We knew it was coming, T-Mobile has just announced the pricing and availability of the Nokia Lumia 925. The latest Windows Phone 8 device to hit T-Mobile in the United States will go on sale July 17. Want pricing? Read on.
You read our review of the Lumia 925 and have been itching to get one on T-Mobile here in the US. It’s finally happening. The Lumia 925 will cost you $49.99 up front, then $20 per month for the next 24 months. That puts the total price at $529.99. What does that all get you?
- Battery – Talk time: 9 hours; Standby time: 400 hours
- Display – 4.5’ 1280 x768 screen, Nokia ClearBlack Technology
- Memory – 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, no memory card support
- Wi-Fi calling included with Micro GBA SIM card
- Smartphone Mobile HotSpot – up to 8 connections
- HD Voice [12/28]
Which one of you is going to be picking up this phone?
Source: T-Mobile
Reader comments
T-Mobile announces price and availability of the Nokia Lumia 925, goes on sale July 17
The main question is will buy it at full price $529 come unlock? Or do you have to wait 6 months like AT&T to get it unlocked?
Wind Mobile Canada. I'd like to buy this one. Hope it is compatile
Yeah, a microSD version would also be welcome. On my Ativ S it means tons of pictures, videos and music even so I can only use a 32Gb cat4 micros SD. But 16+32=Plenty of space.
Would have waited in line for this but I already picked up my 920 and unlocked for use on Tmobile. Wish you would have told me this was coming out earlier in the year, then you would be making money Tmob not AT$T. I would probably throw my Hd7 at the store also as another commenter noted.
I would switch from the 920 but 16gb is a huge disappointment. I currently have more than that in use on my 920.
Agree... They need a 32 and also 64Gb variant of the 925.
Curious - what's a micro "GBA" SIM card and how does it differ from a regular microSIM? I have really been wanting to get this phone, but I think I'm going to just stick with my unlocked Rogers 920, which is already great. I've got the 32GB of storage and am not plagued by the dreaded "Other" storage issue that I've noticed some current 925 owners complaining about lately. Still, the 925 is a gorgeous phone. Maybe at some point in the future I'll grab one if it has 32GB because I really don't have to upgrade from my 920 that I only just got little over two months ago.
*Whispers* Seven days.
Waiting for the 1020 announcement before I make my mind
Nokia is changing the culture on what a device should cost. I would think most of us thought it would have been 100 down. But 49 is killing the game right now
Curse you ATT.... Stuck with the Lumia 900 until next year...April 2014 can't come fast enough.
Me
What is the outright price? That's the price if u pay for two years. I assume there are finance charges like Verizon. I assume it would be less than 529
Its the same upfront or in payments, they don't charge interest :)
I've been patiently waiting for this phone, my little 710 will be passed on to my son, can wait until Wednesday :)
If this is considered midrange, then there isn't a high end Windows Phone.
That super phone that everyone fantasizes about, but doesn't exist yet. But when it does finally exist it won't be as good as the latest one they've thought up.
Well there is much that could make a WP better (like higher resolution screen, quad core), but for people to claim this phone is of mid range they must mean that there is no high end phone on WP because its specs are nearly identical to the 920 & 928.
What color options do we get?
16G +25G Box + 7G SkyDrive I am set!
oh I'm picking this up and going to brag about it, brag about it.... More Than Your Eyes Can See
Always a catch. Get a high end Lumia but only 16 GB of memory. Of course that happens...
... on T-Mobile.
16gb not enough?.. eaz up with the PORN download!
Well, lets see...
4-8 GB of "other" storage
3+GB of apps
1+ GB of system
A few pictures, a couple of videos and a few music albums...
...and your phone is full.
Why not clear your other-storage?
Does anybody know which wheather app that is on the picture?
Funny.
It looks "amazing"...lol
I think its called Spectacular Meteorology.
Ok. Something tells me that was a really stupid question. Still your hints (or should I say riddles) helped me. So thanks. ;)
16GB is not enough.
Its a good mid. Matches the service quite well.
Pretty underwhelming. It looks nice, but it sounds like it's goign to continue the carrying of that SoC from the 920. Having a SoC that's over a year old at this point is disappointing, especially if T-Mobile expects you to pay for it like it's a high-end phone. I know it's less than the S4, but $50 plus $20 monthly for 2 years is a crappy deal when I got the 920 for just the $50, while also getting the free wireless charger--back in November.
