Nokia Lumia 925 (Unlocked)

[JohnTW]

I just received an unlocked Nokia Lumia 925 from Expansys-USA.com. They had the grey model in stock and that is what I received. I have a black Wireless Charging Plate on order as well (uue in a week or so).

 

The Lumia 925 is an extremely well built device. It feels dense and slightly hefty (compared to the Samsung Ativ S it is replacing). However, it is feels far lighter than 920 when held in the hand.

• The aluminum band is excellent quality, and looks like it will hold up well after usage.
• The backing is a soft touch polycarbonate that is thin but feels sturdy.
• The AMOLED screen is amazing, and comes with an setting panel that allows tweaking of both colors and contrast. I am leaving it set to the default "Enhanced" colors as opposed to "Native" or "Vivid". Auto brightness works better than any previous device I have owned. The setting to enhance daylight operation seems to really help in direct sunlight.
• The speaker is in the rear but sometimes feels as if sound is coming from under the display. There is an equalizer with various settings and well as the option to apply and save a customized sound. Dolby Headphones is an option that can be turned on/off.
• I am using it on AT&T (4G speeds only, as my work provision SIM is not on an LTE plan). Speeds and signal strength are reported lower than expected. But I have not seen a real world impact.
• Wi-Fi support 5GHz and seems to be very solid in both reporting strength and actual usage.
• The Glance features is very nice and allows the device to display the time (and some minor information like sound profile and low battery indicators) when the screen is locked. It has some options:
  • The time can display only for 15-minutes. Then it will disappear.
  • It knows when it is in your pocket or in a bag and turns off the display completely, yet the time returns when you remove it from you pocket/bag.
  • It can be set to always be on, but could affect battery life. Having an AMOLED screen should keep that from being a big issue.
  • There are settings for night mode. Set a time to be considered "night" and the clock and other text shows pale red instead of pale white. Very cool.
• No software updates were needed when I got the device. Only some app updates from the Windows Store. Nokia software mainly.
• Nokia apps complement the phone and Windows Phone 8 nicely.
• The Nokia Smart Camera app is there and allows everything the 1020 can do, except those fancy manual controls.
• The low light performance blows me away. The 6th lens improves everything about the camera. Outside of the 1020, this is the best camera on the market, along with the 925 which adds a Xeon flash (this has a dual LED).
• 12GB were available of the 16GB onboard storage. After setting up my apps and podcasts, but no local music storage, I was left with 10GB+.
• More to come!

I used the device until the battery died and will let it charge overnight. Thursday 07/25 will be my first full day of usage of the battery. It'll take me a few days to get an idea of true battery life under my usage conditions.

 

What would you like to know?

[Dave]

Excellent write up.  What I really want to know is when will it be on Verizon?!!!

 

How was the range on the 5Ghz? Any better or worse than a laptop?  I suppose it depends on the AP as well.  Get us some screen shots of the new camera controls?

[JohnTW]

I'll try to get some pictures up. I have been taking 1-2 a day, and it is hard to convey how great it is. I take pictures in a completely dark or near dark room, and they look like I have the lights on. And I don't use a flash! I don't get the new camera controls as there is no Pro Camera app available (yet?) and the Smart Camera app is just for Action Shot type post processing.

 

Some photos, all in low light/no light and some screenshots. http://sdrv.ms/12WaZd6

 

• Range of 5GHz WiFi seems better than my Android and iOS devices. However, I only live in an apartment. I am using the latest Airport Extreme base station. I have separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. It is on par with my current Mac mini, better than the Chromebook Pixel.
• AT&T 4G reception is worse on this device than any previous mobile device I have owned. I rarely have 5-bars. My workplace has 3 custom installed AT&T cell towers and it still is weak. Actual performance varies from 2Mbps to 9Mbps. Real world performance is simply OK.
• Everyone loves the look and feel of the device. Coworkers with Lumia 900 and Lumia 920 devices all admire the lightweight, brighter screen, and in hand feel. I really love this device!
• The screen is bright, and easily visible in direct sunlight. I have tweaked the display settings a bit as I wanted a slightly bluer tint.
• Battery is still getting broken in. Some days, I don't make it from 8am-5pm without dying But work issues have had me making more conference call (hours long) than usual. It seems to be getting better with reported 12-16 hours usage now.
• Still waiting on the Wireless Charging Cover as I have found Qi charging is slower, yet those charges seem to last longer.

Apps

• Glance is not so much an app, but a feature. I have it set so whenever I take the phone out of my pocket, I see the time. Flip the phone over, or waving my hand over the device also prompts the time. Whenever charging is active, the time and charge level is displayed as well.
• Rowi is nearly perfect. It has not once lost my timeline position. Saving to Pocket always works.
• Instance is OK. It likes to lose my position when I bounce around within the app.
• Podcast Picker is awesome. Every now and then it "forgets" I marked an episode played/deleted. It'll then redownload it But it is a solid player that I couldn't be on the platform without.
• 6sec is used less and less. Nice to have.
• Pandora is such a beautiful app but I still use Xbox Music (especially now that I have my 1000 top sounds added to the cloud).
• NBC News is the best looking live tile I have, although I haven't received many breaking news alerts. Probably a good thing though.
• Nokia Trailers is behind in updating, from what I hear. But quality is top notch.
• Pouch is the nicest looking app I think I own. Just as good as an official Pocket application.

I continue to buy every app I want to use more than once. Doing anything I can to support the developers. I also email feedback from within the app, and emails with other bugs I find.

 

More to come! Any questions?

[JohnTW]

The official Nokia Wireless Charging Cover arrived today. It adds a bit more bulk to the device than I expected. But it makes the device easier to hold, as it is not as slippery with it on. Wireless (Qi) charging works with LG and Nokia charging plates and docks. Seems to charge at a good speed. I'll need a few days to really test it.

[ProGeek]

I am ready to take the plunge with you.  Every time I attempt to buy a 925 from a T-Mobile store they assure me that the phone will get no better than Edge speeds (not 4G or LTE). 

 

Question: Did you hear the same thing?  How confident are you that the phone is not crippled??