Nokia Corp. on Wednesday unveiled its third smartphone based on Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Phone 8 operating system. The handset features 3.8” screen and lower amount of RAM and NAND flash memory than on higher-end models, but at the same time it also sports high-performance dual-core Qualcomm system-on-chip and some exclusive features. Still, the main selling point of the device is its price, $249.

"We continue to execute on our strategy to reach new audiences and new markets. With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8 software and signature experiences from Nokia, like Nokia lenses, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, the Nokia Lumia 620 is a highly competitive smartphone at this price point," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices.

Nokia Lumia 620 is based on dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 system-on-chip (SoCs) clocked at 1GHz, comes with 3.8” (800*480) high-quality ClearBlack screen as well as 512MB of RAM and 8GB of NAND flash memory storage. The smartphone is equipped with 5MP back-facing camera with LED flash and VGA (640*480) front-facing camera. The phone supports microSD cards, open-source near field communication (NFC) technology, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and other modern technologies. Nokia Lumia 620 features 1300mAh battery.

Among the features shared with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 are exclusive camera lenses that transform the creative power of the Nokia Lumia 620's 5MP main camera and VGA front-facing camera. The Cinemagraph lens adds simple animations to still photographs, while Smart Shoot creates a single, perfect shot from multiple images, even removing unwanted objects from the picture.

The Nokia Lumia 620 also provides access to the advanced maps and location technologies, including Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and the exclusive Nokia City Lens,  which displays information about local surroundings overlaid onto buildings as seen through the camera viewfinder.

The Nokia Lumia 620 will be available in a range of colors including, lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black. Estimated at $249, excluding taxes and subsidies, the Nokia Lumia 620 will begin selling in January 2013 in Asia, followed closely by Europe and the Middle East before expanding further.

Tags: Nokia, Lumia, Windows Phone 8, Microsoft, Windows Phone, Qualcomm, Snapdragon