The Nokia Lumia 800 is the first device from Nokia showcasing the result of the partnership between them and Microsoft. However the phone which had really caught the imagination of smartphone enthusiasts all over the world was the Nokia N9.
Now it is very clear that the Nokia 800 borrows heavily from the design of the N9 but why change something which is obviously gorgeous ? So what has changed between them ? Read on to take a closer look at some of the obvious (and non obvious differences) !
Software
One look at the homescreen and you can see the world of difference between the MeeGo Harmattan OS on the N9 vs Windows Phone 7 on the 800. The WP7 operating system relies on a system of ‘Live Tiles’ which represents app icons both static and dynamic in a form of tiles.
On the other hand MeeGo Harmattan on the Nokia N9 does not include widgets in any form. What you do get are notifications of messages and call notifications on the standby screen and in the events view panel. The Nokia N9 relies on a 3 panel system varying between notifications , apps and multitasking bypassing the concept of a desktop as such. The Nokia 800 on the other hand has a secondary menu with a full listing of apps.
With Windows Phone 7.5 ie Mango, it is now possible to search for apps using the icon on the left which brings up the keyboard. Moving on to the multitasking experience , there is a fundamental difference between the two devices. The N9 lets you open as many apps as you want and displays them in a grid.
The multi tasking UI on the Nokia 800 is on the other hand is quite similar to Symbian^3. Well in looks anyways as WP7 restricts you to 6 apps at a time to ensure the best experience possible without slowing down the OS. Minor differences between the two devices also includes the style of keyboard.
Both keyboards work well and are considered to be amongst the best , most definitely leagues ahead of the one Nokia users generally deal with on Symbian devices. While both the phones sport what is believed to be the same camera module along with Carl Zeiss Optics , the camera software on board is definitely different. You can read more about the camera on our Nokia 800 and Nokia N9 reviews , here you can see the difference in the camera interface between the two phones.
Hardware
Hardware differences between the N9 and the Nokia 800 are few but definitely worth noting. At first glance the two phones are very similar. Dimensions of the two devices are almost identical down to the mm. It is pretty much impossible to differentiate between the two if spotted from the side. However there are a few key differentiating elements in the hardware as well.
The right side of the Nokia 800 sports volume keys along with a power key which acts as a screen lock key as well. An important differentiating factor here is the camera key which is missing on the Nokia N9.
Moving to the back of the phone we can spot the relocated dual LED flash.
It is easy to differentiate between the two devices from the front. The Nokia 800 has a rather large Windows logo present under the display which also acts as the home key.
The display on the Lumia 800 is a bit smaller at 3.7″ than the 3.9″ panel on the Nokia N9. The display loses 4 pixels in comparison to the N9 but is definitely bright and more importantly highly legible in sunlight.
The Nokia N9 is the first and the last MeeGo Harmattan handset. Moreover it marks the end of an era. With a limited release , Nokia has paved the path for the 800 to fill in the void for those lusting after the N9′s design. With a competitive OS , growing ecosystem and great looking hardware , the Nokia 800 marks the beginning of a new era for Nokia , one which we’re looking forward to !