They're taking the Lumia 920, making it more expensive, taking out the wireless charging, halving the storage, and making it thinner. They're basically doing minor tweaks (mostly for the negative) on a device that's goign to be 8.5 months old upon release, and that's just not good enough. The 920 was a bit dated upon release, what with that MSM8960 (though the Snapdragon 600/800 line wasn't coming out yet), but it was fine, and I love mine regardless. However, if I was eligible to upgrade on July 17th, and THIS was the best I would get from Windows Phone (specifically, that SoC), then I'd be really disappointed.
I get that this is a revamp, not a successor, though, and they're just trying to give T-Mobile something to sell. However, they had better get a device with a SoC to match up with the One and S4 soon, because lacking apps, marketshare, and hardware prowess is a risky bet.
I'm all over this. Yes, SD support would have been fantastic, I have it on my Lumia 810. However, I want an overall better phone. Processor, camera, design, feel, blah blah blah. All of that. This is a very nice upgrade to the Lumia 810. I personally have plenty of cloud storage options (yes, I know that doesn't replace microSD support) but it helps and is better than nothing. Can't wait to pick this up. Selling my 810 ASAP.
Question though, what color wireless charging backs will they have available day one? I'm looking for something like yellow, red, maybe blue, but I need something colorful. Sick of the black/dark gray/gunmetal colored phones. Anyways, should do very well for both Nokia and T-Mobile.
I would spring for the Lumia 1020 (I know its gonna be awesome), but I don't know if I feel like giving up $600+ next week for it. See how this conference goes tomorrow and if it moves me enough to forego my previous thinking
I'm in line right now
excuse me, I was in front of you
I liked the 2 year upgrade program. Stupid me for holding on to my upgrade status with Tmo. Time to look at other carriers.
Two of our lines have an upgrade available. Let's do this!
Wow, I'm delightfully surprised. I was expecting it to be more expensive, but this puts it below the HTC One and Galaxy S4 while still being a premium device (at above $500). I hope this sells well. My aunt has been eyeing WP ever since she saw my Lumia 920 (she loves the camera), I'll let her know about this phone.
It's cheaper than the competition because it has a SoC that's about a year older than the S4 and One's. It's simply not as powerful. This is cheapre because in 2013, this is a mid-range phone.
What about when the 920 sold for $450 when it came out? Its a bit unfair to compare WP hardware with android because the os requirements are very different.
No, it's not unfair. They both fill the same type of customer, just as Macs and PCs do. Both use ARM-based processors, and work on what is essentially and annual upgrade cycle. The 920 came out when the MSM8960 was the go-to SoC, and that's what it carried. Now, the 925 is releasing with the Snapdragon 600's presence as the top option (as evidenced by its presence in the S4 and One), but it's carrying the previous-generation hardware.
Yeah, Android and Windows Phone might not operate at the same level of efficiency, but they are direct competitiors using the same types of parts. Even though Windows Phone might be more efficient in its use of its hardware, the Adreno 225 GPU in the MSM8960 isn't a strong GPU (note that the 920T in China carried the Adreno 305), and the 920 has rather poor battery life (which the 925 is unlikely to improve upon much, if at all).
The comparison is 100% fair, and it needs to be made. Nokia (well, all involved in the success of Windows Phone) need to work to keep the hardware up-to-date, same as the software (which is missing aps and functions of the competing platforms).
I still disagree that it’s a fair comparison. Just because there is something more powerful in the wild (that costs more), doesn't mean you necessarily have to use it on a variant of the 920 for it to be called a high end phone. The phone still has the max res WP supports, 60 fps, pretty good battery life (IMO), and supports all of the latest features of WP without any lag (no WP has anything higher). I can't call that a mid range device. I do think that these specs in an android handset would not be sufficient for similar performance, which is exactly why I think it's an unfair comparison. Where do you stop? Snapdragon 800 (I know, that’s reaching a bit)? Not to mention I don't believe WP will support the Snapdragon 600 until GDR3 with 1080p display support. If the support is there and Nokia releases a lower SoC, then it can be called a mid range phone. If you wanna take that up with MS, that’s your call. And who brought up apps? That’s a given, but is completely irrelevant in this conversation. I know we won't agree on this, but again, IMO.
Not as powerful? If it runs the OS better than any of the "more powerful" devices what does it matter?
It matters because it doesn't do that. The performance of the MSM8960 on Windows Phone doesn't top the Snapdragon 600 in gaming, or anything, really, Android or otherwise.
