As far as smartphones go the Lumia 900 seems to be stuck between a fully functioning device and reliable “call only” phone trying to grow up. In either case it doesn’t do well when compared to other smartphones from Samsung, HTC, and Apple. The best thing going for it is its relatively cheap price. The Lumia 900 can be had for as little as $99 in the US with monthly plans starting at about $39. The low price might be the one thing that attracts entry-level smartphone buyers to this model.

The Hardware


  • CPU – 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Scorpion
  • GPU – Adreno 205 GPU
  • SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8055
  • Memory – 512 MB RAM
  • Storage – 16 GB internal; no removable storage capacity
  • Battery – 1830mAh Li-ion
  • Connectivity – Bluetooth 2.1; 802.11b/g/n WiFi
The combination of the low RAM and single core processor means the Lumia 900 isn’t going to win any speed and performance races with higher quality phones. And if Microsoft Phone 7.5 degrades the way Windows does, it’s conceivable this phone could get slower and slower as the months roll on.
In terms of networking the Lumia 900 will be compatible in the United States with GSM, HSDPA, and 4G LTE. The international version doesn’t support 4G LTE, substituting instead 3 GHSPA+. This may not be an issue when you read my comments about call quality and reception below.

OS and Software


That leads us to the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. The first version of Microsoft’s mobile phone OS was rife with problems that lead one to question whether or not the Redmond-based company had any business dabbling in smartphones. This second incarnation is said to work much better after Microsoft fixed more than 500 issues from the previous version. I personally don’t think Microsoft Phone 7.5 is still up to par with iOS or Android, but it certainly is better in version 7.5.
One of the things people most love about the operating system is that it is identical to use no matter the phone it’s on. If you can use it on the Lumia 900 you’ll have an identical experience on any other Windows smartphone. For those who hate customization and OS tweaking, this is a good thing.
On the other hand, Windows continues its strict proprietary mindset when it comes to hardware and software requirements. Unlike Android and iOS, there aren’t legions of developers coming up with thousands of apps for windows smartphones. In the case of the Lumia 900, the only non-Microsoft software included are a small handful of apps that come directly from Nokia. If Microsoft truly expects to compete with the big boys they are going to have to put an end to their proprietary mindset. Developers simply cannot afford the licensing fees to develop for Microsoft, so they won’t even try.
http://www.nokiaphones.net/nokia-lumia-900-review/