Nokia are continuing their trend of release modified versions of their big Windows Phone 8 handsets today by announcing the new Nokia Lumia Icon that will be going on sale exclusively with the US carrier Verizon.
The handset itself is basically a slightly altered Nokia Lumia 1520, but with a smaller screen as the handset forgoes the massive 6-inch screen and goes for a slightly more pocket friendly 5-inches. The screen is a Gorilla Glass 3 enforced 1080p ClearBlack display and the phone runs on a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and also boasts a 20 megapixel PureView rear camera and a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. The Icon will also come with Nokia’s now common Qi wireless charging as well as NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
To accommodate the smaller size the Lumia Icon has a slightly smaller battery size than the Lumia 1520, with a 2,420mAh battery attached. Nokia hasn’t said exactly how long the battery is expected to last but users should see a full day from a single charge at the very least.
Looks-wise the phone sports squared edges and flat aluminium sides with a curved back fashioned out of matte polycarbonate, which looks more like the Lumia 925 with its rounded metal sides than the 1520.
The handset will be released exclusively in the US to users on the Verizon network and can be picked up from February 20th for $200 on a two-year contract. Alternatively, to buy the handset SIM-free it’ll cost $550. The Icon itself is unlikely to come to the UK or other networks but we can expect a similar re-shelled and branded smartphone to land at some point as the specifications are quite desirable and this looks to be Nokia’s new direction.