So Nokia had its big World event out in Helsinki last Wednesday and the phone itself, the Lumia 920, actually looks pretty great on paper. Floating lens system for image stabilization, wireless charging built right into the case, a screen that's supposed to work with gloves on (nice for anyone not living somewhere like Florida). Windows Phone 8 running under the hood. I was mildly excited, which for a Windows Phone device is saying something, because lets be honest, that platform has had a rough couple years finding anyone who cares.
Then the promo video happened.
You've probably already seen it getting torn apart if you follow any of the same blogs I do, but in case you missed it: Nokia put out this slick clip showing off the PureView optical image stabilization, the pitch being you can bike down a cobblestone street holding the phone and the footage comes out buttery smooth while a regular camera would look like a earthquake happened. Pretty compelling stuff if true. Except a few people noticed something odd in the reflection of a shop window partway through the ad, and it sure looked like a full camera rig, not a guy holding a phone. Turns out that's exactly what it was. The "phone footage" wasn't shot on a Lumia 920 at all, it was shot with a proper stabilized camera setup and then presented as if it came out of the handset.
Nokia's response has basically been to admit it, sort of, in that corporate non-apology way where they say the video was meant to be "illustrative" of the OIS technology rather than literal footage from the device. Which, come on. Nobody watches a product demo video and reads "illustrative" into it. You watch it because you think that's what the thing does. If I show you a video of a Ferrari going 0-60 and it turns out I filmed a different, faster car and just put Ferrari badges on the hood in post, I don't get to call that illustrative, I get called a liar.
Heres the part that actually bugs me though, more than the fakery itself. The 920 might genuinely have good stabilization! I dont know that it doesnt. But now anytime anyone tries to show off that feature honestly, the first reaction from half the internet is going to be "yeah right, is this the real video or the fake one." Nokia didnt just embarrass themselves for a day, they poisoned the well for their own actual product. That takes some doing. You had one job, show us the phone works, and instead you handed every skeptic a permanent talking point.
Its a weirdly bad week to be sloppy about camera marketing too, with Samsung having just shown off the Galaxy Note II at IFA and Motorola doing their own event the same day as Nokia (seriously, same day, why do companies do this to each other) pushing the Droid RAZR HD. Theres a lot of hardware coming out this fall and a lot of noise, and the one thing you'd think a company would want to protect is credibility on the one feature theyre leading with. Instead Nokia handed Samsung and Motorola a free "at least we didnt fake our ads" talking point for the next six weeks.
Small tangent because I cant help myself: I still think the actual industrial design of these Lumia phones is the best looking thing being made right now, better than anything HTC or Samsung has out. That bright yellow one in particular. Doesnt matter how good your hardware looks if the first story about it is "so about that demo video," though. Marketing people love to talk about "authenticity" in every deck I've ever sat through at a old job, and then this happens.
Anyway. I'm still curious enough about the 920 that I'll probably go stand around a Windows Phone kiosk somewhere when preorders open, mostly because Ive been badly wanting an excuse to try that live tile interface for more than a weekend demo. Just dont expect me to trust the next stabilization video Nokia puts out without squinting real hard at the store window reflections first.