Stephen Elop gets interviewed by Engadget using a Lumia 920 for video

By Daniel Rubino
published

Engadget is playing around in Helsinki these days and hanging out with Nokia. They just posted a 12 minute video interview with Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who gave the usual Nokia lines for their company, boasting about location services, the Lumia brand, working with Microsoft and more.

Elop even faced some tough questions about HTC's recent new Windows Phone 8 lineup and whether or they copied Nokia (or at the very least, were inspired).

While no new nuggets of information really came forward, the more impressive part is that the video for the interview was shot completely on a Lumia 920 (audio was done via regular microphones). While the video quality is no highend HD Sony cam, it's not half bad for a camera phone, actually it's pretty great for a prototype. We especially like the color saturation and white balance and clearly its stable.

Check out the interview and sound off in comments.

Daniel Rubino
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.

53 Comments
  • Uhhh.....
  • lolz
  • If this doesn't go to all major carriers then it's all for nothing.  I want a L920 but it's not on T-Mobile then I'll be picking up the 8X.
  • If HTC is releasing their phones on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, I bet there's a reason. I wouldn't be surprised if Nokia and MS tried to push these phones to all the interested vendors. It's time to stop fuckin' around, and put their products into as many markets as possible. The reason Android is so prevelant is because of its market saturation. If Windows Phone devices can get even half of that type of saturation, then we could see an nice uptick in platform usage.
  • I watched this over at engadget and while the image is super clear, showing that the camera on the 920 takes a great picture and great video, the OIS seemed jumpy, constantly trying to focus due to the hand gestures of the interviewer and the movements of Elop, the camera didn't know what to do.  I thought the positioning of the phone in relation to the two of them was poor, but it illustrated a potential flaw in the camera design or the software used to control it, though I doubt most will be using it for sit down interviews.  Of course, it's possible the guy using the phone just couldn't keep his hand from moving back and forth too.  Still, the image is remarkably clean and clear... it's not enough to make me change my mind about the 8X, but damn, what a camera.
    The two creatures on their heads never moved either... that was fascinating.
  • LOL. No head creatures were harmed in the making of this video.
  • Last sentence made me spit water all over myself. Thanks!
  • I really felt as though the camera operator was purposely trying to trigger OIS by shaking it occasionally.
  • This...Elop even refers to how much the person holding the camera is shaking. Personally, I think the video is great for what it is, a camera on a phone. And as for the autofocus, it didn't personally bother me, but if anyone actually wanted to use the 920 for interviews, they should disable autofocus since it wouldn't be needed anyway. Unless it is a walking interview I guess.
  • I would think that the auto focus would be independent of the ois. It would be great if auto focus could be turned off. When I use my video camera I usually let auto focus set the shot and then switch it off so as to prevent it from refocusing.
  • You are right about how there is a wierd "wave" focusing effect while it is trying to, what looks like, sabalize optically and focus at the same time. I would hold your judgement because the operator was noted to be doing a lot of exagerated movments to purposly push things to the limit.
  • This video quality is pretty amazing. I don't know much about video but from a general consumer point of view, I'M SOLD.
  • I can't watch this because I won't be able to watch a grown man with a stupid mohawk interview the CEO of a company. He can't even put on a decent shirt and pants? 
  • That's a grown woman not a man.  Just so you know.  And that's her look.  She's a tech blogger not a wall street business man or in this case woman.
  • Seriously? Wow.
  • Wait Whaaaa....http://i55.tinypic.com/qrhtzp.jpg
     
    I am pleased by that interview and the quality of the questions asked. Just wish Microsoft would finally announce all the actual features included in the OS and an actual release date of the L920. 
  • I think you'll find its a grown "man", with some bits chopped off.
    Born a guy, transgendered to girl.
  • The Mohawk was a bit distracting but I ignored in favor of marveling at the video quality.
  • A grown man that goes by the name Miriam, btw.
     
  • Sigh, it's a woman named Myriam Joire and she's a really nice person and well respected tech blogger, especially by our site. 
  • No joke?  You have a tendency to be pretty sarcastic...
    I have to imagine she gets confused for a guy all the time though and either likes/doesn't mind the attention that her look gets her.  Same if a dude wears a dress, he can't very well get upset when you say he looks like a girl, now can he...
    Looks aside, they are excited for WP and you gotta love that.
  • Probably cos biologically it is a man. Trans'ed to a girl :)
  • It's "transgender person/people."  They consider "transgenderED" offensive.
  • Amazing video quality!
  • I've been working on my husband to get him to come over to WP. He's a photo buff and i've pretty much convinced him to convert from his horribly old iPhone 3g. He thinks the 920 is gorgeous so hopefully this video will help him along. =)
  • [...] premium devices like the 920 and beyond [...]
    Do you think that they want to release a super high end phone? Like 820, 920 and 1020? I'm not sure anymore if I should buy the 920 as soon as it is released...
     
  • If you take that approach you'll never buy a phone. Because, you'll always be waiting for the next big thing.
  •  
    Agreed...you can't be looking out more than 6 months or else you will never own anything.  I am expecting that to more so reference the "930" that will inevitably come out sometime in 2013.
  • Please add the video link... ;)
  • the image is so clear it's unbelievable, but like what some people have commented above, the video keeps refocusing and it makes it a little uncomfortable to watch it.
     
     
  • I'm pretty sure that the operator was purposely shaking it to trigger actions. I could be wrong, but there were shakes in spots where it would have been unnecessary to move the device for any other reason.
  • see also this
    http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/25/iphone-5-lumia-920-image-stabilizatio...
  • Thanks, Jedi. The 920 SMOKED the iFart 5. Sweet!
  • Yep, just as I've suspected since the launch event. B-E-A-utiful.
  • Video link for the app??
  • Next article: Stephen Elop takes a shít and then photographs it with the lumia 920
  • Hahaha!
  • Must be cold in there : D
  • awww shoot you beat me to it. haha
  • Lets test that on the super sensitive display. Awww yeaaaah.  Good stuff in the video apart from that as well.
  • LOL
  • Whatever happened to the JUggernaut alpha phone?
  • He did say there is more to come.
  • Colossus.
  • Its about time we get some love from Engadget
  • He's clearly shaking the camera to demonstrate the OIS.  I thinkt he quality of the video is incredible considering it's a phone. 
    Also liked the interview.  Thought his answer was very good considering the HTC question.  It verifies what I was thinking with HTC using the Windows Phone branding - that Nokia prefers to have the Lumia branding as a premium name. 
    I was on the fence when HTC announced the 8X, but have since come back and am determined to get the Lumia 920.  The camera, the superfast screen, the wireless charging, and the Nokia software (City Lens being a big part of that) really have brought me down onto Nokia's side.
    Barring a major suprise, I think the Lumia 920 will be the best smartphone out when it launches.  I also love the positive press and would not be surprised if many declare it beats out the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III head-to-head.
  • it'll beat those phones in everything except surfing the Internet... which reviewers will somehow mark the software down for.
     
    Also... it's possible the guy holding the camera just hasn't had his morning coffee and is a little jittery.  
  • you guys notice the lady in the background? I mean wow 920 is super good!
  • I did... I wonder what the camera guy was doing with his other hand.
  • its hard to tell, since hes using the 920 with OIS...haha! darn it, im getting this phone!
  • You know what Stephen... STFU and TAKE MY MONAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
  • Yer, take my money, and hand over nipple girl.
  • Great camera.  Not such a great interview. The interviewer really likes to hear himself talk.