Nokia unveils Lumia 920 and 820 Windows 8 smartphones

Nokia has shown off two new smartphones, both based on the Windows Phone 8 operating system, and with upgraded camera capabilities – and the ability to use the touchscreen while wearing gloves. Both handsets are based on the 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 processor.

Using floating lens technology, the 8.7 megapixel camera in the Nokia Lumia 920 is able to take in five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, and including an image stabiliser for shaking hands.

The two new phones also include a "multi-touch experience based on the  Synaptics ClearPad capacitive touchscreen sensing technology" – which means the touchscreens work whether the user has long fingernails, or is wearing gloves.

ClearPad Series 3 offers up to 10 finger full-time tracking and fast refresh rates, and what is said to be an industry leading signal-to-noise-ratio.

The other handset, the Nokia Lumia 820 is a mid-range smartphone. While the Nokia Lumia 820 has the same unibody look and feel as the high end Lumia smartphones, it comes with an exchangeable shell design. Exchangeable shells not only make it possible to select from a range of colours, but also to add wireless charging. Beneath the shell is room to insert a micro SD memory card.

Both phones will be available in pentaband LTE and HSPA+ variants and are expected to start shipping in select markets later in the year.

Nokia will announce pricing and specific roll-out dates country by country when sales are due to begin.