14 DAY TRIAL // With Windows Phone 8.1 expected to become official as soon as today, and with Nokia already promising new Lumia devices for this day, enthusiasts are certainly wondering what’s in store for them in the not too distant future.
New entries in the CamSpeed database appear set to unveil some details on the matter, though they mainly confirm that Nokia is indeed hard at work with the development of Windows Phone 8.1 handsets.
Two such smartphones have been spotted there recently, one featuring model number Nokia LC4301, while the other packing model Nokia P4301.
This is not the first time that these device models emerge online, as they have been spotted since last year with various Windows Phone 8.1 builds loaded on top, but it’s the first time that they make it to CamSpeed, it seems.
The Nokia LC4301 has emerged in the aforementioned database with OS build 8.10.12351.0 loaded on top, and is said to feature an 8-megapixel camera on the back. Moreover, info coming from Sofica Ltd unveils that the phone’s camera features a F2.0 aperture.
Apparently, the camera on this device is rather slow, with a start-up time of over 3 seconds, but no other details on the smartphone have been provided as of now. The Nokia P4301 is said to feature the same camera as the LC4301, but to be faster than the latter.
Previously, the two smartphones were said to be, in fact, versions of the same model, most probably test handsets at Microsoft’s labs.
No info on whether these phones will indeed arrive on the market has been provided as of now and, considering the fact that they were spotted as test devices several months ago, we believe that they might never be released.
The good news, however, is the fact that Nokia and Microsoft have come to test the camera app on Windows Phone 8.1, which means that smartphones running under it are indeed near.
In fact, Sofica Ltd also unveils that Nokia Lumia 1020, which sports a 41-megapixel camera on the back, has made an appearance in CamSpeed with Windows Phone 8.1 loaded on top as well.
The handset emerged there with OS build 8.10.12349.0, and it is said to be performing a bit slower when compared to the Windows Phone 8 variant. The camera app is showing a 700ms slowed start-up time, apparently.
Lumia 1020 is one of the phones that should receive an upgrade to the newer platform release in the near future, though it remains to be seen when exactly that will happen.
The latest reports have suggested that Windows Phone 8.1 will start rolling out to users in early May, yet an official confirmation on the matter will emerge only later today. Stay tuned for the news.