Nokia Lumia 925 Aluminum Ring Ensures Antenna Performance

Nokia's Lumia 925 handset is the first in the Lumia line to feature a metal body, something that some feared would result in issues with its antenna and reception. Addressing those concerns, Nokia has posted a rundown of its antenna design in a blog post today, discussing the steps taken to ensure antenna performance and radio reception wasn't compromised by the handset's metal shell.

Nokia states that the metal body of the Lumia 925 does not have any effect on signal reception, that being due to the design, particularly the aluminum ring that circles the handset. The Lumia 925 is equipped with multiple antennas, the main one being installed in the bottom portion of the smartphone, and the other two being near the top.

According to the post, the 925 has "stripes" keeping the antennas separate from portions of the metal ring, with the aluminum band being part of the overall antenna system. On top of it is the implementation of technology designed to balance the power with adjustments that take place based on how the handset is being held.

As such, the maker says that the antenna performance is maximized for all radio bands, whether it is LTE, WCDMA, or GSM, and that the reception experienced is on par with a handset body made entirely of polycarbonate rather than metal. There is a small caveat – Nokia says the signal will be reduced if the user purposely covers all edges of the phone with their hands.

This follows the "antennagate" debacle that Apple was hit with following the iPhone 4's release, with users experiencing little or no signal if they held the handset wrong. Because of the issue, Apple was hit with a class-action lawsuit, eventually settling the issue with a $53 million settlement after offering a case that would serve as an unwanted bumper between the phone and antenna.

SOURCE: Nokia