It’s been speculated that AT&T’s version of the Lumia 1520 would, for whatever reason, omit Qi wireless charging. Nokia recently told us that there won’t be two versions of the upcoming phablet but evidently there will be.
AT&T has their ‘Coming Soon’ product page up for the Nokia Lumia 1520, and while they have done an admirable job of promoting the new device, the specs specifically note that wireless charging is not included.
To confirm that it is not a typo, the image of the back of the 1520 shows the wireless charging contacts near the bottom, something that is omitted from the international version. Under the section titled ‘Battery’, AT&T states:
“Meet a smartphone that can keep up with your busy life. The 3400 mAh battery combined with the wireless charging shell is perfect for everyday use. Wireless charging shell sold separately.”
Combined with the accompanying image it seems all but certain AT&T has once again opted to not have Qi wireless charging (they also pushed back on the option for the Lumia 1020). So was the decision made to keep the device thinner? Reduces costs? Or is it because AT&T is supporting the rival wireless charging standard from the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) instead of Qi?
We may never know (we have our suspicions) but it’s clear that customers are getting the raw end of the deal here. Having used the Lumia 1520 extensively, we can say weight nor thinness are hardly a consideration with the large but nimble device.
Missed our hands on with the Lumia 1520 from yesterday? See it here.
Source: AT&T; Thanks, Matthew, for the tip
