Windows Phone Reviews: Best Windows Phones 2012

November 2012 will see the release of two new Windows 8 handsets: Nokia Lumia 820 and 920. Already on the market is the Nokia Lumia 800, which uses the Windows Phone 7 operating system. Take a look at these Nokia Lumia reviews of the 800, 820 and 920 models for the specifications and features of the latest generation of Windows phones.

The Nokia Lumia 800, released in 2011, was the first smartphone to use the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system. Described as a fun and easy-to-use phone, Nokia Lumia 800 is a success story for the Nokia and Microsoft collaboration.

The Windows Phone 7 interface displays your apps in an attractive grid of tiles, which you can scroll through using the 3.7-inch touchscreen. Buy new Windows apps in the Windows Store to expand the functionality of the Nokia Lumia 800, which comes with the handy navigation app Nokia Drive and a mobile version of the Office suite.

The Nokia Lumia 800 is a good phone for music lovers: the free streaming service MixRadio allows listeners to discover new music, and your favorite tracks are available to buy using the Nokia Music app. The playback quality of Nokia Lumia 800 is fantastic through headphones, although some users have complained that the Lumia 800 external speaker is too quiet.

Nokia Lumia 800 Specifications

Battery Life: 9.5 hours talktime; 335 hours standby

Size: 12.1 x 61.2 x 116.5 mm

Weight: 142 g

Java, HTML5-capable browser

FM radio, GPS, 3G

Wifi & Bluetooth

8 MP camera with flash

The Nokia Lumia 920 release date is November 2012. As the flagship phone of Nokia's range, the Lumia 920 will be the first phone to use the Windows Phone 8 operating system. With a 4.5-inch large multi-touch screen, the phone is a joy to use, according to early pre-release reviews of Lumia 920.

The large screen is particularly useful for making gifs from personal photos and films, which could be set to become to the latest craze thanks to the new Cinematographs app. You no longer have to worry about poor quality in pictures taken on your phone camera, thanks to the new PureView camera featured on the Lumia 920.

Look out for Nokia Lumia 920 hitting the shelves in November 2012.

Due for release at the same time as the Nokia Lumia 920 (November 2012) the 820 is a mid-range Windows 8 phone that offers a number of advantages over other models. The attractive and solid build of the Lumia 820 includes a microSD memory card slot, something which is sadly lacking from the larger 920 model, as well as an 8 MP camera and a 4.3-inch touchscreen that you can even use while wearing gloves.

Remember the golden days of attractive snap-on covers for Nokia phones? They're back! Users will be able to buy backplates for the Lumia 820 in a range of bright colors.

The Lumia 820 processor is a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon. Lumia 820's connectivity options live up to expectations, with 4G, WiFi and Bluetooth on offer. The big attraction, however, is the Windows Phone 8 operating system, which features flawless Skype integration, a helpful automatic backup system, and advanced touchscreen functionality.

The Nokia Lumia 820 release date is November 2012. It offers a cheaper alternative to the Lumia 920 as a Windows Phone 8 device.