New Nokia WP8 phone revealed in patent application
updated 08:26 pm EDT, Thu August 23, 2012
Curved design may accommodate larger battery
Drawings submitted to the US Patent Office appear to reveal the design of a forthcoming Windows Phone 8 handset from Nokia. The drawings, uncovered by liveside.net, show a phone similar in design to Nokia's existing Lumia models, though with some changes that likely signal an improved spec sheet. Observers expect that the model revealed may be the same phone Nokia plans to show off in about two weeks in a joint presentation with Microsoft.
While similar in design to Nokia's Lumia line, this new model appears to bear a curved back end. That curvature could be a means of making space for a larger battery, though that remains unconfirmed.
The handset, believed to be codenamed "Phi," is said to sport a 4.7-inch curved display, unibody polycarbonate design, dual-core CPU, NFC support, and an external SD card slot. It's unknown whether the model will sport the PureView camera technology Nokia executives have previously said will be appearing on future WP8 handsets.
Meanwhile, The Verge reports that Nokia's September event will reveal not only the Phi unit described above, but another WP8 phone. The second phone, codenamed "Arrow," is said to be a mid-range model set to debut on AT&T and T-Mobile. A similar unit will be appearing on Verizon some time after the initial launch.
