A few days ago, two photos were revealed of a new Nokia prototype phone codenamed ‘Juggernaut Semaphone’. Not much is known about the device except that it has an 800x480 resolution and run Windows Phone 8. Presumably Nokia has called it ‘Juggernaut’ for a reason though, right? Indeed as this video from two weeks ago reveals, in comparison to the 4.3” Lumia 820, this is one big phone.
In the video, reportedly posted by Igor Shastitko from Microsoft Ukraine, we get to see some new features in Windows Phone 8, including Bluetooth file transfer and performance gains in comparison to a Lumia 800 running Windows Phone 7.5—nothing ground breaking there...
But the big surprise (evidently unnoticed by many) is at 8:15 in the video when Igor sneaks onto screen what certainly looks like 'Juggernaut Semaphone'. The device has the old Windows Phone logo, just like in the leaked photo in addition to the same large bezel and even prototype marker on the side. What’s really interesting though is the size of it compared to the Lumia 820, which in practical terms is almost the same size as the Lumia 920 (despite the latter having a larger 4.5" display).
The Juggernaut (L) is rather larger compared to the Lumia 820 (R)
If we had to guess, we’d say the Juggernaut is sporting at least a 4.7” screen and is the first evidence that Nokia, like HTC and Samsung, is finally branching out into the upper regions of large displays held by devices like the TITAN (I and II) and ATIV S.
Of course at 800x480, the awesomeness of a 4.7” display is somewhat diminished especially since Windows Phone 8 can do 720P or 768 resolution, making the ‘Juggernaut Semaphone’ only mildly interesting for those who want high end. Then again, there were reports of an earlier Nokia phone called ‘Juggernaut Alpha’ –we’re uncertain if that phone is the same or related to this one, but it would not be surprising to see Nokia range a few phones with that display size.
No word if this Nokia phone will see the light of day or if this is just an in-house development device, which is certainly plausible. At the pace Nokia is releasing Windows Phones though anything is certainly possible.
[Update: A translation from the video states that the Juggernaut is the Lumia 820 prototype, with the size being that large to help disguise it in public. In other words, this device won't see the light of day for consumers.]
Source: YouTube; Thanks, Arthur O., for the tip!
Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.
