Yesterday, despite massive live streaming issues, Apple introduced the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, the latest generation of their phones. For the sake of full disclosure, I do own AlliOSNews, a site dedicated to iOS, much like this site is to Windows Phone. But in all honesty, I was absolutely underwhelmed by what I saw yesterday from Apple. If you go purely from a specifications perspective, the new Lumia 830 is on par and in many ways beats the new iPhone 6. Then there is the cost factor. It’s a bit eye watering when you come right down to it.
So let’s first take a look at the overall specifications of the iPhone 6 and the Lumia 830 in a side-by-side comparison. The winner (or better feature) of each device is highlighted in BOLD so you can quickly identify. The chart is originally sourced from WMPoweruser.com although I’ve tweaked it a bit
iPhone 6 | Nokia Lumia 830 | |
Screen Size | 4.7 inches | 5 inches |
Screen Resolution | 750 x 1334 pixels | 720×1280 |
Dimensions | 138 x 67 x 6.8 mm | 139.4mm x 70.7 mmx 8.5mm |
Camera Specifications | 8 MP, F2.2, (No Optical Image Stabilization) | 10 MP, F2.2, Optical Image Stabilization |
Front Facing camera | 1.2 MP | 0.9 MP |
Wireless Charging | No | Yes |
Fingerprint Identification | Yes | No |
RAM | 1GB | 1GB |
Weight | 113g | 150g |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Built-In Storage, Expandability | 16 GB, No Expandability | 16 GB, up to 128 GB microSD Expandability |
Battery Life Expectancy | 14 hours 3G talk time, 10 days Standby Time | 14.8 hours 3G talk time, 22 days Standby Time |
Then there is the really scary number, the price. The iPhone 6 16GB unit is expected to retail for $799 unlocked. The Lumia 830 is expected to be around $430. That’s $369 in difference, almost enough to buy a second 830.
I get it, the whole ecosystem of apps, accessories available, etc. I know why the iPhone 6 will do well. My point is that if someone is looking to get an iPhone for the first time or is looking at their iPhone 5S and questioning if there is something else out there to see, the Lumia 830 is not a bad once to consider.
Microsoft has an opportunity here with the Little OS That Could. They have a chance to go after this undecided market and promote the Lumia 830 as an alternative to the iPhone 6. Its a small windows of opportunity given that the iPhone 6 goes on sale Friday of this week and ships next week. But it is an opportunity.