Rumour has it that Nokia is looking to launch a much lighter and sleeker flagship Windows Phone to succeed the current Lumia 920, codenamed the Nokia ‘Catwalk’.
The Finnish manufacturer is said to be moving away from the tough yet light polycarbonate material it has favoured since the Lumia 800 and making a device with lightweight aluminium.
A source familiar with Nokia’s plans has let slip to The Verge that Nokia has plans to launch a new range of Lumia products with Windows Phone this year, and at least one of them will be made out of aluminium – most likely the flagship model that will replace the Lumia 920.
While Nokia’s current flagship has received rave reviews for its speed, incredible camera and impressive screen, almost every reviewer has begrudged the phones heft. At 185g it’s in the same territory as the much larger Galaxy Note II, and is considerably heavier than rival phones from HTC and Samsung which have similar dimensions.
While polycarbonate is tough, lightweight and can be made in all the vibrant colours under the sun – see the Lumia 620 range – aluminium should mean a lighter and thinner flagship Lumia smartphone coming later this year. That phone is codenamed ‘Catwalk’ according to sources.
Further to the Catwalk, Nokia is said to be plotting another two devices to launch later in the year, although we don’t have any clues as to when that will be. We suspect that these devices will represent mid-range and entry level replacements to the current Lumia 820 and 620 or 710.
We’re hoping that Nokia can maintain its excellent camera and screen technology but bring the next Lumia down in weight and thickness to something rivalling the iPhone 5. What do you want from the next Lumia?