Nokia's Lumia 930 has a lot in common with the Nokia Lumia Icon, the flagship device that  debuted in the US in February and is exclusive to Verizon Wireless.

But business users can now get the Lumia 930, which is a redesigned Lumia Icon, without signing an exclusive and expensive two-year contract.

Like Us on Facebook

The Lumia 930 costs US$599, which is more expensive than the Lumia Icon. But it comes with an affordable data plan from another network that could create savings in the long run.

The Lumia 930 is the most powerful Windows Phone to date, and probably the best.

It has a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 2 GB worth of RAM, which converts to fast performance and responsive multitasking.

The sharp 5-inch display of the Lumia 930 is balanced between portability and productivity. It's large enough for screen-intensive tasks like browsing the internet, checking e-mails and editing documents without it cramping a user.

Microsoft's latest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8.1, runs the Lumia 930. It adds productivity-boosting features like the Action Center, a center for all the user's alerts and notifications.

It's similar to the Android and iOS's notification bar. A swipe down from the top of the screen of the Lumia 930 displays the Action Center.

The keyboard in Windows Phone 8.1 learns the user's habits. Typing in any app with the keyboard provides corrections and suggestions such as addresses, names and more from the device's address book.

The calendar app lets a user quickly switch between months, weeks and days by swiping left or right. And the phone's integrated weather forecast can be used to plan around oncoming disturbances.

Lumia 930 has also got Cortana, that popular digital assistant  that vies with Apple's Siri. Tapping the Cortana app on the home screen launches the program and you can state your command or question by voice or by typing it on the keyboard.

Cortana can track the user's e-mails and calendar events to notify the user of relevant alerts before being asked. For example, if a business trip is planned, the service can alert the user to flight delays and traffic jams before the flight.

The service also has an original way of screening incoming calls. If a meeting or appointment is scheduled on the calendar, Cortana can automatically intercept calls and reply with a pre-recorded message.

Providing a white-list of contacts can ensure that important phone calls from family members or employees don't get screened.

The phone also has Microsoft Office built in. The app synchronizes with the user's primary Office account so latest versions of all documents are accessible.

Likewise, editing documents on the phone synchronizes changes across all the user's computers and devices.

New Skype features on the Lumia 930 make the service better, including an option to seamlessly "upgrade" a phone call to a video call with one tap, without disrupting the call.

Tagsnokia lumia 930, Nokia, OS, windows 8.1