The Nokia Lumia is designed to attract new fans to the Windows Phone ecosystem, and one of its key targets is gamers.
2011 has been the year when smartphone gamers have been able to pick from a wide selection of large-screened devices to make it easier to play games in greater detail in sharp focus. As a Windows Phone, the Nokia Lumia also has greater integration with Microsoft products; Xbox Live support makes it easier for gamers to pick up a game on their console and then their phone, or to check their status remotely when away from their Xbox.
Two of the most popular games so far for the device are Jet Car Stunts and Burn the Rope.
Jet car Stunts comes with 3D graphics, perfectly utilizing the AMOLED screen with 800 x 480 pixels and the ClearBlack technology reducing reflection glare. With a fast 1.4 GHz processor and 512 MB of memory, the device is more than capable of keeping gameplay speedy.
The 3D graphic accelerator is put to good use as well in Jet Car Stunts. With colourful tracks, which increase in difficulty the more your progress riders jump through hoops, leap over divides and ramps using 3D graphics to enhance gameplay and the experience. The handset is held like a steering wheel so users tips and turn to navigate the tracks. To speed up or slow down there are large buttons on the screen that only needs users to move their thumbs while playing. The game is available at the Windows Phone Marketplace for $2.99
Burn The Rope again utilizes the Lumia’s fast processor to incorporate movement of the device into gameplay. The aim of the game is to set fire to a rope and then twist and turn the phone to guide the flame until the rope has burnt away. The flame has to be directed upwards so while it may sound simple the phone needs to be tilted to make sure the flame is heading the right way, or it will burn out. The path of the flame gets faster and more intricate as users pass through the different levels. The game is available from the Marketplace for $2.99.
The speedy processor and screen resolution, along with the 3D capability means the Lumia 800 has a real potential for the gaming market. The new device marks the first delivered in the new partnership between Nokia and Microsoft, suggesting a desire to make a greater splash in the smartphone market. Whereas the App Store and the Android marketplace have made a big splash in encouraging gamers to turn off their console and instead play on their smartphone, Windows Phone has not had a similar appeal. Some critics blame this on a limited number of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace but it could be more to do with a focus on the Xbox as one of the main Microsoft gadgets on the market. The interactivity and integration between the Nokia and the Xbox suggests this is definitely a target market for the Windows Phone. Their existing dominance in the gaming market, and the appeal they already garner amongst gaming fans, suggests Apple and Android may well be looking over their shoulder.
Simon writes on behalf of Best Mobile Contracts, the UK’s leading mobile phone comparison website, where you can find the cheapest mobile phone contracts for the new Nokia Lumia.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nielsen Research. All opinions are 100% mine.
Of course, everyone knows about Nielsen Research, by now. For those who don’t know, Nielsen Research has been around for decades, measuring and reporting on what people watch and buy. Now Nielsen is available for your Nokia smartphone… and you’ll get paid to install it!
Get A $100 Nokia Gift Certificate
Nielsen and Nokia have partnered to build a panel of Smart phone enthusiasts that are using a device on the Symbian platform. What this means is that if you have a Nokia smartphone, you can download the Nielsen application and install it and be a part of a panel of people who help to influence the future of Nokia products. Not only do you get to tell Nokia what you want in a smartphone, but every user that installs the application on their Nokia smart phone will earn a Nokia $100 gift certificate after a year. As a business owner, I know the value of feedback and as a consumer, I provide feedback when I can. I know that smart companies will learn from and use that feedback to help make a better product for me. Everyone wins. I only wish every company rewarded me for my input like I’m seeing happen here.
Sadly, because I don’t have a Nokia phone myself, I’m unable to participate, but if you have a Nokia smartphone, you can participate. In fact, I think you should participate because it’s said to be pretty seamless and unobtrusive. Here’s what they say about how it works:
We use an application to measure the normal activity of your phone. Download the application to your smartphone and use it how you normally do -that’s it! The application is undetectable and will not affect your phone’s performance or battery life.
The only thing I would normally be concerned with is privacy, so I took the time to read through the privacy policy and found that while the application sends back data about when you visit web sites, send emails, etc., it does not store any of the stuff I worry about like the contents of emails and texts, picture massages, etc. That concern dissolved, I’d install this on my phone today, if I could.
