Nokia Lumia 928 Specs Prices Pros & Cons Unveiled

Design and Build Quality

The Nokia Lumia 928 offers a distinctive design that incorporates a minimalist and sleek aesthetic typical of Nokia's Lumia series at the time of its release. The device measures 133 x 68.9 x 10.1 mm and weighs around 162 g, making it relatively easy to handle despite its robust construction. Available in classic black and white colors, the Lumia 928 features a polycarbonate body that not only contributes to a premium feel but also adds to its durability. Its Micro-SIM slot reflects the norms of its time, ensuring compatibility with various network technologies.

Display

The device sports a 4.5-inch AMOLED display, notable for its vibrant color reproduction and deep blacks. The display has a resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels, yielding a pixel density of approximately 332 pixels per inch, which was quite impressive in its era. Additionally, the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2, which provides a level of protection against scratches and minor impacts, enhancing the device's longevity.

Camera Features

The Nokia Lumia 928 is equipped with a robust 8 MP rear camera, enhanced by Carl Zeiss optics. This camera supports autofocus and optical image stabilization (OIS), ensuring crisp and clear photos even in fast-moving situations. The inclusion of a xenon flash makes it suitable for low-light photography, a feature often absent in contemporary smartphones. Video recording capabilities extend to 1080p at 30fps, with stereo sound, for quality video capture. The front-facing camera, albeit basic at 1.3 MP, supports 720p recording, sufficient for video calls and basic selfies.

Performance and Hardware

Powering the Lumia 928 is the Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus chipset, featuring a dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU, and an Adreno 225 GPU. While seemingly modest by today's standards, this configuration provided a smooth experience in handling the Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS, later upgradable to 8.1. The 1GB RAM paired with 32GB internal storage, although non-expandable, was appropriate for the device’s performance needs at launch, catering well to the application ecosystem available at that time.

Operating System and Software

The Lumia 928 runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8, showcasing the tile-based user interface characteristic of Windows Phone OS. This system, upgradable to version 8.1, was known for its fluid performance, user-friendly operation, and integration with Microsoft services like Office and Xbox. Despite the lesser app variety compared to iOS and Android, the available apps were optimized for performance and utility.

Battery Life

Featuring a 2000 mAh Li-Ion battery, the Lumia 928 facilitated adequate power management, supporting up to 11 hours and 40 minutes of talk time on 2G networks, and up to 16 hours and 20 minutes on 3G. Its standby time was also substantial, ranging up to 606 hours on 2G and 541 hours on 3G. Additionally, music lovers could enjoy up to 80 hours of audio playback. The inclusion of wireless charging capability via Qi standard represents a forward-thinking aspect of its design, simplifying the charging process.

Connectivity Options

The Lumia 928 is equipped with comprehensive connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n with dual-band support and DLNA for media sharing. Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX support (after WP8 Denim update) enhances audio streaming quality. It supports a wide array of network bands, including GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, and LTE, with specific 4G band compatibility for Verizon’s network in the United States. The device also supports GPS with GLONASS for accurate location tracking.

Audio and Multimedia

With a focus on audio quality, the Lumia 928 delivers excellent sound through its loudspeaker and standard 3.5mm audio jack, catering to audiophiles with its high-quality output. The device lacks a built-in radio, but compensates with its capacity to stream media from various sources via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Sensors and Additional Features

The smartphone comes equipped with several sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and compass, enhancing its capability to offer a broad range of interactive apps and features. Despite the absence of an expandable memory slot, the internal storage with 32GB is substantial enough for daily use, storing apps, multimedia, and other data efficiently.

Market Position and Legacy

Upon its release in 2013, the Nokia Lumia 928 positioned itself as a flagship offering from Nokia, embodying the potential of the Windows Phone platform. Despite being discontinued, the Lumia 928 left a lasting impression due to its solid design, quality camera features, and integration of wireless charging — an innovation at its time. With a launch price of about 380 EUR, it presented a compelling alternative in the mid-to-high-end smartphone market segment.

Conclusion

The Nokia Lumia 928 remains a noteworthy device in the history of smartphones. Its design, performance, and feature set reflect Nokia's commitment to quality and innovation. While the Windows Phone platform didn't achieve the same level of success as its competitors, devices like the Lumia 928 demonstrate what could have been a strong contender were it not for the app ecosystem’s limitations. Today, it stands as an example of thoughtful design and foresight in mobile technology, remembered fondly by those who experienced its capabilities.