Nokia has partnered up with Microsoft to take on tech-giants Apple and Google by unveiling two new Windows smartphones.

The new devices feature the Windows 7 platform, which might just be the point of difference Nokia need to get their place back in the smartphone market. They’ll need a bit of luck however using the Windows platform, with Android owning a near 50 percent of the market, and Apple a sizable 15 percent.
 
 The new devices, awkwardly titled the “Lumia 800” and “Lumia 710” (Lumia means prostitute in Spanish), won’t be snatched up in time for Christmas; however the phones should be available in Australia from next year.

Nokia Lumia 800

Available in bright colours which will seem out of place in any corporate power suit, the Lumia 800 is a smooth, curvy handset which flaunts a robust polycarbonate body and a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen. The screen has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, and the phone is powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor.

While the Lumia 800 is limited to a 16GB memory (which is still probably more than enough for most), owners of this handset will have access to the Microsoft cloud-based Skydrive service where users can store an extra 25GB of content.

The home screen on the Nokia Lumia 800 will keep you up to date with the latest news, weather and Facebook updates via the Windows live icons. The new phone uses the Internet Explorer 9 browser, and also boasts free live music streaming and free navigation.

Being a Nokia, it’s no surprise that the camera is one of the highlights of the Lumia 800. The 8-megapixel camera boasts a f/2.2 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. It can capture 720p HD video at 30 frames per second, and onscreen touch-ups are possible thanks to the camera app which offers a range of editing options. The app allows users to control things like motion blurs and red-eye, and users can share their photos with friends instantly with the App.

The Lumia 800 comes preloaded with a range of Apps, including turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation and Nokia Music and Mix Radio.

Nokia Lumia 710

The Nokia Lumia 710 is the 800’s more affordable little cousin. While your wallet won’t be as distressed by the purchase of this handset, Nokia has still managed to squeeze in a 1.4GHz processor into this little handset, as well as a 3.7-incxh AMOLED touchscreen. It falls short to its more expensive cousin with a 5-megapixel camera, 8GB of memory (but an expandable 16GB via the MicroSD card slot), and is available in the basic yet classic black or white colours.