Celebrating Lumia independence
This Saturday, July 4, is Independence Day in the U.S. So today we’re celebrating our own independence as Microsoft Lumia owners, counting down the reasons we love our Lumia phones.
We’re not afraid to admit it: we love our Lumia phones.
Many of us have our Lumias by our side 24 hours a day. They’re with us during the best of times and the worst.
They’re more than just phones, our Lumias are constant companions.
They entertain us, help us be more productive, make us happier, and relax us at the end of a tough day.
In honor of Independence Day in the U.S., we’re celebrating our Lumia independence. We can’t give you fireworks (except these, beautifully shot with a Lumia 1020), but we can list just a few of the reasons why we’re happy to be Lumia owners.
She’s witty, she’s practical, she’s mysterious, and she gets us where we’re going. Cortana is our dream personal digital assistant who’s always ready to answer a question with a tap of a button.
Cortana may only be available in select countries right now on Windows Phone, but she’s worth the wait. And soon, she’ll be appearing on Windows 10-enabled PCs, tablets, and the Xbox One.
Live Tiles
Our Start screens would be duller and less informative without Live Tiles. Practically synonymous with the Windows Phone experience, they’re not just icons for our apps—they deliver real-time information and notifications.
Weather updates, new Facebook posts, news alerts, the current song, and more are all available at a glance, keeping you in touch dynamically with your contacts and the world in a way that isn’t possible on other phones.
Resize them, repaint them, theme them—their look is fully customizable.
Windows
Having our phones be part of the same Windows ecosystem as our Windows-powered PCs, laptops, and tablets is a boon to our personal and professional productivity.
Whether it’s collaborating with colleagues on OneNote, sharing files and photos on OneDrive, or creating spreadsheets and documents in Office, Windows makes it possible to continue working seamlessly from one device to the next.
With the introduction of Windows 10 to Lumia phones, that seamless integration will only get better.
The camera
Lumia phones have some of the best cameras to grace a mobile device. For example, the new Microsoft Lumia 640 XL has a powerful 13MP main camera and a full-HD 5MP wide-angle front camera that’s perfect for taking selfies.
When it comes to taking photos with your Lumia camera, we have tips for helping you take action shots, perfect selfies, unique wedding photos, ace space photos, and even yummy shots of your food.
Are you a skilled Lumia smartphone photographer? Prove it by joining Microsoft and National Geographic in an online photography assignment by July 13. Simply submit and share your best photos here.
Office
Every Lumia comes with the Microsoft Office Mobile app, allowing you to review and edit your important Office documents (in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) directly on your phone. Documents are seamlessly shared between your desktop and phone versions of Office, too.
What, you don’t have a desktop version of Microsoft Office? Let’s fix that.
Upgrade to the new Lumia 640 or Lumia 640 XL and you’ll receive a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal (retail price: $70 USD). This offer is valid for a limited time. (Please note that the offer has expired in the U.K. as of June 30.)
Why are you glad to own a Lumia phone? Declare your Lumia independence in the comments below.