By Claire Reilly
Nokia has announced the launch of its newest smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 925, which the brand is billing as the “flagship” of its range. Sold through both bricks and mortar retailers and the telco channel, the key push behind the device is its imaging capabilities, with Nokia talking up the quality of photos that the 925 produces, especially in low light situations.
At the launch event in Sydney last night, there was plenty of talk from Nokia Australia managing director Steve Lewis about “amazing camera innovations,” the “amazing camera lens innovation” (the device boasts a Carl Zeiss lens), varied shooting models for creative pictures, and advanced image stabilisation for blur-free photos.
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Importantly for retailers, Lewis said Nokia was committed to educating sales staff on the features and benefits of the camera to ensure they were informed and could help consumers understand the technology behind the device’s imaging power.
“I think the camera technology is second to none,” said Lewis. “So a key part for us is educating staff at retail to be able to help show and tell that story for us.
“We have a huge amount of activity from our team. Yesterday they were in Perth, the day before in Melbourne — they’re going around nationally to make sure that when you walk into the store, you have someone who can explain it to you properly, who knows the benefits and they can demonstrate that as well.
“That is very much a big focus for us in Australia — to make sure the features we’re showing you tonight you can also find and enjoy in retail.”
Speaking to Current.com.au, the training staff who were at the event expressed the importance of retailer education in sharing the Nokia message with end consumers, and giving sales staff the tools to explain the technology in their own words, rather than reciting a sales pitch.
For those that are interested in the tech and spec, the 4G-compatible Lumia 925 features a 4.5-inch AMOLED WXGA display (1,280×768), 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory (7GB free cloud storage is also offered with the device through Windows’ SkyDrive service) and the Windows Phone 8 tile-based operating system.
Camera wise, the main camera is 8.7 megapixels with autofocus, LED flash and optical image stabilisation. The camera can record 1080p HD video at 30 frames-per-second and the built-in Nokia Smart Camera photo app allows users to shoot multiple frames in quick succession to choose the best faces for a shot, to remove background objects or to create action shots showing the same person/object at multiple frames in the one image.
Providing a good upsell opportunity for retailers, the device is also compatible with a range of speakers from JBL, which use Qi charging technology to wirelessly charge the smartphone and Bluetooth technology to stream music. The wireless charging is enabled by a slim cover (also sold separately) that snaps onto the back of the 925, providing corner protection and a splash of colour.
The Nokia Lumia 925 is available for RRP $699 at Allphones, Dick Smith, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Network Communications, Fone Zone and Leading Edge. It will be available through Optus and Telstra next week, and Vodafone will also have access to the time-exclusive sale of a 32GB model.
The new Nokia Lumia 925 will be available in white, grey and black.