Nokia Lumia 928 Preview

Nokia today announced that its next Windows Phone 8 handset, the Lumia 928, will ship exclusively on Verizon Wireless on May 16. As expected, the 928 is a Verizon version of the Lumia 920 that works with Verizon’s network. Unexpectedly, it’s really inexpensive, just $99 with a two year contract. Here’s some information about this new phone, plus a promo video and photos.

Note: Nokia is hosting a special event next week to discuss “what’s next” with the Lumia lineup. I had expected the 928 to be part of that announcement. I guess the 928 is “what’s now,” not “what’s next.”

Maybe that makes sense. Except for a few small differences, the Lumia 928 is exactly what it seems like: A Verizon version of the AT&T-based Lumia 920, previously Nokia’s “hero” phone. (Nokia calls the 928 “a new expression of the world's most innovative smartphone”)

Here’s what’s different.

Display. Where the Lumia 920 uses a “PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack” display, the 928 has an OLED ClearBlack display. Both are 4.5 inches and run at WXGA HD (1280 x 768). I had to hunt around to discover what the difference really is, but here’s one: Where the 928 emits 500 nits, the 920 emits 600 nits and this thus possibly brighter. But the 928 screen might be more visible outside.

Microphones. I’m not sure on this one, but Nokia says that the 928 includes “three high-audio-amplitude-capture microphones to make sure you can capture high-end, distortion-free audio even in the noisiest environments.” The microphones can “record sound naturally and distortion-free, up to 140db.”

Radio. The Lumia 928 is designed for the CDMA/4G LTE Verizon Wireless network.

Flash. The928 includes a Xenon flash for still images but uses an LED flash for video. The 920 has an LED flash only.

Style. The 928 comes with a more slab/wedge-like design than the 920.

Colors. Where the Lumia 920 is available in multiple colors—red, white, black, yellow, and cyan—the 928 is only available in black and white.

Otherwise, the 928 and 920 appear to be identical, right down to the battery.

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