Microsoft, Nokia unveils 2 new smartphones that charge wirelessly

NEW YORK (AFP) - Microsoft and Nokia joined on Wednesday to boost their arsenal in the smartphone wars with two new Windows-powered devices aimed at battling Apple's iPhone and rivals powered by Google's Android system.

The new Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 are part of the Finnish-based company's strategy of offering "an alternative to the faceless black and grey monoblocs that you see out there," said Nokia president and chief executive Stephen Elop at a New York launch event.

"This is Lumia, the world's most innovative smartphone," Mr Elop said in unveiling the two new devices powered by the Windows Phone 8 operating system. The battery for both phones would be 30 per cent more efficient than its rivals and also incorporate wireless charging, with Nokia joining an effort to bring this technology to airports, coffee shops and other locations.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer also appeared at the event, which offered no specifics on launch dates or prices in various markets.