Nokia has shown off its first smartphones to run the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system overnight at a long-awaited launch event in New York City. The Lumia 920 is Nokia's new flagship Windows Phone device, bringing new hardware and software advancements to what we've seen from its current 800/900 series devices. The announcement comes at a time when the company is struggling to capture market share against iOS and Android devices; unlike most other manufacturers, Nokia has tied itself exclusively to Windows Phone as its only smartphone software platform.

Probably the single most noteworthy feature in the 920's arsenal is its new PureView camera. Unlike the former PureView opticals the company has offered -- a stunning 41-megapixel camera included on its 808 PureView device -- the Lumia 920 offers a rather more standard 8.7MP sensor, but its claim to fame is in a dynamic new “floating lens” optical image stabilisation system said to offer more stable, shake-free photos, plus advanced low-light capture abilities, which Nokia claims takes in five times more light than current market competitors.

The 920's display, called PureMotion by Nokia, is a new form of extra-sensitive touchscreen technology that can still register input from a user wearing gloves, and the device can be charged wirelessly by induction. It sports a 4.5-inch display and claims a 400-hour standby time on its 2,000 mAh battery (apparently the most capacious battery Nokia has ever shipped).

Not quite as exciting is the Lumia 820, Nokia's middle-of-the-road option for more budget-minded users. It forgoes most of the 920's unique selling points but will still offer Windows Phone 8 on a 4.3-inch display (and retains inductive charging). No word yet from Nokia on pricing or availability (in any international markets), but we'll update you when we know more.