Fully agree. All this SOC talk is stupid. What does specs really matter when Windows Phone runs smoother then any Android device on the market. News flash people Android needs those high end specs to try and disguise the lag.
Can I unlock it? I need to use in Canada?
This is a solid option. I might consider picking it up later on. Still quite happy with my 810.
I'd like to say that, but this "other" storage is killing me now...
Wait for GDR2, then you can clear it. I love my 810. But I may just have to upgrade.. But might wait until Dec, and GDR3 handsets
I dont think this phone will sell good...
Nice price, great camera and looks good. It'll sell well.
T-Mobile and Nokia needs to push this one in stores and in ads. If they do, it will sell.
My next phone!
this ^
We need more info on this pricing strategy. I hope AT&T doesn't try to pull this on the 1020. $529.99 ON CONTRACT pricing? Just because they spread out the outlay over 2 years doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Can't believe everyone above is saying how great it is that it's $49 bucks. Clearly not reading the fine print.
Or you could just pay 529 upfront....t mobile is basically offering a rent to own device
Is this just a T-Mobile thing? Or do other carriers do this too? I've always wondered if there's something else to subsidized phone pricing.
This is the new T-Mobile pricing. Their service contracts (call, text, data) plans are cheaper, but the devices are more expensive. You only pay $50 up-front for the device, but then $480 over the life of the contract for the device (I don't know that they still have service contracts). It's a lot cheaper to have T-Mobile overall, especially if you keep your device for 3-4 years, when compared to the prices you pay for the services at AT&T and Verizon.
For people that doesn't the money to buy the phone out right, it's better to pay small amount of money per month. And where did you get $9 bucks?
It's not on contract. You can stop using T-Mobile at any time. But you'll still pay them $20/month for the phone until paid.
With other companies you cannot stop any time and when your 2 years of contract ends, you'll still be effectively paying higher without getting a new phone - i.e. your monthy payment doesn't go down with say AT&T.
You are finally catching on to the racket US carriers have been running for the past 15 years.
P.S. T-Mobile does not have contracts.
Lack of SD card support completely ruins this for me as someone who used their WP as a portable media player and picture taking device. Also how much will it cost off contract?
529
What I don't get is why they only put in 16gig of storage.
Me too, i think it is very sad for 925 Owners :(
Best regards!
Blame T-Mobile, not Nokia! As you know they have the 32GB option, instead they got 16GB, maybe that's why the up front is only $49.99 down.
The $50 price tag is because it's running on old parts. The SoC in it is the same from the Galaxy S III and the Lumia 920. It's a generation old now. It's got the same storage as the S4, but without microSD support. It's got half the RAM. It's $50 because it's a mid-range device in mid-2013.
We know Nokia 925 is a variant of N920 so there is no surprise on hardware. Comparing it with Nokia 810 which I considered the mid-range phone is a big upgrade, and you know nothing will come high end on hardware until GDR3 or 8.1.
The soc and memory may be in line with high end phones from late 2012 however you also must consider that just because new android devices are running faster chips and more memory is also partly down to the lack of comparative optimization between wp8 and android. Wp8 runs great on the 920 with the same specs, I never experience any stuttering or lag, I do not think you could say the same thing about new android builds on the same spec'd hardware as the overall experience is not as smooth imho.
Stuttering and lag are not 100% missing form Windows Phone 8. I've experienced many apps that crash or don't run well. That includes the built-in IE10, so it's not just something where 3rd-party developers are to blame.
Yes, I get that there is better optimization on Windows Phone. However, that only carries you so far. When benchmarks compare the MSM8960 in the Galaxy S III (same SoC as in the 92x line) to the Snapdragon 600 in the Galaxy S4, it's not even reasonably close. In some benchmarks, the performance ratings doubled (or more) on the S4. I simply don't buy that Windows Phone 8 can make up for what can be doubling of hardware performance at times. The GPU in the first batch of Windows Phone devices is mediocre as well, and while the OS might be optimized, the battery-hogging games certainly are not.
I still partially blame Nokia for not making T-Mobile comply with their standards. And if T-Mobile is going to limit the storage capacity of every WP8 device to 16gb, it may be time to start looking at AT&T as a more serious option. This is so frustrating for all three carriers to get basically the same vehicle but we don't get the spare tire like Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile is holding back the experience for users who want more space!
