokia’s PureView will let the shutter stay open longer, but won’t react to your hand’s shakiness.
10:16AM:She’s explaining shutter speed, and that the shutter has to stay open longer and that exposes it to movements in your hand that cause the blur from low light conditions.
10:15AM:She’s talking about the fact that you can miss a perfect moment to take a photo by messing around with the camera and settings, and that dark and low light situations are also a problem.
10:14AM:1.4 million images taken every day from mobile phones.
10:13AM:The Nokia Lumia 920 captures better images and video than any competitor smartphone.
10:13AM:We’ve built in wireless charging to squeeze more out of your day.
10:12AM:Wireless charging, the latest PureView camera for taking the best photos.
10:12AM:“This is the most innovative smartphone in the world and here is why”
10:11AM:The Nokia Lumia 920. White, yellow, red colors, a PureView sensor, Snapdragon S4 processor, and more.
10:11AM:A video is playing with the design of the Lumia and it’s focusing on the camera, and a large battery.
10:10AM:We’re ready to take the next step…
10:10AM:We’re all excited about the next very important step. Jo Harlow is coming on stage to discuss Lumia.
10:09AM:Nokia has changed the way it operates, simplified it’s organization layers and is going through a “remarkable transition”
10:08AM:Nokia’s Location Platform is a big part of the Windows Phone 8 experience and is “deeply” embedded.
10:08AM:One such place is in the camera space, and locational space which he’s talking about. Today, four out of five car navigation systems use Nokia platforms.
10:07AM:Across all our strategies, we said Nokia would differentiate. We said we could create a distinctive Nokia experience.
10:07AM:Today, we’re looking at ways to challenge the shortcoming of the mobile experiences of today.
10:06AM:Smartphone experience are happening on Asha today, and there’s more innovation in these space to come.
10:06AM:Since those devices use a proxy for web browsing, it compresses and saves money on data.
10:05AM:Now Elop is talking about the Asha line, Nokia has launched 10 of these devices for emerging markets.
10:04AM:Nokia’s Lumia 800 — the “first real Windows Phone” — and the Lumia 900 are responsible for Microsoft’s mobile market share growth and for developer interest according to Elop.
10:02AM:Nokia wants to offer users an alternative the standard grid of apps, etc. The answer, they determined, was Windows Phone.
10:01AM:Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO has just taken the stage.
9:56AM:They just announced that the show will start in a few minutes.
9:53AM:Ok, it looks like they’re finally starting to push people towards their seats. Free food and bloggers are a dangerous combination.
9:48AM:Not that there is any great mystery surrounding Nokia’s incoming Windows Phone 8 flagship handset, but it’ll probably look something like this:
9:40AM:Welcome to our live coverage of Nokia’s Lumia launch event! People are still making their way inside the venue and we’re probably at least 15-20 from getting started.
