SlashGear's Burns added that the 920's 4.5-inch screen was "vivid in its colors" and "inky in its blacks."

The Verge's Pierce was also impressed with the performance of the 920's Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor and Microsoft's yet-to-be released mobile operating system. "It's snappy and responsive, with no crashes or problems in the few minutes we got to use it," Pierce wrote.

Chris Velazco found the 920's specs underwhelming--"not exactly the sort of spec sheet that will set your world on fire"--but acknowledged "there's plenty to like about the Nokia's refined take on Windows Phone 8 hardware."

A sore point of any Windows Phone handset is how few apps there are for it. While there's nothing much the 920 can do about that, Nokia and Microsoft have better app integration than their rivals, maintained The Telegraph's Warman. "The package comes together to make sure consumers feel that they're always using one coherent device rather than a phone that is constantly having new apps bolted uncomfortably onto it," he wrote.

As much as many commentators liked the 920, even its fans admitted that even with outstanding hardware, Windows Phone 8 will still be a tough sell to consumers. Gizmodo's Wagner asked: Can the Nokia 920 lure Android and Apple users away from the fold? "After a few minutes with it, it's a resounding...maybe," he concluded.