The Ativ beats the 8X in every way, it also has a better battery than the 920 (Which seems to be the second hype killer looking at these endurance tests) the 920 only has that Camera and the Nokia apps will apparently be available for all the other phones through the marketplace.
I dunno, the Ativ seems like the better phone outside of Nokia's new camera and yet I see no discussion of it. Is there something drastically wrong with it?
The Innards are arguably better than the other devices, boring on the outside, sure. But on the inside it seems to have the upper hand in everything but Nokia's camera
Obviously aesthetics play a part here. It's not simply that people prefer the 'prettier' phones, but the fact that Nokia and HTC offerings simply better match the Metro design language. I'd actually argue the ATIV looks better to me than Samsung's recent Android designs in a general sense, but it simply doesn't fit the design motif. This engenders some negative reactions to it (both consciously and subconsciously). It makes it feel like it was simply an Android phone with WP8 thrown on - not a ground-up offering for the new OS like the others.
Moreover there's also the question of build quality. While Samsung has nice tech, there's always lingering doubts regarding durability due to the materials and design. Many of there offerings simply feels lower quality and have real issues in terms of construction. While my Focus has taken a beating and still works, I did have to replace the chintzy back plate. After a drop the back plate flew off and the battery shot out. The second time it happened the plate would no longer snap on properly.
That said, you are incorrect in stating the camera is the only thing the 920 has going for it over the ATIV:
Inductive Charging - self explanatory
Screen - while the ATIV does have the advantage of blacks that essentially melt into the bezel (though 920's ClearBlack helps bring it closer than most LCD's), in all other metrics the screen tech of the 920 trounces what Samsung is offering.
- 60 Hz refresh means smoother scrolling and less blur.
- Synaptics touch tech means you can still scroll/tap without using your finger. Be it your nails, gloves, whatever.
- Optically bonded screen
- Combination of techs make this the best overall outdoor screen. ClearBlack uses polarization to reject glare ... it's one of the brightest smartphone screens when in High-luminescence mode (600 nits) ... Nokia custom software not only auto-adjusts brightness based on the ambient light sensor, but also contrast and even the CLUT (color look-up table). Combined, this yields great outdoor readability versus other phones.
Nokia Software - While yes, some of Nokia's software will be shared with other OEM's or at least only be timed exclusive ... that's not true of all. Stuff like Nokia Drive is still exclusive, and it is on another level versus other turn-by-turn solutions. Nokia's software and services expertise cannot be understated. It is an area they clearly differentiate themselves from competitors, and logically they'll only continue to offer more and more to further this divide.
Rich Recording - A combination of an incredibly high dynamic range mics and other technologies allow full range, low distortion recording. This allows audio from clubs, concerts, etc. to be recording without the clipping normally present in essentially all other phones.
Price - It appears the ATIV will be coming in at $200 on contact. The 920 is not only hitting at $150, but now appears to actually come with a charging pad to further sweeten the pot (at least in the US).