I’d love to hear from my readers with Nokia smartphones. Will you be participating in this panel?
Yesterday, I received an invitation in the mail to check out another Nokia virtual event, but there weren’t any clues as to what they had in store. I might have correctly guessed I’d get a better look at their C6 smart phone, but I didn’t have to wait long at all to find out.
The media event was scattered with videos like the one above, showing off their new phones and some of the many features offered. Attractive hardware from Nokia is no surprise, but I didn’t expect to be wowed by the C6 as much as I am.
The Nokia C6
The Nokia C6, which is scheduled to hit the market any time in the next couple months, will be running Symbian OS, S60 5.0 and will come packed with a 5 MP digital camera, media player, FM stereo, access to the Ovi store and Ovi music, full QWERTY keyboard, support for all the major email and IM providers, and Facebook integration. One of the features I’m excited about is the additional camera for video calls. The C6 will look great in either of the available colors, black or white and is will be competitively priced at 220 Euro. I can’t wait to get my hands on one for a full review. See for yourself in the promo video above.
The Nokia C3
Priced at 90 Euro, the C3 is for the smart phone buyer who wants to engage with social media but perhaps not quite as avidly as the C6 owner. While the C3 offers the ability to update your status and connect via Ovi Mail and Ovi chat accounts, it doesn’t offer the full-on array of connectivity the C6 boasts. Still, with quick access to your friends’ updates and a full keyboard, staying in touch will be easy. The C3 is also expected out in the next couple months.
The Nokia E5
Just like we saw with the Nokia E75, the E5 offers a great QWERTY keyboard that looks just as easy to navigate for touch typing and a simple array of buttons on the smart phone’s face for getting things done quickly. More business than social, the E5 provides the access to the same full list of email providers as the C6 and includes additional support for Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus NotesTraveler business emails. The E5 supports all the major chat providers, includes a 5MP digital camera, and displays Facebook updates right in the phone book. It may be business driven, but it looks pretty cool. This guy will set you back 180 Euro but you have until Q3 to save up.
Many states have laws about using your cell phone while driving. Even where the law permits it, using your phone while driving can be dangerous. I have to admit, I talk on the phone while driving a lot. Although I can still drive safely, it’s inconvenient and ties up my free hand. Nokia sent me something that makes it all easier.
About the HF-510
The Nokia Speakerphone HF-510 is a hands free kit for your car that connects via Blue Tooth to your phone. Simple enough, but what makes this different from other hands free kits out there? I’ve seen a ton of them and decent kits start around $50 last time I checked and the HF-510 comes in a little over that mark. The first difference this device has over others is easily noticed the first time you look at it. The large, easily mountable speaker allows for nice clear audio and can be pretty loud if you want, too. Because I didn’t want to mount the speaker for my review, I found myself throwing it in the cup holder in my car. The speaker size is just about a perfect fit for the cup holder, so if you want to share it between cars, you could try that.
The next stand-out feature I found on this device was the OLED display for caller ID. The whole point of a hands free kit is to not be messing with your phone while driving, so it’s nice to have the incoming caller’s number displayed. This is a great feature and shows up nicely. I hate getting stuck on the phone in my car with someone I don’t want to talk to or someone trying to sell me something. If you don’t mount the speaker or use the included visor clip, though, this feature is not as easy to notice without taking your eyes way off the road. So if you need the caller ID, mount the speaker or use the visor clip.
Other Features, Likes, Dislikes
Additionally, the Nokia HF-510 has a ring around the outside that is used to control the volume and sift through the phone book. While it’s kind of cool and probably works fine if you mount it very stable, it otherwise makes the phone book navigation and volume control harder to accomplish with one hand. While I didn’t really use it long enough to notice any battery issues, it boasts up to 30 hours of operation time and 180 hours of stand by time on the included battery. That’s pretty decent, but they provide a car charger for those really long trips.
Conclusions
This hands free kit just worked well. I might have liked it a little smaller for my visor, but it has a nice design and was generally easy to operate. Call quality was as good as being on my phone, itself and it paired up really really easily. For the extra extra mile the HF-510 goes, I expected a slightly higher price than what I’ve seen and that doesn’t hurt one bit. The Nokia HF-510 looks and works great at a good price, leaving little to ask for.
