Earlier this week, I described my intention to give Windows Phone a fair and unbiased look . At the time, I set up a set of questions and requirements that a phone would have to meet in order to meet my needs. Both iPhones and Android phones can meet these requirements. I wondered if Windows Phone could stand up to the comparison.

Microsoft was kind enough to loan me a Lumia Icon, which I just opened up today. Here are my first impressions, coming mostly from the process of unboxing the thing. I’ll have more in-depth discussions of the hardware, software, and ecosystem in future articles.

I have pretty mediocre wireless coverage across carriers at home, but Verizon is the best of the lot. Microsoft provided me with a Verizon phone, so we’re in for a lot of red.