- Sep 25, 2004
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Is Anandtech going to be able to review the Lumia Icon? I realize you aren't likely to if they don't send you one, but I'd love to see Anand and Brian (Klug) give us their analyses and impressions.
Isn't it basically a Lumia 1520 with a smaller screen? Same hardware (CPU, GPU, memory, camera, connectivity) otherwise. Doesn't seem worth a full review.
Link to full review of the 1520 done on Anandtech?
Never claimed there was one. It's a niche phone running a niche OS on one carrier, so it's no surprise to me that it's been ignored thus far.
bearxor said:I believe Anand's stance on Windows phone is that they'll take it seriously once Microsoft does.
In other words, don't hold your breath for a 1520 or Icon review. The editorial staff believes they have said everything they need to say about Windows Phone with the Lumia 900 review. They haven't done a single Windows Phone review since then.
They still cover some Windows Phone things. They covered the 8X release, the 920 release, the WP 8 announcement, the Lumia 1020's camera and one of the staff writers did a write up on why the Lumia 521 was the best phone for $100 you can buy.
But none of those qualifies as a "review". There hasn't been a review since April 2012 and I wouldn't expect that to change until after the release of WP8.1 and a new piece of hardware.
Maybe, just MAYBE we'll get a review of the Lumia 1520 once it's upgraded to WP8.1, provided there's no other new piece of hardware readily available.
You said it wasn't worth a review because it was a re-hash of the 1520. That implies the 1520 was already reviewed. It wasn't.
3% of a market measured in billions supported by a world-renowned company that just bought another world-renowned company in order to grow that market share isn't "niche". Windows phones currently hold the #3 spot in the mobile phone world. (To put that 3% in perspective, iOS has only 17% of the market share at this point.)
Releasing hardware isn't proving anything. Let alone hardware that was in development well before Microsoft's acquisition was completed.
Honestly, these days, hardware is 25% of the experience. Microsoft needs to show it in software.
I used to think that WP8.1 would solve everything but I'm really starting to back off that stance the more information gets released. Suffice it to say that Microsoft needs to bring it BIG in April and then they need to keep delivering. One major release and three point upgrades every 18 months isn't proving that they're taking the mobile space seriously.
I think they will get serious about it in 2014, but see no reason to review a device that delivers essentially the same experience that you got in 2012 but bigger.
I agree that Microsoft needs to continue their efforts on all fronts; they caught up hardware-wise but not in a timely manner, and they need to fix that.
However, I don't agree that the Win 8 OS is far behind Android in any sense. And, I disagree that the hardware is only 25% of the experience. Regardless of the truth of that though, I believe people buy hardware over OS. Certainly that's true of PC gearheads that like to have the latest and greatest - and most people understand that flagship devices don't necessarily make the bulk of your sales, but they do help drive sales on all fronts.
A lot of people, including many Win phone users, are basing their opinions on outdated information. I can understand not wanting to cater to what Anandtech might think of as 3% of the reader base, but on the other hand not reviewing Windows phones is helping keep the incorrect beliefs in place.
This brings me to your comment that the Lumia Icon will give essentially the same experience as a Windows phone made in 2012. If you think that you are badly misinformed or one of those people that shouldn't buy a flagship device because its benefits are wasted on you. The processor is much faster, the screen is much higher resolution and better quality, and the OS has been updated since then.
You have proven my point: Anandtech would serve their readers best by educating them, giving them the facts about where Windows phones stand right now.
I don't really know what else to say. I want to say a lot more but why bother? Nothing I say is going to change your opinion on Windows Phone and vice-versa. Windows Phone is probably the single most frustrating topic in the mobile space for me. I honestly believe Microsoft doesn't understand that they have gold here. It is so awesome yet so clumsy at the exact same time. So many great features, but so many missing. It's why I get a little over zealous in Windows Phone threads. I want it to be better. I really, really, really, REALLY do. But until it is, I have to just turn my head in disgust.
I agree that Microsoft needs to continue their efforts on all fronts; they caught up hardware-wise but not in a timely manner, and they need to fix that.
However, I don't agree that the Win 8 OS is far behind Android in any sense. And, I disagree that the hardware is only 25% of the experience. Regardless of the truth of that though, I believe people buy hardware over OS. Certainly that's true of PC gearheads that like to have the latest and greatest - and most people understand that flagship devices don't necessarily make the bulk of your sales, but they do help drive sales on all fronts.
A lot of people, including many Win phone users, are basing their opinions on outdated information. I can understand not wanting to cater to what Anandtech might think of as 3% of the reader base, but on the other hand not reviewing Windows phones is helping keep the incorrect beliefs in place.
This brings me to your comment that the Lumia Icon will give essentially the same experience as a Windows phone made in 2012. If you think that you are badly misinformed or one of those people that shouldn't buy a flagship device because its benefits are wasted on you. The processor is much faster, the screen is much higher resolution and better quality, and the OS has been updated since then.
You have proven my point: Anandtech would serve their readers best by educating them, giving them the facts about where Windows phones stand right now.
It boils down to this over and over because we've been over this in these forums over and over and over. If you want specifics, all you have to do is search for the windows phones threads like "who here uses windows phones" and you'll find them. I've literally written a novel about Windows Phone on these forums.I'm honestly not sure what some people hold against the system so strongly, when asked about it, all that seems to come up is vague reasons of "being behind" and "not as good" but few specifics are generally forthcoming - or the conversation devolves into discussions on niche applications (OBDII reader apps being one of the more memorable.)
Honestly this is not a place where you will get a reasonable review on Windows Phone. Mr. Klug has made it abundantly clear that he personally dislikes it, and will continue to be dismissive of it and Anand's position is not much better. Instead of pushing him to review something he has such a bias against a priori (and likely getting a biased review out) it's better to look for information from other sources.
I'm honestly not sure what some people hold against the system so strongly, when asked about it, all that seems to come up is vague reasons of "being behind" and "not as good" but few specifics are generally forthcoming - or the conversation devolves into discussions on niche applications (OBDII reader apps being one of the more memorable.)
Why? We never got a camera review of the Z1...I would have half expected at least a camera review of the 1020, but that never happened.