Finnish handset maker Nokia's latest Windows Phone 8-powered handset - the Nokia Lumia 1020 - was recently unveiled by the company's CEO Stephen Elop at a New York launch event.

One of the most impressive, and much reported, features of the Lumia 1020 handset is its six-lens 41-megapixel PureView camera with Xenon flash. Drawing attention to the astounding Lumia 1020 camera at the launch event, Elop said that "the back is the new front" for the new smartphone; thereby implying that the device is apparently set to transform the mobile photography scenario.

The camera of the Lumia 1020 is capable of taking high-resolution pictures, as well as taking two pictures at a time. One of the two pictures is clicked at 38-megapixel resolution and is turned into an `oversampled' 5-megapixel photo. `Oversampling' means that the picture retains its extreme sharpness and clarity, even when the handset's users zoom in and crop it. Other than excellent still photography, the camera also records equally sharp 1080p HD videos.

Some of the other features of the Lumia 1020 include a 4.5-inch screen; a 1.5GHz dual-core processor; 2GB of RAM; 32GB onboard storage; a 1.2-megapixel wide-angle front camera; and 2000mAh battery.

The handset - to be available in three color options: black, white, and yellow - will launch in the US on AT&T on July 26. Preorders for the device, priced at $300 with a two-year contract, will begin on July 16.