I agree with you, and the only thing we can do is change carrier to get a better phone. Tmobile is heavely invested in their Android crap, even the iPhone didn't do them any good. I might get the EOS too I still have ATT account.
Actually upon further review I believe Vodafone was the only market/carrier to get 32gb so again I'm looking at Nokia as the problem more so than T-Mobile. In any case, as nice as the phone is(and as tempted I am to compromise for it) I will not spend my hard money fully knowing that I(gamer, video content, and music user) would have to constantly make decisions about what to leave, take away or store in the cloud.
This is firmly a mid-range, mainstream phone. I think that a lot of people will be fine with this - maybe they want to push Nokia Music. I personally do not put MP3s on my phone, and have 8.59GB of my Lumia 920 used after 8 months of ownership. I take a decent number of photos, though I deleted some of them (the ugly ones!), since they are on my SkyDrive anyway.
I agree it would be better to provide 32GB... (I'm curious what the difference is in costs to the manufacturer) but many mainstream users will be just fine and won't notice.
The differences in memory capacities for the manufacturer can be between pennies and a few dollars. The worst offender of that is apple (blech!) who charges an extra $100 for each memory tier on its phones. I'd be OK paying $99 if it had 32 or 64GB, and only paying $49 lessens the sting of the lower memory, AND I can trade it in for T-Mobile's 1020 version in 6 months or so (or add it to my EIP and relegate the 925 to backup duties)
Memory prices between 16 and 32GB is around $15! And they can mark it up to $100 like Apple does for their iPhones. In addition; they have a 64Gb that cost $25 and they charge an additional $100. But it worth it; at least for me; since I do alot of stuff on offline like listen to music and reading e-book stuff.
I agree it would be nice to see a 32GB variant. As to this being mid-range, in no way is this mid-range. Looking at the current crop of WP hardware this is the highest of high end. Storage doesn't determine the tier.
I've been waiting for this phone, next week first day you're mine.
Very nice
I was expecting $99.99 but hey I'll more than take the $49 down
I might depending on coverage where I live, travel to a lot of rural areas
I may, depending on the release date and availability of the 1020. SO GLAD that announcement is tomorrow so I can choose for certain!
After reading about JUMP!, I think I'll actually get this. $50 down, $20 a month (which I just finished paying off on my previous EIP), and I can trade it in during the holidays when T-Mobile gets its 1020 variant!
Make that $30 a month. JUMP is an additional $10 a month.
So much WP love lately. The 925 is slick. I'm on Verizon so I won't be getting one though. It's not like I have a subpar Lumia device option however :)
I want it!
What colors will be available?
Black, gray, and white, same as the international models.
White only, but hopefully that will change later.
Wow. Great price and available next week. Good luck Tmobile and Nokia!
LOL great price?
While I realize this is a mid-range phone, a lot of people pay $100-200 for a phone and then pay $30/month in higher contract fees, so over the course of a 22 month contract, you're talking about $760-860! This isn't a bad price, overall.
For comparison, though, I paid $450 outright for the Lumia 920 with 32GB and no contract. (And was able to get on Straight Talk for less than $45 / mo...)
I wouldn't call it a mid-range phone (16gb is the only thing I can think of that would have you put it in that tier). It has the same everything as (if not better than) the 920 and 928, aside from 16gb like I said. I'd still say its expensive compared to Att's $450 920 and Verizon's $500 928, both at 32gb. I see a metal variant of the same phones on other carriers, but with less space and a higher price tag. I'd say its expensive.
I'm just not into paying full price for a phone.
Cool story
bro
I guess you prefer to be deceived that you are getting a discount or a free upgrade..!
This is hardly midrange.. What's wrong with you❔
Anyone know which colour options are available on T-Mobile? I want the black model.
Black, gray, and white, same as the international models.
Based on what info or source @compassstl? So far I have only seen press with white 925s from T-Mobile. I hope you are right, as I'd much prefer the black model, but there are conflicting claims even in this very thread.
Only white has been confirmed for TMO, I believe.
http://www.nokia.com/us-en/phones/phone/lumia925/specifications/
Argh, wish they had the black model.
This phone looks clean. I wish it had SD support though.
Agree, though with cloud services, SD in smartphones is not as important as it used to be.
I am.....On 2nd thought if the phone only comes in white, I may just hold on to my DVP and HD7 a lil longer. Tmob finds another way to disappoint me.
I AM...going to toss my HD7 at the TMO store once I have my hands on this puppy?