Nokia attempts to patent another phone design. Next Windows Phone 8 device or just the Lumia 610?

Next Windows Phone 8 device or just the Lumia 719?

WP Central

We’ve already seen one Nokia patent application for a design of a new Windows Phone that looked a lot like the alleged ‘Phi’. Now a second design has come forward dated for August 21st, also revealing what maybe the next low to mid-range Lumia phone. Or is it just an old one?

Not much can be garnered from the images though it does look a bit like the leaked ALPS images for a recent screen bezel/digitizer. The phone to our eyes looks like a cross between the Lumia 610 and 710. (Update: Actually, it's a dead ringer for the Lumia 719).

The front looks very much like the 610 with the bottom bezel slopping off with just a small area for the capacitive buttons. It’s also features a rounded design for the corners of the device, much like the low-end 610 as well.

However, the back features a camera cutout that looks a lot like the 710’s camera, though the arrangement is very much like the 610 (with the flash to the left). It also features a speaker grill near the bottom like the 610 too. Even the top of the device has the center headphone jack and the micro USB charger and microphone flanking it.

Same device as the design patent? Looks like it to us.

But as noticed in comments, this phone looks a lot like the Lumia 719, a device once thought to be headed to China. The 719 reportedly features a 3.7" screen and a 5MP camera though it was never released to market. Could Nokia be getting to re-use it but for Windows Phone 8 next month? That's a good theory, especially since it has both GSM and CDMA, making it a good candidate for Verizon.

At this point it is hard to say, so we’ll stay on the fence with this one for now. Do you have a theory? Sound off in comments.

WP Central

Source: USPTO; via NokiaPowerUser; Thanks, Nish, for the heads up

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

24 Comments
  • Doesn't like the design I hope for something new and fresh by Nokia btw
    I love your Rum'o'meter :)
  • Rectangle & rounded corners...i see a law sue coming.
  • I was thinking about rounded corners. ha ha ha
  • Wow... It has a user interface that uses something called icons and uses a rechargeable battery supply as a power source. Apple is going to be all over this...
  • Its a good job Apple don't make microwaves; they'd be suing everyone for the doors all opening the same way. :D
  • Is there a requirement to patent your device designs. If not (which I assume to be the case), it could at least in theory be that Nokia is just cleaning up and making sure it has filed all possible patents, for future reference and use, and this could indeed just be them getting around to filing the 610 design patent?
    Just a thought.
    I am really hoping though Nokia would also announce on 5 Sep a lowrt end phone, as a follow up to 610 or aimed at an even lower price point.
  • Maybe the 610, but then again... The earpiece is different.
  • It looks like the 719 http://www.wpcentral.com/images-lumia-719-windows-phone-leaked
  • That makes sense. Considering it works with both GSM and CDMA, which the Nokia Arrow or whatever is rumored to be. If so I'll take my titan iii.
  • HD8
  • The back of the handset looks more like Lumia 710 with camera and led light design. So it could be the Lumia 719 patent.
  • Agree, it's the 719. Forgot about that one, thanks.
  • maybe with Apple's patent of 'rectangle w/ rounded corners' somewhat vindicated, Nokia wants to protect its designs before other manufacturers start cloning them to move away from Apple's..
  • Bring on September 5th/6th :D
  • This is just more and more reasons to be excited about WHATS NEXT???? for Nokia :D
  • I hope not, even for a budget phone. Lumia 710 looks good because all the ends are balanced and there isn't alot of bulkiness.
  • Be ready for another of Apple's iphony law suits.
  • Looks like a phone we TMo subscribers will be saddled with.  It's as if TMo is incapable of getting a real strong device. (not speaking for all TMo customers)
  • Also as if Tmo used up their high-end phone quota with the HD7.
  • Meh
  • Phi and Arrow are successors of Lumia 610 and Lumia 800 we are missing three more by my count. A 5xx, a 7xx, and a 9xx.
  • Looks like the 710
  • Just another none high-end device for T-MO
  • That style looks too similar to headsets from Huawei, and I seriously doubt Nokia would adopt that kind of design......