Nokia Lumia 822 Windows 8 Smartphone from Verizon Delivers Lifestyle to Moms + Teens

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If the new Nokia Lumia 822 Smartphone that runs on the Verizon 4G LTE network had a middle name it would be Lifestyle. That's my initial reaction after just a few short weeks experiencing this cool new Windows 8 based phone that Verizon Wireless sent me. My 17 year-old son, who will be acquiring this smart device as a reward for giving me his teenage perspective and helping me test it out to replace his 6 month-old HTC Trophy Smart Phone which ran on the inferior 3G network, couldn't agree more.

My son checking out the Nokia Lumia 822 Smartphone we received

I'm all about aesthetics and this phone has plenty that I adore. Simply put, this device feels ultra-modern, comfortable and fits well in the hand. The new look and huge screen space are assets that are very practical. When you're a busy mom like me who is always driving here, there and everywhere with four kids -- not to mention making multiple runs to the supermarket in a single day to feed those hungry teens of mine -- that kind of functionality is really important. 

I'd be remiss, too, if I didn't mention how sleek and thin the body of the Nokia Lumia 822 is and that the device I received is white (it also comes in black or grey). As a woman, in my book that qualifies this as a stylish on-trend fashion accessory. It's so beautiful and has a unisex appeal that men will like it too. In fact, my son hasn't gotten a protective case yet because he loves the look of the phone just as it is. As his practical mom, I finally convinced him that it would be wise to look into getting a case to protect it from damage, so now he's planning on getting a clear see-through one to show off the product in all its glory.

Lest I sound superficial and only obsessed with what this new phone looks and feels like on the outside, let me tell you about which features impress me and my son most. I'm known for taking a lot of pictures with my smart devices, as the 3000 images currently living on both my primary smartphone and tablet indicate. So when this new device arrived naturally the thing I was most eager to check out first were the cameras, both the front- and rear-facing ones with dual LED flash.

Take a look at the images my son and I took here and see if you can guess which one was taken with the Nokia Lumia 822.

Our oldest son center, flanked by 2 of my triplets at The Soumaya

The Soumaya Museum, Mexico City

As you can see from comparing the first two images taken with my iPad 2 and the one below that my son snapped with the Nokia Lumia 822, the latter picture is far superior in capturing all the curves and dimensions of this architectural wonder. In fact, on our recent Mexican family vacation that also included a visit to Panama, the Nokia Lumia produced the highest quality images either of us have experienced with any smartphone camera to date.

My son shot this image with the Nokia Lumia 822

Enough about the great looks and excellent camera this smartphone offers. I have to tell you I was surprised at how easy it was to activate the new Nokia Lumia 822.

In just four simple steps, you are in business:

• Save contacts from old phone
• Activate 4G LTE Verizon Wireless service
• Insert the SIM card and battery
• Activate 4G LTE phone and transfer contacts

Both my son and I appreciated the ease involved in setting up and personalizing the tiles on the home screen, too. After this cool new smartphone was activated, all we had to do was follow the onscreen instructions to set up a Microsoft account and use it with Windows Live Skydrive, then connect it to our email accounts as well as to Twitter, Facebook and the other social networks each of us is active in. Though we didn't need it much, NokiaSmartSetup was invaluable at this stage when we got stuck once or twice during the setup process.

Playing at the Verizon store is like going to the candy shop

For sure many of the integrated apps on the new device are unique to this phone model and better than others we'd tried previously. Among the other new functions we like: this is very easy to sync with the Cloud and the Augmented Reality app is amazing. Since it will take time to get to know all we can do with this, watch for future posts as we venture deep into all the different new application horizons now at our finger tips.

My son, who is a high school senior, plans to rely heavily on the Nokia Lumia 822 as he wraps up all his college applications and starts preparing for life after graduation from high school. He expects the calendar (especially the To Do function) and convenient access to email and messaging will all make managing his busy life and day-to-day activities that much easier.

Want to experience the Nokia Lumia 822 for yourself? Listed at $449.99, it's currently available FREE with a standard two-year service plan exclusively from VerizonWireless.com and at your local Verizon store.

FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I disclose that I am a member of the Verizon AIC Blogger Team and that I received the product featured to facilitate this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.