Review: Nokia Lumia 925 for T-Mobile
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The 925 runs Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft. Nokia has not altered the basic Windows Phone experience, (because it cannot,) so the 925 behaves exactly like every other WP8 handset out there.
In WP8, users can set alerts to appear on the lock screen, as well as determine alerts that are given priority over others. Notifications are visible (but cannot be accessed) on the lock screen even when a lock code is used. WP8 also lets users set their own lock screen wallpaper. My personal favorite is Bing image of the day, which means the lock screen wallpaper is different every day.
The WP8 Start screen is formed by customizable Live Tiles. The tiles come in small, medium, and large sizes, and can be placed anywhere on the Start screen and in any configuration you like. The Tiles exist in an unending vertical column. Many Tiles can display active content on them, which helps make the Start screen a bit more dynamic.
A full list of apps installed on the 925 is visible when the Start screen is swiped from the right to the left. This list of apps is displayed alphabetically and cannot be rearranged.
The 925 has a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. It provides more than enough get-up-and-go for the Lumia 925. Performance across the system was excellent. Nothing slowed the 925 down at all.
Calls and Contacts
There are three settings for calls: Wi-Fi preferred, Cellular preferred, and Wi-Fi only. Wi-Fi calling can also be turned off altogether. Whichever you chose, the phone app itself is exactly the same as other WP8 devices. It has a typical list of features, such as hold, mute, speakerphone, merge calls, and send to Bluetooth. The call log is a powerful tool when it comes to adding numbers to your contact list or redialing missed calls. I like that the phone interface is simple and uncluttered.
Microsoft calls Windows Phone's contact app the People Hub. Rather than a simple list of contacts, the Hub is a much more involved space that ties in users' Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter profile data, as well as their email-based contact database. Thanks to the flood of social networking data, the People Hub always makes sure you know what your contacts are up to before you give them a holler.
Messaging
The basic messaging apps on the Lumia 925 are the same as on other Windows Phone devices. WP8 includes support for most email protocols and has a quick set-up guide to help you sync your Outlook Mail, Gmail, work email, or other POP3/IMAP4 email service. The email app itself is clean and does a good job of rendering HTML and plain text emails alike. You can also link multiple email accounts into a single inbox.
The SMS app is also the 925's Facebook and Skype IM app. Windows Phone uses one interface to manage all three messaging types. I've always liked that the messaging services are consolidated in a single spot and don't have me chasing down three or four different apps to find my messages.
Other WP8 messaging tools include Groups and Rooms. These are both subsections of the People Hub. They essentially let you manage, communicate with, share photos with, and coordinate calendars between small groups of people.
Though the People Hub incorporates Facebook and Twitter for basic messaging, you're better off downloading the full Facebook and Twitter apps from the Windows Phone Store for full functionality. They aren't pre-installed.
Hands On with the Nokia Lumia 925 for T-Mobile
Nokia Intros the Metal-Clad Lumia 925 with PureView
Nokia Lumia 925
