Design and Differentiation: Interview with Nokia's VP by TechRadar

TechRadar have posted an insightful article on the design principles used in the Lumia line of phones, informed by an interview with Kevin Shields, Executive Vice President of Nokia.

It’ covers some interesting ground and really highlights the dedication Nokia have to designing beautiful hardware; a dedication that many of us are soon to reap the benefits of. The piece tells a story of a phone company with more foresight than most; they are doing their best to break the smartphone industry’s trends of focusing on a single hero device and including innovation for its own sake. This is evident when you look at what really makes the Lumia line-up shine; an incredibly innovative camera, wireless charging and next generation features like NFC show a focus on functions that you will love and use every day, rather than a laundry list of unnecessary specifications and figures.

It just shows how deeply aligned Microsoft and Nokia are when it comes to Windows Phone, which itself is focused on streamlining your mobile experience and actually enabling your day-to-day life, rather than trying to cram in every possible feature and customisation under the sun.

“At every price point we play in, we sort of want you when you walk in the store to not have price be your only decision.” - Kevin Shields

With the first generation Lumia phones consumers were presented with a tough decision; the large screen and features of the 900, or the drop-dead gorgeous design of the 800? Their Windows Phone 8 line up continues to toe this line; two beautiful designs each with their own benefits and features. As a consumer this can be frustrating when you ‘want it all’, but it’s a noble effort by Nokia to break the ‘race to the top’ and provide some genuinely differentiated devices.

The article is well worth a read and provides some interesting insights; check it out on TechRadar.