Nokia launches flagship phone for the US market

The Lumia 928 combines the company's best imaging and screen technology with Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system in a concerted attempt to win over the US market.

With the launch, Nokia is using its superior imaging technology as a means of distinguishing itself in an increasingly crowded mobile device market place. The Lumia 928 will be exclusive to Verizon and will be positioned as one of the network provider's premium devices.

The phone boasts a 4.5-inch HD OLED display that's designed to be clear with the deepest possible contrasts even in the brightest sunlight; while the touch screen will respond to gloved hands -- a feature Nokia first demonstrated on the Lumia 920, its European Windows Phone 8 flagship. Inside, it comes with 32BG of internal storage as standard, plus a further 7GB in the cloud via a SkyDrive account, but the most impressive features are built around its camera.

A PureView, 8.7-megapixel autofocus unit with a Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens, it has a dual built-in flash for optimum performance when shooting HD video or individual photos. Also helping matters is its intuitive optical image stabilization technology, to minimize blur in both stills and moving images, while its use of three built-in microphones improves audio capture and playback. The 928 also debuts a new Windows Phone app, Vyclone, that allows users to co-create, edit, view and share video clips.

'Whether you're attending a party, a concert or a sporting event with friends, the Nokia Lumia 928 excels at capturing high-quality video, audio and blur-free photos of life's most share-worthy moments,' said Matt Rothschild, vice president, Nokia North America.

Available in black or white, the Lumia 928 officially goes on sale in the US on May 14. Nokia's range of Windows Phones have won critical praise for the build quality and their intuitive features, however, the company, which was once the world's leading phone maker, still faces an uphill struggle if it is to re establish itself and its products in a market that is now being shaped by Apple's iPhone and Android, in the guise of the Samsung Galaxy S range. Canadian firm BlackBerry currently finds itself in a similar position and the two firms are expected to fight it out for third place over the rest of 2013. However, the competition that they will create in the industry can only be good news for consumers, as other companies are forced to innovate in order to attract users.

As well as the launch of the 928, Nokia is also gearing up for a big announcement in London on May 14. Many in the industry believe that the company will be revealing a phablet to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note II.