Titbit: CES Today—Nokia N9 to Run Windows Phone 7

Nokia have announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) today that they are preparing to release the Nokia N9 running Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 (7.5 actually) operating system.

It won’t be called the N9. It will be a Lumia 900.

The following picture shows the actual phone as demonstrated at CES.

It’s a crappy picture because it was taken with another smartphone camera (a Samsung Galaxy, which I would have thought would have taken a better picture than this because it is showing a lot of digital noise—but from the narrative provided they are in a bus so that might have made it more challenging to get a well lit sharp image).

There will be a lot of interest in this phone when it gets formally released. Firstly it is Nokia’s big attempt to re-enter the American mobile phone market so the success of this phone matters a lot to Nokia. Secondly journalists are saying that the success of the Lumia carries the weight of the success of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 operating system on its shoulders.

According to Nokia the Lumia 900 incorporates the best main camera currently available in a smartphone (but they all say that) and the best battery life of a similarly configured phone. Based on reports about the N9 it is also supposed to have one of the best 4.3” AMOLED screen of any phone currently available.

Personally I am more interested in how good the antenna is. For me it needs to work very well as a phone first which is why I currently have a Motorola Defy.

I have been holding off getting a Windows Phone 7 smartphone but, based on what I know about it so far, this could be the phone to try if you are interested in trying out Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 operating system. A lot will depend on how it is priced, and whether they release it in Australia or not.

I will keep an eye out for any test reviews of this phone.