Pros:
Big screen is pleasant to type on, reasonable battery, interchangable covers
Cons:
Low resolution screen, low memory, restricted selection of Nokia apps
Price: £200
Manufacturer: Nokia
Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8930 Snapdragon
Display: 4.7in 480x800 IPS LCD
Storage: 8GB internal storage, 512MB of RAM
Camera: 5MP rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera
Connectivity: 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900; 3G HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100; 4G LTE
Operating system: Windows Phone 8
Dimensions: 133x72x9.2mm
Weight: 159g
Review
The Nokia Lumia 625 is the latest affordable Windows Phone device from the Finnish phone maker. Costing around £200, the Lumia 625 targets the same space as the Nokia 620 released earlier this year, but comes with the added perks of a larger 4.7in display and 4G connectivity. Nokia lists the phone as being the cheapest ever 4G handset, arguing it is tailor made for businesses on a budget.
However, with Nokia already having plugged every price point in the UK market, releasing its Lumia 520 and Lumia 720 handsets mere months ago, many have come to question whether these additional perks will be enough to entice new business users to the Windows Phone 8 platform or persuade those already on it to upgrade.
Design and build
Visually, the 625 looks like a slightly stripped down cross between the Lumia 720 and 520 models. The 625 features the same rounded corners as the 720 and a detachable plastic cover system like the 520. Being a different size, it cannot use covers made for the 520, though.
We found the 625 felt far more like the 520 than the 720, despite its increased 133x72x9.2mm size. This is because the plastic backplate has the same slightly cheap feeling matte finish as the 520.
Considering the 625's affordable £200 price tag, this isn't too much of a problem though it does make the phone seem slightly dull compared to other Nokia Windows Phones, which feature vibrant designs and a wealth of novel design touches.
The slightly cheap feeling isn't helped by the 625's 159g weight, which makes it feel slightly dense compared to the 128g of the similarly sized Lumia 720.
Despite this, we found the 625 to be a solid device, like many other Nokia devices. While the white chassis we used was prone to picking up dirt marks, we found it more than tough enough to survive the odd drop and accidental bump.
Display
Nokia is making a big song and dance about the Lumia 625's 4.7in IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, claiming it makes it one of the most affordable big screen phones around.
However, while it may be large, the Lumia 625's screen isn't all that crisp, with its 480x800 resolution and 199ppi pixel density.
In fact, the 3.8in, 480x800 pixel 246 ppi capacitive touchscreen of its predecessor the 620 proved far more pleasant for viewiing than the 625's despite its smaller size.
That said, actually typing and interacting on the 625's larger screen is nicer and the display is still more than usable.
Considering the phone's low price, a low resolution display is only to be expected. For this reason our only serious qualm with the display is its lack of Clearblack.
Clearblack is a custom technology used by Nokia to make text and colours stand out more. It does this by making the black backgorund darker, this making colours appear clearer. In the past we've found Clearblack to be a great addition to Nokia handsets and found its absence on this handset disappointing.
Operating system and software
Like all Lumia smartphones, the 625 runs using Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 625 doesn't come with the latest Amber update to the platform. As we've said many times before, the use of Windows Phone is a definite boon for business users, as the OS integrates several Microsoft productivity tools and services. Chief among these are mobile versions of Microsoft's Outlook email client, exchange server support and of course Microsoft's Lync and Office applications.
As well as these perks, the 625 also has a number of useful custom Nokia applications. Most notable are Nokia's Care, Here Drive and Maps apps. These offer a significantly improved experience over Windows Phone's standard Bing equivalents, offering more accurate location data and faster loading of maps.
The only downside to the 625 on the software wise is that it doesn't feature all Nokia's custom apps, missing nifty services like Here Lens - a cool augmented reality app that offers you dynamic information about your surroundings - and the ongoing Windows Phone 8 app shortage.
Next: Performance, Camera | V3
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