Nokia launches City Lens browser app for Lumia phones

Nokia has announced the beta launch of its City Lens augmented reality browser app for its Lumia range of Windows Phone devices, The Next Web reports.

The app, already available for the company’s Symbian devices, emphasizes urban discovery, displaying nearby points of interest – like restaurants, museums or theaters – as an augmented reality view via the phone’s camera, in a list or on a map depending on the device’s current orientation. It offers easy access to professional reviews and contact details for places listed, and lets users share them with friends via SMS, email or social networks.

This is far from the only app that’s taken this kind of approach to discovering information about nearby places. Many an augmented reality app has been built around the idea. However, it looks undeniably slick, following the standard Windows Phone design cues, the report says.