Nokia Lumia 800

The Nokia Lumia 800 is, according to CEO Stephen Elop, “the first real Windows Phone”. Other models, made by HTC and Samsung, have been decent enough, but they don’t offer the solidity of the new Lumia 800.

Although the seamless polycarbonate shell and the solidity of the device are impressive, in fact it’s the Windows Phone software that really shines. Teamed with Nokia’s excellent design and camera heritage, there’s a lot to like, whether it’s the Office integration, gaming with Xbox live or simply social network integration.

The 3.7” screen offers Super AMOLED resolution, and Windows Phone’s living tiles really do look impressive; showing you the weather, a boarding pass or a friend’s photograph, the display hardware here is as good as this software needs. And the phone’s tactile, matte finish means the Lumia is not like the bar of soap that many other phones often seem to be modelled on. It’s also pleasingly weighted, at 142g.

Unique apps on the Lumia are limited; Nokia Drive offers a decent satnav alternative, but so do iOS apps and so does Google Maps on any Android phone. A Music app provides pre-arranged playlists, for people who would like a radio substitute. Elsewhere, of course, other Windows Phone apps can be downloaded from the main Microsoft Marketplace.

There’s no front camera on the Lumia 800, which will be a pity when Microsoft roles out Skype, but it does mean the all-screen design, hardly evolved from the N9, looks lovely. There’s a single-core 1.4GHz processor inside the Lumia 800 and 16GB of internal storage, and an 8mp camera on the back. With 512MB of RAM, the phone performs perfectly well enough

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Nokia's Lumia 800 is the first device to do justice to Windows Phone